Lit Vocab #5 Flashcards
Setting
The time and place of a literary work
Simile
An indirect comparison that uses the word, “like” or “as” to link the differing terms in the comparison
Soliloquy
A speech in a play which is used to reveal the character’s inner thoughts to the audience
Sonnet
A 14-line poem with a prescribed rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter
Spondee
A poetic foot consisting of two accented syllables
Stage directions
The specific instructions a play wright includes concerning sets, characterization, delivery, etc
Stanza
A unit of a poem, similar in rhyme, meter, and length to other units in the poem
Structure
The organization and form of a work
Style
The unique way an author presents his ideas. Diction, imagery, syntax, structure, and content all contribute to a particular style
Subplot
A secondary plot that explores ideas different from the main story line
Subtext
Implied meaning of a work or section of a work
Symbol
Something in a literary work that stands for something else
Synecdoche
A figure of speech that utilizes a part as a representative of the whole
Syntax
The grammatical structure of prose (writing) and poetry
Tercet
Three-line stanza
Theme
Underlying ideas that the author illustrates through characterization, motifs, language, plot, etc
Tone
The author’s attitude toward his subject
Tragic hero
According to Aristotle, a basically good person of noble birth or exalted position who has a fatal flaw or commits an error in judgement which leads to his downfall. This tragic hero must have a moment of realization and live and suffer.
Trochee
A single metrical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented syllable
Understatement
The opposite of exaggeration. Technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended
Villanelle
A highly structured poetic form that comprises six stanzas; five tercets and a quatrain. The poem repeats the first and third lines throughout.
