Literary & Technical Terms Flashcards
1
Q
Abstract
A
Something that cannot be perceived by the senses
2
Q
Acronym
A
An abbreviation formed from the inital letters of other words and pronounced as a word
3
Q
Allegory
A
A story, picture, or poem that uses symbols to convey a larger meaning
4
Q
Alliteration
A
The repetition of the first letter/sound within a group of words
5
Q
Allusion
A
An reference to something famous outside of the text
6
Q
Ambiguity
A
An intentional vagueness that makes more than one interpretation possible
7
Q
Analogy
A
Comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification
8
Q
Anachronism
A
In a period-based work, a detail that is placed outside of the given time period
9
Q
Analysis
A
Examining a text in detail to interpret it thoroughly
10
Q
Anecdote
A
A short narrative about of an interesting or amusing incident
11
Q
Antagonist
A
The opposing force of the protagonist (main character)
12
Q
Antecedent Action
A
Any event occuring before the main events of a narrative
13
Q
Anticlimax
A
The failure to fulfill a reader’s expectations following a build-up of suspense towards an anticpated outcome
14
Q
Antihero
A
A main character that is ignoble and lacks other traditional heroic qualities, but still manages to excite our sympathy
15
Q
Antithesis
A
Contrasting elements to highlight the stark differences between ideas, characters, or situations
16
Q
Apathy
A
Lack of enthusiasm, interest, or care
17
Q
Aphorism
A
A concise statement that conveys a general truth
18
Q
Apostrophe
A
Addressing someone absent, dead, or nonhuman as if they were present
19
Q
Archaism
A
Word or expression that has become obsolete in current common speech
20
Q
Archetype
A
Universal themes, symbols, characters, and images that are repeated throughout a variety of literature
21
Q
Argument
A
A mode of writing in which the author’s purpose is to influence the reader to accept a particular side of a debatable issue
22
Q
Aside
A
A speech or short comment that a character directly to an audience
23
Q
Assonance
A
Repetition of vowel sounds within words, phrases, or sentences
24
Q
Atmosphere
A
The feelings that are evoked by a setting
25
Attitude
How an author or character feels about a subject
26
Autobiography
An account of a person's life, written by that person
27
Ballad
A type of poem that tells a story, and is often set to music
28
Bias
An inclination toward (or away from) someone, something, or an idea
29
Blank Verse
Unrhymed poetry, but written in metered lines, almost always iambic pantameter
30
Cacophony
The use of words or phrases that are considered harsh or jarring in sound
"Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled"
31
Cadence
The natural rhythmic rise and fall of a language, as it is normally spoken
32
Caesura
A strong pause or break within a line of poetry
"Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness, but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep"
33
Caricature
When a character is exaggerated to be a deliberate and comic distortion of a person
34
Catharsis
The experience of feeling emotional release and cleansing
35
Character
A person in a story
36
Chronology
A sequence of events arranged according to a certain time line
37
Cinquain
Poem or stanza composed of 5 lines
38
Cliche
An expression that has been overused to the point that it lost its original meaning and effect
39
Climax
The point of greatest tension in a story
40
Colloquialism
Word or phrase that is acceptable in ordinary conversation, but is considered inappropriate in formal writing
"Shakespeare was a wicked play writer, and his sonnets were awesome too"
41
Comedy
Narrative work in which the content is meant to mainly amuse the audience
42
Comic Relief
The use of humorous characters, scenes, or speeches in a serious or dramatic work to relieve tension
43
Conceit
An elaborate, improbable comparison between two very unlike things to create an imaginative connection between them
44
Concrete
Tangible qualities or characteristics
45
Conflict
The struggle that grows out of the interplay of opposing forces in a narrative
46
Connotation
An implied meaning that comes with a word in addition to its literal meaning
47
Consonance
Repeetition of consonant sounds in neighbouring words
48
Couplet
Two lines of poetry that rhyme and have the same meter
49
Crisis
When opposing forces in a conflict interlock in a decisive ordeal on which the plot will turn
50
Denotation
The literal dictionary definition of a word
51
Denouement
The very end of a story where all different plotlines are finally tied up and any remaining questions are answered
52
Dialect
In dialogue, the speech pattern that distinguishes a certain regional area, culture, or community
53
Dialogue
Spoken exchange between characters in a narrative work
54
Diction
Word choice an author uses to create a specific impact or tone in their writing
55
Didactic Tone
Describes the tone or style of an author whose purpose is to provide guidance, especially in moral matters
56
Dilemma
A conflict that has more than one possible solution
57
Dissonance
Disruption in the harmonic sounds or rhythm of a verse
58
Doggerel
Poetry that is irregular in rhythm or rhyme, often intentional for burlesque or comic effect
59
Douple Rhyme
Involving one stressed and one unstressed syllable in each rhyming line
60
Dramatic Irony
When the audience's knowledge of the circumstances surpasses the character's
61
Dramatic Purpose
A scene or part of dialogue that serves a specific purpose to the plot
62
Dynamic Character
Character who changes and evolves throughout the story
63
Elegy
Poem of serious reflection, usually a lament for the dead
64
Enjambment
The running-over of a sentence or phrase from one poetic line to the next without terminal punctuation
65
Epic
Long narrative poem recounting the heroic deeds of an individual
66
Epilogue
Final chapter of a story that often serves to reveal the fates of the characters
67
Epigram
