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12th Grade Literature > Literary Terms > Flashcards

Literary Terms Flashcards

1
Q

Auschwitz

A

infamous concentration camp est. by Nazis in Poland. 1 of 3 major locations where ethnic groups were taken to be put to death in gas chambers by order of the leaders of Third Reich.

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2
Q

Bastille

A

A prison in Paris where many political prisoners, and other offenders, were held and tortured until the time of the French Revolution. The prison was attached by workers (common laborers) on July 14th, 1789, during the revolution; the prisoners were released, and the building was later demolished.

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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, during the war for Texan independence from Mexico.

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4
Q

Abstract

A

Refers to the language that describes concepts rather than concrete images (ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people or places.) The The observable or “physical” is usually described in concrete language.

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5
Q

Allegory

A

An extended narrative in pros or verse in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract qualities and in which the writer intends a second meaning to be read beneath the surface of the story; underlying meaning may be moral, religious, political, social, or satiric.

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6
Q

Anecdote

A

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 bibilographical data.

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8
Q

Anitithesis

A

The presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause or paragraphs. “To be or not to be”

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9
Q

Aphorism

A

A short, often witty statement of principle or a truth about life: “Early bird gets the worm”

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10
Q

Apostrophe

A

Usually in poetry but sometimes in prose; the device of calling out to an imaginary,dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction.

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11
Q

Argumentation

A

Writing that attempts to prove the validity of a point of view or an idea by presenting reasoned arguments; persuasive writing is a form of argumentation.

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12
Q

Cacophony; Dissonance

A

Harsh, awkward, or dissonant sounds used deliberately in poetry or pose; the opposite of euphony.

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13
Q

Caricature

A

Descriptive writing that greatly exaggerates a specific feature of a persons’ appearance or a facet of personality.

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14
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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15
Q

coherence; unity

A

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

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16
Q

Concrete Language

A

Language that describes specific, observable things people or places, rather than ideas or qualities.

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17
Q

Connotation

A

Implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the readers mind.

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18
Q

Consonance

A

Repetition of identical consonant sounds with two or more words in close proximity, as in boost best.

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19
Q

Condrum

A

A riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem.

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20
Q

Deduction

A

The process of moving from a general rule to specific example.

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21
Q

Denotation

A

Literal meaning of a word as defined.

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22
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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23
Q

Consonance

A

Repetition of identical consonant sounds with two or more words in close proximity, as in boost best.

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24
Q

Condrum

A

A riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; it may also be a paradox or difficult problem.

