Literary Terms Flashcards
Alliteration
The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words.
Allegory
Using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.
Allusion
A direct/indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known. (Event, book, myth, place, work of art)
Ambiguity
The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
Analogy
A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.
Anaphora
Repetition of a word or phrase
Antecedent
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
Antithesis
The opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite.
Aphorism
A terse statement or known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle.
Apostrophe
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent of imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. An address to someone or something that cannot answer.
Atmosphere
The emotional nod created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described.
Caricature
A verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person’s distinctive physical features or other characteristics.
Chiasmus
A crossing parallelism where the second part of the grammatical construction is balanced or paralleled by the first part, only in reverse order.
Clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. An independent, or main, clause expresses a complete though and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent, or subordinate clause, cannot stand alone as a sentence and must be accompanied by an independent clause.
Colloquial/Colloquialism
The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
Conceit
A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.
Connotation
The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning.
Denotation
The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.
Diction
Related to style, diction refers to the writer’s word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.
Didatic
Literally means “teaching”. Didactic words have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles.
Ethos
An ethical appeal in classical rhetorical study.
Euphemism
“Good speech”, are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.
Extended Metaphor
A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.
Figurative Language
Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid
Figure of Speech
A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. (Apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement)
Genre
The major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama.
Hyperbole
A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.
Imagery
The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions.
Independent Clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.
Inference / Infer
To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented.
Invective
An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.
Irony/Ironic
The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true.
Verbal Irony
When the words literally state the opposite of the writer’s (or speaker’s) meaning
Situational Irony
When events turn out the opposite of what was expected; when what the characters and readers think ought to happen is not what does happen.
Dramatic Irony
When facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work
Juxtaposition
The act of instance of placing two or more things side by side in order to make comparisons and note contrasts.
Litotes
Understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary.
Logos
Logical appeal in classical rhetorical study
Loose Sentence/Non-Periodic Sentence
A type of sentence in which the main idea (IC) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. (Periodic Sentence)
Metaphor
A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.
Metonymy
“Changing label” or “substitute name”, figure of speed h in which the name of one object is substituted for that or another closely associated with it.
Mood
Prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.
Narrative
The telling of a story or an account of an event or a series of events.
Onomatopoeia
A figure of speech in which natural sounds are initiatives. In the sounds of words.
Oxymoron
“Pointedly foolish”, figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.
Paradox
A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.
Parallelism
Parallel construction or parallel structure. “Besides one another”. Grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.
Parody
A work that closely intimidates the style or content or another with the specific aim or comic effect and/or ridicule.
Pathos
The emotional appeal in classical rhetorical study
Pedantic
An adjective that described words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.
Periodic Sentence
The opposite of loose sentence, a sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end.
Personification
A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.
Point of View
The perspective from which a story is told.
Prose
One of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms. Printer determined the length of the line.
Repitition
The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.
Rhetoric
“Orator”, describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.
Rhetorical Modes
Describes variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing.
Exposition
Explain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence and appropriate discussion
Argumentation
Prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound, reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader.
Description
To recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event, or action so that the reader can picture that being described.
Narraration
To tell a story or narrate an event or series of evens.
Sarcasm
“To tear flesh”, sarcasm involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something.
Satire
A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.
Sematics
The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.
Style
Purposes (2):
Evaluation of the sum of choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices.
Classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors.
Subordinate Clause (Dependent Clause)
Word group contains a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone; doesn’t express a complete thought.
Syllogism
“Reckoning together” - Deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (major & minor) that lead to a sound conclusion.
Symbol/Symbolism
Anything that represents itself and stands for something else.
Natural Symbols
Objects and occurrences from nature to symbolize ideas commonly associated with them.
Conventional Symbols
Invested with meaning by a group (religious symbols like Star of David, national symbol like an eagle)
Literary Symbols
(Sometimes conventional too) found in a variety if works and are more generally recognized.
Synecdoche
A form if metaphor in which a part stands for the while, the while for a part, the genus for the species, the species for the genus, etc.
Syntax
The way the author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.
Theme
Central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life.
Thesis
In expository writing, the thesis statement is the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author’s opinion, purpose, meaning, or position.
Tone
(Similar to mood) describes the author’s attitude toward his material, the audience, or both.
Transition
A word or phrase that links different ideas. Signal a shift from one idea to another.
Understatement
The ionic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is.
Wit
Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights.
