Section 1 Flashcards
Alliteration
The repetition of initial consonant sounds, (Peter piper….)
Allusion
A reference contained in a work
Anapest
A metrical pattern of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable.
Antagonist
The force or character that opposes the main character, the PROtagonist
Apostrophe
Direct address in poetry. Yeats’s line “be with me my beauty, for the fire is dying” is a good example.
Aside
Words spoken by an actor meant to be heard by the audience but not by other actors on stage.
Aubade
A love poem that takes place at dawn which bids farewell to the beloved
Ballad
A simple narrative poem, often incorporating dialogue that is written in quatrains, generally with a rhyme scheme of a b c d.
Blank verse
Unrhymed iambic pentameter. Most of Shakespeare’s plays are in this form.
Cacophony
Harsh or discordant sounds in a line or passage of literary work.
Caesura
A break or pause within a line of poetry indicated by punctuation and used to emphasize meaning.
Catharsis
According to Aristotle, the release of emotion that the audience of a tragedy experiences.
Character
One who carries out the action of the plot in literature. Major, minor, static and dynamic are types of characters.
Climax
The turning point of action or character in a literary work, usually the highest moment of tension.
Comic relief
The inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast tragedy in a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.
