Literary terms Flashcards
Foil
A character who acts as a contrast to another character
Round character
Multi-dimensional character
Flat character
A character who embodies a single value and does not develop throughout the course of a story
Double entendre
A statement that has two meanings, one of which is dirty or vulgar
Oxymoron
A figure of speech that combines opposites or contradictory terms in a brief phrase
Blank verse
Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter
Iamb
A unit in poetry consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable
Iambic pentameter
A line of poetry composed of five iambs
Soliloquy
A speech said alone on stage to show a character’s thoughts
Comic relief
A humorous speech or scene intended to relieve tension. Heightens the seriousness of the main action by contrast
Aside
Words spoken by an actor directly at the audience, which are not heard by the other characters on stage
Sonnet
A poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme scheme (usually in iambic pentameter)
Conceit
An extended metaphor
