Sem 1 Literary Terms Flashcards
Elegy
Poem of serious reflection, sometimes a lament for the dead
Epic hero
Main character of an epic poem that tells story of a grand quest where they use their great/superhuman abilities to achieve great things
Ex. Beowulf ⚔️🦸♀️
Metaphor
Figure of speech where a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it isn’t literally applicable
Ex. A couch potato, heart of gold
Kenning
Compound expression with metaphorical meaning
Ex. Tree-hugger, mind-reader
Wyrd ( Fatalism)
Fate or personal destiny (sometimes doom)
Ex. Seafarer/Wanderer
Frame story
Frames another story/set of stories (usually at beginning and end of larger story and returned throughout)
Symbolism
Use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities ✝️☮️
Epic
Long poem derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating deeds and adventures of heroic figures
Hero’s Journey
Call to adventure -> initiation -> transformation -> return
Ex. Star Wars
Universal theme
Theme that’s relatable by a wide range of readers and included in many stories
Ex. Love, justice, revenge
Medieval narrative
Mostly religious; including ballads, romances, allegories, and moral tales
Direct characterization vs indirect characterization
Direct statements made by author about characters personality/physical attributes VS. Writer reveals info about a character through their thoughts and actions and how other characters view them
Paradox
Contradictory statement opposing common sense and yet perhaps true
Ex. Less is more
Chivalry/Courtly Love
Emphasis on noble ideals with knightly devotion to idealized ladies and quests for honor
Dramatic irony VS. Situational irony
When the audience knows something that the characters don’t VS. When the opposite of what’s expected happens, often to a humorous effect
Parody
Humorously exaggerated imitation of a writer, artist, or genre
Ex. Scary movie
Beast fable
Short story with a moral theme
Ex. The tortoise and the hare
Groundlings
Spectator or reader of inferior taste, such as a member of a theater audience who traditionally stood in the pit below the stage
Ex. Common people who saw Hamlet’s play within a play
Tragedy
A genre that focuses around a noble character who struggles against strong external challenges
Ex. Hamlet
Internal VS. external conflict
Psychological struggle within a character VS. A struggle between a character and an outside force
Ex. Hamlet batting his love and betrayal for Ophelia VS. him battling Laertes while visiting Ophelia’s grave
Foil
A contrasting character to the main character, whose personality traits, attributes, values, and motivations serve to highlight the traits of the protagonist
Ex. Fortinbras to Hamlet
Soliloquy
Act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any listeners, especially by a character in a play
- Made more towards the audience I order to develop a character
Ex. Hamlet’s To Be or Not To Be
Aside
A short comment, often seen as a fourth wall break, delivered while other characters are on stage
Ex. Deadpool
Monologue
A long tedious speech given by one character within a story
- Addresses the other characters
Apostrophe
A speech to a person who is not present or to a personified object
Ex. Hamlet speaking to Yorick’s skull
Catharsis
An emotional release to engage the reader in a type of emotional purification
Ex. Hamlet mourning Ophelia’s death, proving his true feelings for her
Tragic hero/flaw
Noble individuals, with many good, heroic, and sympathetic traits, all of which are counterbalanced by one potent flaw
- this flaw eventually leads to their downfall
Ex. Hamlet who struggles with procrastination, and he hesitates to kill Claudius and contemplates taking action, thus leading to the death of himself and many others
Hubris
Exaggerated pride or self-confidence
