Literary Devices Flashcards
Elision
the removal of an unstressed syllable or letter from a word in order to mix words together and decrease overall syllables
Enjambment
when the sentence spills over the poetry line
Ambiguity
when something can have multiple interpretations
Syntax
sentence structure
Semantics
words and sentence meaning
Ambivalence
contradictory feelings
arbitrariness of the sign
the idea there is no natural connection between a language symbol and the concern or meaning it represents
social constructionism
symbols get their meaning through the various ways they are used in iterated social interaction over time
structuralism
individual symbols are defined according to their interrelationships with other symbols within the wider context of an overarching symbolic system
exposition
beginning of a story; provides background info; describes the nature of the conflict
rising action
builds tension that leads to the conflict, the interplay of the conflict within the story
climax
occurs when tension peaks; turning point
falling action
details result of climax; conflict gets resolved
denouement
‘untying the knot’; when authors close the story without a final resolution, leaving the reader to ponder what happened before
in media res
‘in the middle of action’; when a story begins in the middle of action
flashback
a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story
foreshadowing
hints to details that will happened
Protagonist
main character of a story
Antagonist
character that goes against protagonist
bildungsroman
coming-of-age story; novel that depicts and explores the manner in which the protagonist develops morally and psychologically
Epiphany
a moment of sudden and profound insight or realization
round character
well-developed character with a range of emotions and traits
flat character
one-dimensional character who is defined by a few traits
Foil
a contrasting character who allows the protagonist to stand out more
stock character
stereotypical or cliched character type that appears across different stories or genres; easily recognizable
direct characterization
when a narrator explicitly describes details of a character
indirect characterization
when the author shows what a character is like through characteristics words, actions, thoughts or what others say about the character
historical context
gives context for political, economic, and social upheavals; rarely stated explicitly
cultural environment
sets the environment of a work: the manners, morals, customs, rituals. and code of conduct
perspective
the viewpoint from which the narrative is told
point of view
the perspective through which a story is told
first person point of view
unreliable narrator
a character who provides a version of events that may be distorted, misleading, or inaccurate; the author may choose to tell the story from the perspective of someone naive, mentally ill, corrupt, or downright immoral
second person point of view
narrative voice that uses the pronoun “you” to directly address the reader, making them part of the story
3rd omniscient
readers have access to what all characters feel and are thinking
3rd limited omniscient narrator
when an author sticks closely to one character but remains in third person “close third”
3rd objective narrator
narrator simply describes what is happening to the characters in the story and does not show us anyone’s thoughts or feelings
stream of consciousness
narrative technique that takes readers inside the mind of a narrator recounting thoughts, impressions, and feelings for wither a 1st person or 3rd person limited omniscient perspective
layered point of view
the technique of presenting a narrative through multiple perspectives or levels of understanding
narrative frame
another layered technique where a story is introduced with another story; establishes who is telling the main story and under what circumstance; usually creates a shift in perspective
allegory
a narrative in which characters, events, and settings symbolize abstract ideas, oral qualities, or political concepts
archetype
a universally recognized symbol, character, theme, or situation that recurs across literature, mythology, and culture
theme
the central idea, underlying message, or main subject that runs through a work of literature, art, or any other narrative form; the deeper meaning or insight about life, society, or human nature that the author intends to convey through the story
symbol
a character, object, event, or other element that represents a deeper meaning beyond its literal interpretation
