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Literary Terms Flashcards

1
Q

Auschwitz

A

the infamous concentration camp established by the Nazis in Poland.

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2
Q

Bastille

A

Prison in Paris where many political prisoners, and other offenders, were held and tortured until the time of the French Revolution.

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3
Q

Alamo

A

a fort, once a chapel, in San Antonio, Texas, where a group of Americans made a heroic stand against a much larger Mexican force in 1836

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4
Q

abstract

A

refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images

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5
Q

Allegory

A

an extended or narrative in prose or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities.

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6
Q

anecdote

A

short, simple narrative of an incident

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7
Q

annotation

A

explanatory notes added to a text to explain, cite sources, or give bibliographical information.

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8
Q

antithesis

A

the presentation of two contrasting images. Ideas balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragaphs

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9
Q

aphorism

A

short, often witty statement of a principle or a truth about life

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10
Q

apostraphe

A

usually in poetry but sometimes in prose

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11
Q

argumentation

A

writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view

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12
Q

ballad

A

poem that tells a story and is meant to be sang or recited

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13
Q

biography

A

story of a person’s life that is written by someone else

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14
Q

blank verse

A

unrhymed iambic pentameter

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15
Q

caesura

A

pause or sudden break in a line of poetry

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16
Q

cause and effect

A

two events that are related as cause and effect when one even brings about or causes the other.

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17
Q

character

A

person responsible for thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature

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18
Q

antagonist

A

character in a story or poem who deceives, frustrates, or works against the main character (protagonist)

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19
Q

caricature

A

picture or imitation of a person’s habits, physical appearance, or mannerisms exaggerated in a comic or absurd way

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20
Q

foil

A

a character who serves as a contrast or conflict to another character

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21
Q

hero/heroine

A

a character whose actions are inspiring or noble

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22
Q

clarifying

A

the reader’s process of pausing occasionally while reading to quickly review what he or she understands.

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23
Q

cliché

A

type of figurative language containing an overused expression or a saying that is no longer considered original.

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24
Q

climax

A

see plot

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25
comedy
a dramatic work that is light and often humorous with a peaceful tone and usually ends happily
26
comparison
the process of identifying similarities
27
concrete poetry
type of poetry that uses its physical or visual form to present its message
28
conflict
the tension or problem in the story
29
central conflict
the dominant or most important conflict in the story
30
external conflict
the problem or struggle that exists between the main character and an outside force
31
internal conflict
the problem or struggle that takes place in the main character's mind
32
cacophony
harsh, awkward or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or pose
33
caricature
descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person's appearance or a facet of personality
34
colloquialism
a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (y'all, ain't)
35
coherence
quality of piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle.
36
concrete language
language that describes specific, observable things
37
connotation
implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader's mind
38
consonance
repetition of identical consonant sounds with two or more words in close proximity
39
condrum
a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun
40
deduction
the process of moving from a general rule to specific example
41
denotation
literal meaning of a word as defined
42
description
the picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation in color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch
43
diction
word choice, an element of style
44
connecting
a reader's process of relating the content of a literary work to his or her own knowledge and experience
45
connotation
the idea and feeling associated with a word as opposed to its dictionary definition or denotation
46
consonance
the repetition of consonant sounds anywhere with a line of poetry
47
context clues
hints or suggestions that may surround unfamiliar words or phrases and clarify their meaning
48
contrast
the process of pointing out differences between things
49
couplet
a rhymed pair of lines in a poem
50
denouement
see plot
51
dialect
form of language that is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people
52
dialogue
the conversation between characters in a drama or narrative.
53
drama
a drama or play is a form of literature meant to be performed by actors before an audience.
54
drawing conclusions
combining several pieces of information to make inference is called drawing a conclusion.
55
dramatic monologue
a literary device that is used when a character reveals his or her innermost thoughts and feeling, those that are hidden throughout the course of the story line, through a poem or speech.
56
elegy
type of literature defined as a song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for someone who has died.
57
enjambment
in poetry, incomplete syntax at the end of a line, the meaning running over into the next line without terminal punctuation
58
epigram
a short poem or verse that seeks to ridicule a thought or even, usually with witticism or sarcasm
59
epic
a long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero whose actions reflect the ideals and values of a nation or group
60
epiphany
a sudden moment of understanding that causes a character to change or to act in a certain way.
61
epitaph
short poem or verse written in memory of someone
62
essay
short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject
63
descriptive essay
describes a particular subject
64
expository essay
purpose is to explain and give information about a subject
65
formal essay
highly organized and thoroughly researched
66
humorous essay
purpose is to amuse or entertain the reader
67
informal essay
lighter in tone and usually reflects the writer's feelings and personality
68
narrative essay
tells a story
69
persuasive essay
attempts to convince a reader to adopt a particular option or course of action
70
evaluating
process of judging the value of something or someone
71
exaggeration
see hyperbole
72
exposition
see plot
73
extended metaphor
a figure of speech that compares two essentially unlike things in great length.
74
external conflict
see conflict
75
fable
a brief tale that teaches a lesson about human nature
76
facts and opinion
a fact is a statement that can be proven. an opinion, in contrast, is a statement that reflects a writer's or speaker's belief
77
falling action
see plot
78
fiction
prose writing that tells an imaginary story.
79
figurative language/figure of speech
expressions that are not literally true
80
first person point of view
see point of view
81
flashback
an interruption of the chronological sequence of an event of earlier occurence
82
foil
see character
83
folklore
traditions, customs, and stories that are passed down within a culture
84
foot
a unit of meter within a line of poetry
85
foreshadowing
when the writer provides clues or hints that suggest or predict future events in a story
86
free verse
poetry without regular patterns of rhyme and rhythm. Often used to capture the sounds and rhythms of ordinary speech
87
generalization
broad statement about an entire group
88
genre
type or category of literature. examples include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.
89
haiku
traditional form of Japanese poetry, usually dealing with nature
90
hero/heroine
see character
91
heroic couplet
a couples consisting of two successive rhyming lines that contain a complete thought
92
historical fiction
fiction that explores a past time period and may contain references to actual people and events of the past
93
horror fiction
fiction that contains mysterious and often supernatural events to create a sense of terror
94
humor
the quality that provokes laughter or amusement
95
hyperbole
figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect
96
iambic pentameter
see meter
97
idiom
a phrase or expression that means something different from what the words actually say
98
imagery
the use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses
99
inference
logical guess based on evidence in the text
100
internal conflict
see conflict
101
interview
meeting in which one person asks another about personal matters, professional matters, or both
102
irony
contrast between what is expected and what actually happens or exists
103
verbal irony
occurs when the speaker means something totally different than what he or she is saying
104
dramatic irony
occurs when facts are not known to characters in a work of literature but known by the audience
105
cosmic irony
suggests that some unknown force brings about dire and dreadful events
106
irony of a situation
difference between what is expected to happens and the way events actually work out.

Senior Literature (6 decks)

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