Literary Terms Flashcards
0
Q
Adage
A
A familiar proverb or wise saying
1
Q
Absolute
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A word free from limitations or qualifications (“free”, “all”, “unique”, “perfect”)
2
Q
Ad hominem argument
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An argument attacking an individuals character rather than his or her position on an issue.
3
Q
Allegory
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A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions.
4
Q
Alliteration
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The repetition of initial sound in successive or neighboring words.
5
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Allusion
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A reference to something literary, mythological or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize.
6
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Analogy
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A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way.
7
Q
Anaphora
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The repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences.
8
Q
Anecdote
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A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event
9
Q
Antecedent
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The word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers
10
Q
Antithesis
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A statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced
11
Q
Aphorism
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A concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance.
12
Q
Apostrophe
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A figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction.
13
Q
Archetype
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A detail, image or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response.
14
Q
Argument
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A statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work.
15
Q
Asyndeton
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A construction n which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions.
16
Q
Balanced sentence
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A sentence in which words, phrases or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast.
17
Q
Bathos
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Insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity.
18
Q
Chiasmus
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A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed (Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary)
19
Q
Cliché
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An expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off
20
Q
Climax
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The point of highest interest in a literary work
21
Q
Colloquialism
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Informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writting.
22
Q
Complex sentence
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A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause
23
Q
Compound sentence
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A sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions
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Conceit
A fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor.
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Concrete details
Details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events
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Connotation
The implied or associate meaning of a word.
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Cumulative sentence
A sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases.
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Declarative sentence
A sentence that makes a statement or declaration.
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Deductive reasoning
Reasoning in which a conclusion is reaches by starting a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise Tuesday morning.)
30
Denotation
The literal meaning of a word.
31
Dialect
A variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region.
32
Dialogue
Conversation between two or more people.
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Diction
The word choices made by a writer.
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Didactic
Having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing
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Dilemma
A situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives.
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Dissonance
Harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds
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Elegy
A formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme.
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Ellipsis
Te omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context (Some people prefer cats; others; dogs)
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Epic
A long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation.
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Epigram
A brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying.
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Epigraph
A saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work.
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Epiphany
A moment of sudden revelation or insights.
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Epitaph
An inscription on a tombstone or burial place.
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Epithet
A term used to point put a characteristic of a person. Homeric epithets are often compound adjectives (swift-footed Achilles) that become an almost formulaic pat of a name. Epithets can be abusive or offensive but are not so by definition. For example, athletes may be proud of their given epithets (The Rocket).
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Eulogy
A formal speech praising a person who has died.
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Euphemism
A indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant.
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Exclamatory sentence
A sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark.
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Expletive
An interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity.
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Fable
A brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters.
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Fantasy
A story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters; a fantasy may be merely whimsical, or it may present a serious point.
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Figurative language
Language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.)
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Flashback
The insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative.
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Flat character
A character that embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story.
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Foreshadowing
The presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work.
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Frame device
A story within a story. An example is Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in which the primary tales are told within the " frame story" of the pilgrimage to Canterbury.
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Genre
A major category or type of literature.
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Homily
A sermon, or a moralistic lecture.
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Hubris
Excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy.
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Hyperbole
Intentional exaggeration to create an effect.
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Hypothetical question
A question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture, or supposition.
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Idiom
An expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect.
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Imagery
The use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses.
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Implication
A suggestion an author or speaker makes (implies) without stating it directly.
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Inductive reasoning
Deriving general principles form particular facts or instances. (Every cat I have seen has four legs; cats are four legged animals)
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Inference
A conclusion one draws ( infers) based on premises or evidence.
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Invective
An intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack.
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Irony
The us e of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning ; or incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs.
68
Jargon
The specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession.
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Juxtaposition
Placing two elements side by side to present a contrast or comparison.
70
Legend
A narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements.
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Limerick
Light verse consisting of five lines or regular rhythm in which the first , second, and fifth lines (each consisting of three feet) rhyme, and the second and third lines ( each consisting of two feet) rhyme.
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Limited narrator
A narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts information to what is seen, heard, thought, or felt by that one character.
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Literary license
Deviating from normal riles or methods in order to achieve a certain effect (intentional sentence fragments, for example).
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Litotes
A type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (describing a particularly horrific scene by saying. "It was not a pretty picture")
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Malapropism
The mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar ("The doctor wrote a subscription").
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Maxim
A concise statement, offering advice; an adage.
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Metaphor
A direct comparison of two objects.
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Metonymy
Substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it ("The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting]")
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Mood
The emotional atmosphere of a work
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Motif
A standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works.
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Motivation
A character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a character to act.
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Myth
A traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events.
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Narrative
A story or narrated account.
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Narrator
The one who tells the story; may be first- or third- person, limited or omniscient.
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Non sequitur
An inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, "does not follow").
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Omniscient narrator
A narrator who is able to know, see and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters.
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Onomatopoeia
A word formed from the imitation of natural sounds.
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Oxymoron
An expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined.
89
Parable
A simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson.
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Paradox
An apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth.
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Parallelism
The use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms.
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Paraphrase
A restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity.
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Parody
A humorous imitation of a serious work.
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Parenthetical
A comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain.
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Pathos
The quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity.
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Pedantic
Characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship.
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Personification
Endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics.
98
Philippic
A strong verbal denunciation. The term comes from the orations of Demosthenes against Philip of Macedonia in the fourth century.
99
Plot
The action of a narrative or drama.
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Point of view
The vantage point from which a story is told.
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Polysyndeton
The use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural.
102
Pun
A play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings.
103
Resolution
The falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax.
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Rhetoric
The art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner.
105
Rhetorical question
A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer.
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Rhetorical devices
Literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression.
107
Riddle
A question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum.
108
Romantic
A term describing a character or literary work the reflects the characteristics of Romanticism, the literary movement beginning in the late 18th century that stressed emotion, imagination, and individualism.
109
Round character
A character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work.
110
Sarcasm
Harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule
111
Satire
The use of humor to emphasize human weakness or imperfections in social institutions.
112
Scapegoat
A person or group that bears the blame for another.
113
Scene
A real or fictional episode; a division of an act in a play.
114
Setting
The time, place, and environment in which action takes place.
115
Simple sentence
A sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause.
116
Solecism
Nonstandard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules.
117
Structure
The arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work.
118
Style
The choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work.
119
Surrealism
An artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongruous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control.
120
Syllepsis
A construction in which one word is used in two different senses ("After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.")
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Syllogism
A three-part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and a minor premise ("All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore Socrates is mortal").
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Symbol
An object that is used to represent something else.
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Synecdoche
Using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to a car simply as "wheels").
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Synesthesia
Describing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color," "a sweet sound").
125
Syntax
The manner in which words are arranged into sentences.
126
Tautology
Needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding ("widow woman," "free gift").
127
Theme
A central idea of a work.
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Thesis
The primary position taken by a writer or speaker.
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Tone
The attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience.
130
Topic
The subject treated in a paragraph or work. E
131
Tragedy
A work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin or destruction.
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Trilogy
A work in three parts, each of which is a complete work itself.
133
Trite
Overused and hackneyed.
134
Turning point
The point in a work in which a very significant change occurs.
135
Understatement
The deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis.
137
Vernacular
The everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage.
158
Usage
The customary way language or its elements are used.