Short, but insightful statement that is expressed in a witty, satirical, or funny manner
68
Epigraph
Short quote included at the beginning of a work that bears a connection to the central theme
69
Epitaph
Short composition in honor of one who has died
70
Equivocation
The use of vague language to hide one's meaning or to avoid committing to a point of view
71
Euphemism
Word or phrase used in lieu of a harsher alternative
72
Euphony
The use of words or phrases that are considered pleasant and harmonious in sound
73
Exposition
Passage in fiction intended to supply the background information necessary to advance a narrative
74
Fable
Short story conveying a moral
75
Fallacy
Flaw in the logic of an argument
76
Farce
Absurd, exaggereated comedy designed to provoke simple, hearty laughter
77
Figurative Language
The use of words that deviates from the conventional meaning in order to convey a deeper meaning or built imagery
78
First Person Narration
Using personal pronouns to tell a story from the narrator's perspective
79
Flashback
An interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time
80
Flat Character
One-dimentional character that lacks complexity and depth
81
Foil
Character who emphasizes the nature of the protagonist by being presented as a contrasting or complementary character
82
Foreshadowing
Any detail in a narrative that suggests an eventual outcome of the plot
83
Free Verse
Open form of poetry that has no strict meter or rhyme scheme
84
Hamartia
The essential flaw in a tragic hero's nature
85
Hubris
Excessive pride in the form of arrogant self-confidence; common form of hamartia
86
Hyperbole
Intentional overstatement or exaggeration
87
Idiom
A phrase that, when taken as a whole, has a meaning undeducable from the meaning of the individual words
88
Imagery
Words or phrases that create vivid mental images
89
Inference
Conclusion drawn from facts that have been presenteded or statements made
90
Irony
The contrast between what actually is and what appears to be or what happens and what was expected
91
Juxtaposition
Placing two unrelated things next to each other to emphasize their differences
92
Limited Narrator
Third person point of view that has access to the thoughts and emotions of just one character
93
Literal Language
Meant to be understood exactly as stated
94
Malapropism
Incorrect use of a word in place of a word with a similar sound, usually for humorous purposes
95
Metaphor
Comparison between two unrelated ideas
96
Metonymy
In which a word is substituted for another word that it is closely associated with
97
Milieu
The setting where action unfolds
98
Monologue
Long speech spoken by a character
99
Mood
The emotional response a story creates in a reader
100
Motif
Image, sound, word, or symbol that is repeated throughout a story to enhance the theme
101
Myth
Traditional story that typically aims to explain a natural or social phenomenon
102
Mythology
A collection of related myths
103
Narrator
The one who tells the story
104
Ode
Poem written to address and praise a subject
105
Omniscient Narrator
Third person point of view where the narrator is all-seeing and all-knowing
106
Onomatopoeia
A word that sounds like the noise it describes
107
Oxymoron
Combining contradictory words with opposite meaning
"Deafening silence"
108
Pantomime
Conveyance of a story through body or facial movements
109
Parable
Simple story that teaches an idea
110
Paradox
Statement that appears to contradict itself, but on furthur examination makes sense or reveals a deeper meaning
"The beginning of the end"
111
Parallelism
Using similar words, clauses, phrases, sentence structure, or other grammatical elements to emphasize similar ideas in a sentence
112
Parody
To copy the style of someone or something in a humorous way
113
Pathetic Fallacy
Attribution of human emotions to inanimate objects, nature, or animals to evoke a specific mood or feeling
114
Pathos
To persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel
115
Personification
Giving human traits to non-humans
116
Poetic Justice
When something bad happens to someone who deserves it
117
Point of View
The perspective in which a story is told
118
Prologue
Introductory section of a literary work
119
Protagonist
Principal character in a literary work
120
Proverb
Short popular saying
121
Requiem
An act of remembrance for the dead
122
Rhetorical Question
Question that is not meant to have or require an answer
123
Round Character
A character with depth and a complex personality
124
Satire
A way of criticizing in a humorous way
125
Setting
The time, place, and environment in which a story occurs
126
Simile
Comparing two unlike things using "like" or "as"
127
Situational Irony
When an unexpected outcome occurs instead of the expected one
128
Soliloquy
When a character speaks to themselves out loud without addressing another character or the audience
129
Stanza
Group of lines within a poem
130
Static Character
Character that retains the same personality and outlook throughout the whole story; does not undergo any psychological change
131
Stock Character
Stereotypical character—one that is easily recognizable across a variety of narratives
132
Symbol
An element in a work that represents something other than what it really is
133
Synaesthesia
In which one kind of sensory response is fused with another
134
Theme
A statement that concisely summarizes the principle idea(s) the writer is trying to express through their work
135
Thesis
A position taken and supported by a writer or speaker
136
Tone
Implied attitude of the writer towards their work
137
Tragic Flaw
Defect in a character that leads to their downfall
138
Turning Point
When a character makes a decision that will change the course of a story
139
Understatement
To present a situation or idea as if it is less important than it is in reality
140
Universality
Quality of state of being universal
141
Verbal Irony
When a speaker intentional says one thing but means another
142
Verisimilitude
Appearance of being true or real
