Literary Terms Flashcards
abstract
word or phrase has as a referent an idea rather than a concrete object or thing (i.e. liberty, prejudice, love…)
action
what happens in a story: events or conflicts
allegory
story in which the characters and the action represent an idea or generalization about life: often have a strong moral lesson
allusion
reference in lit to a familiar person, place, or thing, or event
analogy
comparing of two or more similar objects so as to suggest that if they are alike in certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways as well
anecdote
a short summary of a funny or humorous event
antagonist
person or thing opposing the protagonist or hero of the work
autobiography
author’s account or story of their own life
ballad
poem that tells a story and usually rhymes every other line
biography
story of a person’s life written by another
caricature
rep or imitation of a person’s features so exaggerated or inferior as to be comic or absurd
character
person in a story or poem
characterization
method an author uses to reveal his characters and their various personalities
cliche
word or phrase which is so overused that it is no longer effective in most writing situations (i.e. “busy as a bee”)
climax
high pt. or turning pt. in a work, usually the most intense part
comedy
lit. that is concerned with man’s inability to deal with reality. human errors or problems appear funny
concrete
word has as a referent a material object that can be heard, seen, felt, tasted, or smelled
conflict
colliding or clashing of thoughts, feelings, actions, or persons; the problems or complications in a story (i.e. man v. man…)
connotation
the emotions or feelings a word can arouse (i.e. negative associations w/ pig)
denotation
literal or dictionary meaning of a word
context
environment of the word; the words that surround a particular word and help to determine or deepen its meaning
denouement
resolution or outcome of a play or story
description
type of writing which sets forth the characteristics or qualities of the thing it is being written about
dialogue
conversation carried on by the characters in a lit. work
diction
author’s choice of words based on their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness
archaic
words that are old fashioned and no longer sound natural when used
colloquialism
expression that is usually accepted in informal writing or speaking but not in a formal situation
profanity
language used to degrade someone or something that is regarded as holy or sacred
slang
language used by a particular group of people among themselves; also lang. which is used conversationally or informally to lend color and feeling
trite
expressions that have been overused to the point of losing their effectiveness
vulgarity
type of language that is generally considered common, earthy, crude, gross, and at times offensive
didactic
literary work that teaches something; oftentimes is a moral or religious statement
drama
form of lit. known as plays; also refers to type of serious play that is often concerned with the leading character’s relationship to society rather that with some tragic flaw within his personality
dramatic monologue
poem in which the character speaks either to himself or to another character in a way which reveals much about the character
elegy
formal poem mourning the death of a certain indiv.
empathy
when you put yourself in someone else’s shoes and imagine how they must feel
epic
long narrative poem that tells of the deeds and adventures of a hero
epigram
brief, witty poem or saying often dealing with its subject in a satirical manner
epitaph
short poem or verse in memory of someone
epithet
word or phrase used in place of a person’s name
essay
piece of prose which expresses an indiv.’s point of view
exaggeration
overstating or stretching the truth for literary effect
exposition
writing which is intended to make clear or explain something which might otherwise be difficult to understand
falling action
action of a play or story which works out the decision arrived at during the climax
farce
lit. which has one purpose: to make the audience laugh
figurative lang.
lang. which cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling
figure of speech
lit. device used to create a special meaning through emotional and connotative use of words
alliteration
repetition of initial consonant sounds
assonance
repetition of vowel sounds
blank verse
an unrhymed form of poetry that consists of ten syllables in which every other syllable is stressed; unrhymed iambic pentameter
canto
division of a long poem
caesura
pause or sudden break in a line of poetry
consonance
repetition of consonant sounds
end rhyme
rhyming of words that appear at the ends of two or more lines of poetry
foot
unit of meter that contains the combination of stressed and unstressed syllables
antithesis
opposing or contrasting of ideas
apostrophe
poetic device in which the poet talks to an absent person, place, or thing
hyperbole
exaggeration or overstatement
litotes
form of understatement in which something is expressed by negation of the contrary
metaphor
comparing of two unlike things w/o using like or as
metonymy
substituting of one word for another that is closely related to it
personification
lit. device in which the author elevates an animal, object or idea to the level of a human
simile
comparison between two unlike things using like or as
synecdoche
using part of something to represent the whole
flashback
returning to an earlier time in a story to make something in the present clearer
foreshadowing
suggestion of what is to come later in the work by giving hints and clues
form
the way a work is organized or designed
genre
refers to the various types of lit.
imagery
used to describe the words or phrases which bring forth a certain picture or image in the mind of the reader
impressionism
recording of events or situations as they have been impressed upon the mind
irony
using a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or normal meaning. three types: dramatic, verbal, and situational
limerick
light, humorous verse of five lines with an AABBA rhyme scheme
local color
use of details which are common in a certain region or section of the country
malapropism
ludicrous misuse of words
melodrama
exaggerated sensational form of drama which is intended to appeal to the emotions of the audience, as with many of the television soap operas
mood
feeling a piece of lit. arouses in the reader
moral
particular value or lesson the author is trying to get across to the reader
motif
term for an often repeated character, incident, or idea in lit.
myth
traditional story that attempts to explain or justify a certain belief
narrator
person who is telling the story
naturalism
extreme form of realism in which the author tries to show the relation of man to his environment
parable
short, descriptive story whose purpose is to illustrate a particular belief or moral
paradox
statement that is seemingly contrary to common sense yet is, in fact, true; a self-contradictory statement
parallelism
repeating of phrases or sentences that are similar in meaning and structure
parody
literary form that is intended to mock a particular literary work or its style; a burlesque or comic effect is created
pathos
greek root meaning suffering or passion; usually applied to the part in a play or story that is intended to bring out pity or sorrow from the audience
plagiarism
using someone else’s writing or ideas and trying to pass them off as your own
plot
action in a story
poetic justice
term which describes a character “getting what he deserves” in the end, especially if what he deserves is punishment
narration
type of writing that relates an event or series of events; a story
