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English Literature > Methods > Flashcards

Methods Flashcards

1
Q

Metaphor

A

A figure of speech where one thing is described as being another, implying a comparison.

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2
Q

Simile

A

A comparison between two different things using “like” or “as.”

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3
Q

Alliteration

A

The repetition of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of closely connected words.

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4
Q

Personification

A

Giving human characteristics to non-human objects or abstract ideas.

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5
Q

Hyperbole

A

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect.

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6
Q

Oxymoron

A

A figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms.

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7
Q

Foreshadowing

A

Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.

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8
Q

Irony

A

A contrast between expectation and reality.

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9
Q

Symbolism

A

Using an object, word, or idea to represent something beyond its literal meaning.

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10
Q

Allegory

A

A narrative in which characters, events, or settings symbolically represent abstract ideas or moral concepts.

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11
Q

Pathetic Fallacy

A

The attribution of human emotions to nature or inanimate objects, often reflecting a character’s mood.

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12
Q

Imagery

A

Language that appeals to the senses, creating a vivid picture.

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13
Q

Juxtaposition

A

Placing two contrasting ideas or images close together for effect.

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14
Q

Narrative Voice

A

The perspective from which a story is told (e.g., first-person, third-person omniscient).

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15
Q

Flashback (Analepsis)

A

A narrative technique that interrupts the chronological flow of events to revisit an earlier moment.

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16
Q

Flashforward (Prolepsis)

A

A narrative technique where future events are hinted at or revealed.

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17
Q

Synecdoche

A

A figure of speech where a part represents the whole or vice versa.

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18
Q

Metonymy

A

Replacing the name of something with an associated term.

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19
Q

Foil

A

A character who contrasts with another character to highlight particular qualities.

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20
Q

Tragic Flaw (Hamartia)

A

A character trait that leads to the protagonist’s downfall.

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21
Q

Satire

A

Using humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or mock societal norms.

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22
Q

Stream of Consciousness

A

A narrative technique that mimics a character’s thought process in a flow of ideas and feelings.

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23
Q

Syntax

A

The arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences in a particular way.

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24
Q

Enjambment

A

The continuation of a sentence or clause over a line break.

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25
Q

Epigraph

A

A short quotation or saying at the beginning of a text to suggest its theme.

26
Q

Tone

A

The writer’s attitude towards the subject or audience.

27
Q

Motif

A

A recurring idea, theme, or element in a literary work.

28
Q

Anaphora

A

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

29
Q

Ellipsis

A

The omission of words for effect, often creating suspense or a pause.

30
Q

Asyndeton

A

The omission of conjunctions between parts of a sentence.

31
Q

Polysyndeton

A

The use of multiple conjunctions for emphasis.

32
Q

Bathos

A

A sudden descent from the sublime to the trivial, often for comedic effect.

33
Q

Chiasmus

A

A rhetorical device where words or concepts are repeated in reverse order.

34
Q

Caesura

A

A pause within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.

35
Q

Consonance

A

The repetition of consonant sounds, often at the end of words.

36
Q

Assonance

A

The repetition of vowel sounds within words.

37
Q

Epizeuxis

A

The immediate repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis.

38
Q

Anadiplosis

A

Repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next.

39
Q

Apostrophe

A

A figure of speech where the speaker directly addresses an absent person, abstract idea, or object.

40
Q

Pastiche

A

Imitating another work or style, often as a tribute.

41
Q

Free Indirect Discourse

A

A narrative technique that blends the character’s thoughts with the third-person narration.

42
Q

In Media Res

A

Beginning a narrative in the middle of the action.

43
Q

Denotation

A

The literal, dictionary definition of a word.

44
Q

Connotation

A

The implied or emotional meaning of a word.

45
Q

Parataxis

A

The use of short, simple sentences without conjunctions to convey immediacy or disconnection.

46
Q

Hypotaxis

A

The use of complex sentence structures with subordinate clauses to show relationships.

47
Q

Anthropomorphism

A

Giving human characteristics to animals or objects, making them act like humans.

48
Q

Zoomorphism

A

Attributing animal characteristics to humans or objects.

49
Q

Foil

A

A character who contrasts with another character to highlight particular qualities.

50
Q

Prolepsis

A

A narrative technique where future events are hinted at or revealed.

51
Q

Stream of Consciousness

A

A narrative technique that mimics a character’s thought process in a flow of ideas and feelings.

52
Q

Periphrasis

A

Using more words than necessary, often for emphasis or style.

53
Q

Tragic Flaw

A

A character trait that leads to the protagonist’s downfall.

54
Q

Dramatic Monologue

A

A poem or speech in which a character speaks to a silent listener.

55
Q

Litotes

A

A figure of speech that employs understatement by using double negatives.

56
Q

Euphemism

A

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered harsh or blunt.

57
Q

Paradox

A

A statement that seems self-contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.

58
Q

Antithesis

A

Placing contrasting ideas together to highlight their differences.

59
Q

Tone Shift

A

A change in the writer’s or speaker’s tone within a text.

60
Q

Allegory

A

A narrative in which characters, events, or settings symbolically represent abstract ideas or moral concepts.

61
Q

Vernacular

A

The use of everyday language specific to a region or group.

62
Q

Climax

A

The point of greatest tension or conflict in a narrative.

English Literature (3 decks)

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