Literature Terminology Flashcards

1
Q

genres

A

a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter

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2
Q

in me·di·as res

A

into the middle of a narrative; without preamble

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3
Q

metaphor

A

a figure of speech in which 2 things are compared implicitly; without the use of a signal (ex. like)

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4
Q

similes

A

a figure of speech involving direct, explicit comparison of one thing to another (usually using words such as “like”)

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5
Q

novel

A

a long work of fiction (about 40,000+ words), typically published as a stand-alone book

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6
Q

novella

A

a work of prose fiction that falls somewhere in between a short story and a novel in terms of length scope and complexity

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7
Q

bildungsroman

A

literally “education novel” (german), a novel that depicts the intellectual, emotional, and moral development of its protagonist from childhood to adulthood

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8
Q

short story

A

anywhere from 1,000 to 20,000 words

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9
Q

short-short story

A

less than 1,000 words

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10
Q

theme

A

the topic explored in a literary work

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11
Q

action

A

events that occur in a literary work

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12
Q

plot

A

the way an author sequences and paces the events so as to shape our response and interpretation

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13
Q

discriminated occasion

A

a specific, discrete moment portrayed in a fictional work, often signaled with phrases like “it’s wow 5 in the morning” “it was about dusk”

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14
Q

exposition

A

the first phase or part of a plot, sets the scene, characters, situation

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15
Q

epilogue

A

ties up loose ends after the conclusion

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16
Q

denouement

A

literally “untying of a knot”, can be used synonymously for falling action, conclusion, epilogue

17
Q

allegory

A

a literary work in which characters, actions, and even settings have two connected meanings

18
Q

metonymy

A

using the name of one thing to refer to another thing associated with it (ex. red tape)

19
Q

personification

A

attributing human qualities to objects or animals

20
Q

synecdoche

A

a form of metonymy in which a part represents a whole (ex. sail refers to ship, wheels to car)

21
Q

auditor

A

listen within the fiction whose possible reaction is part of the story

22
Q

fable

A

an ancient type of short fiction, in verse or prose, illustrating a moral or satirizing human beings