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Senior Literature > Literary Terms > Flashcards

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
Q

comedy

A

a dramatic work that is light and often humorous with a peaceful tone and usually ends happily

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26
Q

comparison

A

the process of identifying similarities

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27
Q

concrete poetry

A

type of poetry that uses its physical or visual form to present its message

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28
Q

conflict

A

the tension or problem in the story

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29
Q

central conflict

A

the dominant or most important conflict in the story

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30
Q

external conflict

A

the problem or struggle that exists between the main character and an outside force

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31
Q

internal conflict

A

the problem or struggle that takes place in the main character’s mind

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32
Q

cacophony

A

harsh, awkward or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or pose

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33
Q

caricature

A

descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a person’s appearance or a facet of personality

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34
Q

colloquialism

A

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)

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35
Q

coherence

A

quality of piece of writing in which all the parts contribute to the development of the central idea, theme, or organizing principle.

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36
Q

concrete language

A

language that describes specific, observable things

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37
Q

connotation

A

implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader’s mind

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38
Q

consonance

A

repetition of identical consonant sounds with two or more words in close proximity

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39
Q

condrum

A

a riddle whose answer is or involves a pun

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40
Q

deduction

A

the process of moving from a general rule to specific example

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41
Q

denotation

A

literal meaning of a word as defined

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42
Q

description

A

the picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation in color, motion, sound, taste, smell, and touch

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43
Q

diction

A

word choice, an element of style

44
Q

connecting

A

a reader’s process of relating the content of a literary work to his or her own knowledge and experience

45
Q

connotation

A

the idea and feeling associated with a word as opposed to its dictionary definition or denotation

46
Q

consonance

A

the repetition of consonant sounds anywhere with a line of poetry

47
Q

context clues

A

hints or suggestions that may surround unfamiliar words or phrases and clarify their meaning

48
Q

contrast

A

the process of pointing out differences between things

49
Q

couplet

A

a rhymed pair of lines in a poem

50
Q

denouement

A

see plot

51
Q

dialect

A

form of language that is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people

52
Q

dialogue

A

the conversation between characters in a drama or narrative.

53
Q

drama

A

a drama or play is a form of literature meant to be performed by actors before an audience.

54
Q

drawing conclusions

A

combining several pieces of information to make inference is called drawing a conclusion.

55
Q

dramatic monologue

A

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
Q

elegy

A

type of literature defined as a song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for someone who has died.

57
Q

enjambment

A

in poetry, incomplete syntax at the end of a line, the meaning running over into the next line without terminal punctuation

58
Q

epigram

A

a short poem or verse that seeks to ridicule a thought or even, usually with witticism or sarcasm

59
Q

epic

A

a long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero whose actions reflect the ideals and values of a nation or group

60
Q

epiphany

A

a sudden moment of understanding that causes a character to change or to act in a certain way.

61
Q

epitaph

A

short poem or verse written in memory of someone

62
Q

essay

A

short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject

63
Q

descriptive essay

A

describes a particular subject

64
Q

expository essay

A

purpose is to explain and give information about a subject

65
Q

formal essay

A

highly organized and thoroughly researched

66
Q

humorous essay

A

purpose is to amuse or entertain the reader

67
Q

informal essay

A

lighter in tone and usually reflects the writer’s feelings and personality

68
Q

narrative essay

A

tells a story

69
Q

persuasive essay

A

attempts to convince a reader to adopt a particular option or course of action

70
Q

evaluating

A

process of judging the value of something or someone

71
Q

exaggeration

A

see hyperbole

72
Q

exposition

A

see plot

73
Q

extended metaphor

A

a figure of speech that compares two essentially unlike things in great length.

74
Q

external conflict

A

see conflict

75
Q

fable

A

a brief tale that teaches a lesson about human nature

76
Q

facts and opinion

A

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
Q

falling action

A

see plot

78
Q

fiction

A

prose writing that tells an imaginary story.

79
Q

figurative language/figure of speech

A

expressions that are not literally true

80
Q

first person point of view

A

see point of view

81
Q

flashback

A

an interruption of the chronological sequence of an event of earlier occurence

82
Q

foil

A

see character

83
Q

folklore

A

traditions, customs, and stories that are passed down within a culture

84
Q

foot

A

a unit of meter within a line of poetry

85
Q

foreshadowing

A

when the writer provides clues or hints that suggest or predict future events in a story

86
Q

free verse

A

poetry without regular patterns of rhyme and rhythm. Often used to capture the sounds and rhythms of ordinary speech

87
Q

generalization

A

broad statement about an entire group

88
Q

genre

A

type or category of literature. examples include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

89
Q

haiku

A

traditional form of Japanese poetry, usually dealing with nature

90
Q

hero/heroine

A

see character

91
Q

heroic couplet

A

a couples consisting of two successive rhyming lines that contain a complete thought

92
Q

historical fiction

A

fiction that explores a past time period and may contain references to actual people and events of the past

93
Q

horror fiction

A

fiction that contains mysterious and often supernatural events to create a sense of terror

94
Q

humor

A

the quality that provokes laughter or amusement

95
Q

hyperbole

A

figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect

96
Q

iambic pentameter

A

see meter

97
Q

idiom

A

a phrase or expression that means something different from what the words actually say

98
Q

imagery

A

the use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses

99
Q

inference

A

logical guess based on evidence in the text

100
Q

internal conflict

A

see conflict

101
Q

interview

A

meeting in which one person asks another about personal matters, professional matters, or both

102
Q

irony

A

contrast between what is expected and what actually happens or exists

103
Q

verbal irony

A

occurs when the speaker means something totally different than what he or she is saying

104
Q

dramatic irony

A

occurs when facts are not known to characters in a work of literature but known by the audience

105
Q

cosmic irony

A

suggests that some unknown force brings about dire and dreadful events

106
Q

irony of a situation

A

difference between what is expected to happens and the way events actually work out.

Senior Literature (6 decks)

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