literary elements - GGB Flashcards
characterization (flat)
a one-sided, stereotypical character
characterization (round)
fully developed with many traits, with both faults and virtues
characterization (static)
does not exhibit much change through the course of a story - he/she is largely the same character at the beginning of a text as at the end
characterization (dynamic)
experiences significant change through the course of a story. This may be in personality, belief, and/or perspective
metaphor
a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one thing is another thing, even though this isn’t literally true. These do not use “like” or “as” for comparison.
simile
a figure of speech using “like” or “as” to make a comparison between 2 unrelated things.
personification
describing non-human things with human attributes
symbolism
anything that stands for or represents something else; can be an image, object, character, or action that represents an idea beyond its literal meaning; normally just once - can imply a motif
motif
a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc.
allusion
reference to something else
irony
In a work of literature, an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been expected.
hyperbole
intentional and extreme exaggeration; “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
parallelism
sentence construction which repeats identical grammatical patterns; examples: “like father, like son;” “easy comes, easy goes”
foreshadowing
a writing technique that provides hints/clues to readers about events that might happen later in the story
paradox
an extended oxymoron —> “My only love sprung from my only hate”
oxymoron
pairing seemingly contradictory words in order to express new or complex meanings; ex: “icy hot”
synesthesia
a kind of metonymy (replacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept) involving a “crossing of senses.” ; ex: “a purplish scent filled the room”
theme
the message about human nature and life that the author wants to convey to their readers; the main message, concern, or purpose in a literary work; a universal truth about life or people at they can be.
