p. 1012 Flashcards
deus ex machina
“god from a machine.” unconvincing or improbable coincidences that are used to advance or resolve a plot
dialect
a variety of a language distinguished by its pronunciation, vocabulary, rhetoric, and grammar. when used in dialogue, dialect reveals a character’s membership in certain groups or communities.
dialogue
the exchange of words between characters in a drama or narrative
diction
the choice of words in a work of literature and hence an element of style crucial to the work’s effectiveness
didactic
a term applied to works with the primary and avowed purpose of persuading the reader that some philosophical, religious doctrine is true.
dimeter
a line of poetry consisting of two metrical feet
distance
the property that separates an author or a narrator from the actions of the characters he or she creates.
dramatic monologue
a type of poem in which the speaker addresses another person whose presence is known only from the speaker’s words.
elegy
a poem that laments the death of a particular person
end-stopped line
a line of verse that embodies a complete logical and grammatical unit
enjambment
the use of run-on lines
epigraph
a short quotation or observation related to the theme and placed at the head of the work
epiphany
a showing forth, or sudden manifestation
