Literary Terms Flashcards
(48 cards)
Adverb
Word that describes a verb or quality, place, time, degree, cause, etc.
Allusion
A reference to something famous
Ambiguity
Statement that allows for several different interpretations
Analogy
A comparison of two otherwise unlike things based on resemblance of a particular aspect (ex: No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men.)
Analysis
A detailed examination of anything complex in order to understand its nature or to determine its essential features
Antagonist
Adversary of a protagonist of a literary work
Antecedent
A word, phrase, or clause whose denotation is referred to by a pronoun that typically follows the substantive (ex: “John” in “Mary saw John and called to him”)
Antithesis
Placing two opposite ideas together in the same sentence to achieve a contrasting effect (ex: speech is silver, but silence is gold)
Atmosphere
Overall mood of a story or poem; emerges through description and the setting rather than action and characters
Catharsis
Cleansing of or release of emotions as the reader sympathizes with a character (ex: Romeo & Juliet- at the end of the story, when the two characters commit suicide, and the audience cries; when the families make up with each other, it offers a feeling of closure)
Chronology
Arrangement of events by time
Claim/thesis
Statement that a writer intends to support and prove
Climax
The point in a narrative at which the conflict hits the highest point
Conceit
An extended metaphor that compares two very dissimilar things; often controls a large section of a poem
External Conflict
Struggle between a person and an outside force, which drives the dramatic action of the plot (ex: Macbeth v. Macduff)
Internal Conflict
Psychological struggle within the mind of a character (ex: Hamlet’s inaction is caused by internal conflict)
Diction
Selection of words to communicate a message or establish a particular voice/writing style; help create the tone, bring characters to life, etc. (formal, informal, slang, etc.)
Drama
Portrayal of fictional or non-frictional events through the performance of written dialog (prose, poetry), AKA plays; builds feelings of tension and anticipation as the story develops (comedy, tragedy [Romeo and Juliet], etc.)
Dramatic dialogue
A literary work in which a speaker’s character is revealed in a monologue usually addressed to a 2nd person (usually poetry; the person speaking is the character themselves talking to someone else)
Epiphany
The moment in the story where the character achieves realization, awareness, or a feeling of knowledge after events are seen in a different light
Exposition
The part of the story that sets the stage; introduces theme, setting, characters, and circumstances (intro)
Extended Metaphor
A comparison between two unlike things that continues through a series of sentences or lines (often more than one sentence)
Foil
Character whose characteristics oppose another character; used to highlight a particular quality of the main character (ex: Hamlet and Laertes)
In medias res
Beginning a narrative by plunging into a crucial situation that is part of a related chain of events (starting a story with a messy situation, and then the character is like “I’ll bet you’re wondering why I’m here” and then the beginning of the story is told)
