Literary Terms Flashcards
ALLITERATION
A sequence of repeated consonantal sounds, to add rhetorical or descriptive effect: “the bare black cliff clang’d around him”
ANTITHESIS
Contrasting of opposite ideas in parallel phrases or sentences e.g. “rich in goods, but ragged in spirit”
ASSONANCE
The rhyming or near-rhyming of vowel sounds but without the consonants agreeing (unlike rhyme)
BATHOS
An abrupt descent from the solemn or serious to the trivial or ridiculous.
BILDUNGSROMAN
A novel which describes the protagonist’s progress from childhood to maturity e.g. Jane Eyre
CAESURA
A heavy pause during a line of metrical verse (see Enjambement)
CLIMAX
A point at which the protagonist’s fortunes reach a critical stage; a turning point; a moment of intense excitement or emotion. A work may have more than one climax.
COLLOQUIALISM
Everyday speech, including slang, as opposed to more formal expression, indicating a relaxed, conversational or familiar tone.
DICTION
The writer’s choice of words, use of vocabulary.
DRAMATIC IRONY
arises whenever the audience knows more than one or more of the characters. Thus, they can foresee the possible consequences of an action, tragic or comic, or errors in the character’s judgement.
DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE
A poem in the voice of one character, who unintentionally reveals himself through his own words. Best-known through Robert Browning.
END-STOPPED
A line of verse in which the end of the line is marked with a grammatical pause.
ENJAMBEMENT
A line of verse which is not end-stopped, that is, the sense continues on to the next line without a pause at the end. Also called run-on lines. The pause is delayed to the middle of a succeeding line (see Caesura). Note the combination of enjambement and caesura
EUPHEMISM
The avoidance of unpleasant concepts by careful expression, e.g. “passed away” instead of “died”.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Any form of expression or grammar which deviates from the plain statement of meaning for the sake of an effect. Most commonly refers to simile or metaphor but also included hyperbole and other rhetorical devices.
FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE
Stories told in the first person singular, “I”, like Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
FORM
Shape, pattern or structure - the way in which a piece of writing is organised.
GOTHIC
Originally, works set in medieval castles or monasteries, with a gloomy, violent and spine-chilling atmosphere, which became popular at the same time as the revival of interest in the medieval age during the Romantic period. Nowadays anything with a bizarre, macabre interest in aberrant psychology.
IMAGE/IMAGERY
A word-picture, as well as language which appeals to the eye and other senses, often specifically referring to simile or metaphor.
IRONY
Whenever a further meaning, significance or judgement implied by the author can be deduced from the use of words, or from a pattern of events.
JARGON
The special technical language of any trade or profession, often unintelligible to the layman.
JUXTAPOSITION
Placing ideas, words, incidents, characters etc. next to one another in such a way as to highlight similarity or contrast, or for ironic effect
METAPHOR
Figure of speech in which one thing is described as being another thing i.e. the comparison is stated as a fact e.g. Love “is the star to every wandering bark.” Compare to simile
METRE
The regular arrangement of strong stresses in a line of verse, creating a pattern.