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25
Deduction
The process of moving from a general rule to specific example.
26
Denotation
Literal meaning of a word as defined.
27
Description
The picturing in words of something or someone through detailed observation in color, motion, sound, taste, smell and touch.
28
Diction
Word choice, an element of style; d*****n creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning.
29
Ballad
Is a poem that tells a story and is meant to be sung or be recited.
30
Biography
A story of a person's life that is written by someone else.
31
Blank Verse
Unrhymed iambic pentameter (see meter)
32
Caesura
A pause or sudden break in a line of poetry.
33
Cause and Effect
Two events are related as c***e and e****t when one event brings about or causes the other. The event that happens first is the c***e, the event that happens second is the e****t.
34
Character
A person who is responsible for thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature.
35
Antagonist
A character in a story or poem who deceives, frustrates, or works against the main character.
36
Caricature
A picture or imitation of a person's habits, physical appearance or mannerisms exaggerated in comic or absurd way.
37
Foil
A character who serves as a contrast or a conflict to another character.
38
Hero/heroine
A character whose actions are inspiring or noble; often the mail character in a story.
39
Comedy
A dramatic work that is light and often humorous in tone and usually ends happily with a peaceful resolution of the main conflict.
40
Chronological Order
The order in which events happen in time.
41
Clarifying
The reader's process of pausing occasionally while reading to quickly review what he or she understands.
42
Cliché
A type of figurative language containing an overused expression or a saying that is no longer considered original.
43
Climax
See plot.
44
Comedy
A dramatic work that is light and often humorous in tone and usually ends happily with a peaceful resolution of the main conflict.
45
Comparison
The process of identifying similarities.
46
Concrete Poetry
A type of poetry that uses its physical or visual form to present its message.
47
Conflict
The tension or problem in the story; a struggle between opposing forces.
48
Central Conflict
The dominant or most important conflict in the story.
49
External Conflict
The problem or struggle that exists between the main character and outside force. (Example; Person vs. person, person vs. society, person vs. nature, person vs. supernatural, person vs. technology.)
50
Internal Conflict
The problem or struggle that takes place in the main character's mind (person vs. self)
51
Connecting
A reader's process of relating the content of a literary work to his or her own knowledge and experience.
52
Connotation
The idea and feeling associated with a word as opposed to it dictionary definition or denotation.
53
Consonance
The repetition of consonant sounds anywhere within a line of poetry. Alliteration is a specific type of consonance.
54
Context Clues
Hint or suggestions that may surround unfamiliar words or phrases and clarify their meaning.
55
Contrast
The process of pointing out differences between things.
56
Couplet
A rhymed pair of lines in a poem.
57
Denotation
Is the opposite of connotation in that it is the exact or dictionary meaning of a word.
58
Denouement
See plot
59
Dialect
A form of language that is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people
60
Dialogue
The conversation between character in a drama or narrative.
61
Drama
A drama or play is a form of literature meant to be performed by actors before an audience. In a drama, the characters' dialogue and actions tell the story.
62
Drawing Conclusions
combining several pieces of information to make an inference is called drawing a conclusion
63
Dramatic Monologue
A literary device that is used when a character reveals his or her innermost thoughts and feelings
64
Elegy
a type of literature defined as a song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually one who has died.
65
Enjambment
in poetry, incomplete syntax at the end of a line, the meaning running over into the next line without terminal punctuation
66
Epigram
a short poem or verse that seeks to ridicule a thought or event, usually with witticism or sarcasm.
67
Epic
a long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero whose actions reflect the ideas and values of a nation or group.
68
Epiphany
sudden movement of understanding that causes a character to change or to act in a certain way.
69
Epitaph
a short poem or verse written in memory of someone.
70
Essay
short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject.
71
Descriptive Essay
is one that describes a particular subject.
72
Expository Essay
is one whose purpose is to explain and give information about a subject.
73
Formal Essay
is highly organized and thoroughly researched.
74
Humorous Essay
is one whose purpose is to amuse or entertain the reader.
75
Informal Essay
is lighter in tone and usually reflects the writers.
76
Narrative Essay
is an essay that tells a story.
77
Persuasive Essay
attempts to convince a reader to adopt a particular option or course of action.
78
Evaluating
the process of judging the value of something or someone.
79
Exaggeration
see hyperbole
80
Exposition
see plot
81
Extended Metaphor
a figure of speech that compares two essentially unlike things in great length.
82
External Conflict
see conflict.
83
Fable
a brief tale that teaches a lesson about human nature.
84
Fact and opinion
a fact is a statement that can be proved, an opinion in contrast, is a statement that reflects the writer's or speaker's belief.
85
Falling action
see plot
86
Fiction
prose writing that tells an imaginary story.
87
Figurative language or figure of speech
expressions that are not literally true.
88
First person point of view
see point of view
89
Flashback
an interruption of the chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) or an event of earlier occurrence.
90
Foil
see character
91
Folklore
traditions, customs, and stories that are passed down within a culture.
92
Fantasy
a work of literature that contains at least one fantastic or unreal element.
93
Folktale
a simple story that has been passed from generation.
94
Foot
a unit of meter within a line of poetry.
95
Foreshadowing
when the writer provides clues or hints that suggest or predict a future event in a story.
96
Free verse
poetry without regular patterns of rhyme, and rhythm. Often used to capture the sounds and rhythms of ordinary speech
97
Generalization
a broad statement about an entire group.
98
Genre
type or category of literature.
99
Haiku
a traditional form of Japanese poetry, usually dealing with nature. A haiku has three lines and describes a single moment or feeling or thing.
100
Hero or heroine
see character
101
Heroic couplet or closed couplet
a couplet consisting of two successive rhyming lines that contain a complete thought.
102
Historical Fiction
fiction that explores a past time period and may contain references to actual people and events of the past.
103
Horror Fiction
fiction that contains mysterious and often supernatural events to create a sense of terror.
104
Humor
the quality that provokes laughter or amusement.
105
Hyperbole
a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect.
106
Iambic Pentameter
see meter
107
Idiom
a phrase or expression that means something different from what the words actually say.
108
Imagery
the use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses.
109
Inference
is a logical guess based on evidence in the text.
110
Internal conflict
see conflict
111
interview
a meeting in which one person ask another about personal matters, professional matter or both.
112
Irony
a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens.
113
Verbal Irony
occurs when the speaker means something totally different that what he or she is saying and often times the opposite of what a character is saying is true.
114
Dramatic Irony
occurs when facts are not known to the characters in a work of literature but are known by audience.
115
Cosmic Irony
suggest that some unknown force brings about dire and dreadful events
116
Irony of situation
the difference between what is expected to happen and the way it actually turned out.
117
Legend
a story handed down from the past about a specific person, usually someone of heroic accomplishments.
118
Limerick
a short humorous poem composed of five lines that usually has the rhyme scheme aabba.
119
Literal meaning
the actual meaning of a word or phrase
120
Lyric
poetry: a song like poem written mainly to express the feelings or emotions of a single speaker.
121
Main Character
see character
122
Main Idea
the most important point that a writer wishes to express.
123
Memoir
a specific type of autobiography; like autobiography, a memoir is about the author's personal experiences.
124
Metaphor
a type of figurative language in which a comparison is made between two things that are essentially unalike but many have things in common.

12th Grade Literature (11 decks)

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