Quiz 2 Flashcards
Catharsis
Purification or cleansing of the spirit through the emotions of pity and terror as a witness to a tragedy
Carpe diem
“Seize the day”; the philosophy that one should enjoy life to the fullest
Chiasmus
Figure of speech by which the order of the terms in the first of parallel clauses is reversed in the second
Claim
An assertion of something as fact; to demand as a right or as due
Closure
Bringing to an end or conclusion
Colloquial/colloquialism
Ordinary language; the vernacular
Connotation
What is implied by a word
Consonance
The repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowels
Contradiction
A direct opposition between things compared; inconsistency
Convention
An accepted manner, model, or tradition
Deductive
The reasoning process by which a conclusion is drawn from set of premises and contains no more facts than these premises
Delayed sentence (AKA periodic sentence)
A sentence that withholds its main idea until the end
Denotation
The dictionary definition of a word; the direct and specific meaning
Deus ex machina
As in Greek theater, use of an artificial device or contrived solution to solve a difficult situation, usually introduced suddenly and unexpectedly
Devices
A particular word pattern or combination of words used in a literary work to evoke a desired effect or arouse a desired reaction in the reader
Diction
An author’s choice of words to convey a tone or effect
Didactic
Intended for teaching or to teach a moral lesson
Digression
Movement away from the main story or theme of a piece of writing. An author digresses by temporarily focusing attention on subplot or minor character
Discourse
A formal discussion of a subject
Doppelganger
Ghostly counterpart of a living person or an alter ego
Dystopia
An imaginary place where people live dehumanized, often fearful lives; opposite of utopia
Elegy
Poem or prose lamenting the depth of a particular person
Epigraph
Quote set at the beginning of a literary work or at its divisions to set the tone or suggest a theme
Epiphany
A sudden or intuitive insight or perception into the reality or essential meaning of something usually brought on by a simple or common occurrence or experience
Extended metaphor
The repetition of a word or words as the end of two or more successive verses, clauses, or sentences
Epistolary
A piece of literature contained in or carried on by letters
Epitaph
A piece of writing in praise of a deceased person
Ethos
In dramatic literature, the moral element that determines a character’s actions, rather than thought or emotion
Euphemism
Substitution of a milder or less direct expression for one that is harsh or blunt
Evidence
An indication or a sign
Expletive
A single word or short phrase intended to emphasize surrounding words; commonly, expletives are set off by commas
Explication
The interpretation or analysis of a text
Exposition
The explanation or analysis of a subject; presenting the meaning or purpose of an issue
Eulogy
A speech or writing in praise of a person or thing; an oration in honor of a deceased person
Flashback
Retrospection, where an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of a narrative
