syntax & structure Flashcards
anachronism
Something that isn’t placed in its proper historical time period
anaphora
Repetition of an opening word or phrase in a series of lines
anecdote
A brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event; frequently reveals a character trait
antecedent
The word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers
antithesis
Rhetorical figure in which two ideas are directly opposed; must be presented in grammatically parallel way
asyndeton
A rhetorical figure involving the deliberate omission of conjunctions to create a concise, terse, and often memorable statement
caesura
a speech pause occurring within a line
chiasmus
A rhetorical figure consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed. (“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”)
climax
The point of greatest tension or emotional intensity in a plot; “turning point”
conflict
A confrontation or struggle between opposing characters or forces from which the action emanates and around which it evolves
physical conflict
man vs. man, man vs nature
social conflict
man vs society
internal conflict
man vs self
denouement
Refers to events following the climax of a plot and implies some ingenious resolution of the dramatic conflict and explanation of the mysteries/misunderstandings of the plot
deus ex machina
“God from the machine”, refers to the intervention of a nonhuman force to resolve a seemingly unresolvable conflict in a literary work; an improbable or artificial resolutions of conflict
enjambment
A poetic expression that spans more than one line; do not end with grammatical breaks and a sense of incompleteness
epigraph
A saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of work
flashback
The insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative
foreshadowing
The technique of introducing into a narrative material that prepares the reader or audience for future events, actions, or revelations
in medias res
technique of beginning a narrative in the middle of the action
juxtaposition
placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast
parallelism
A rhetorical figure to accentuate or emphasize ideas/images by using grammatically similar constructions
polysyndeton
the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural
style
An author’s choices and use of figurative language, diction, sound effects, syntax etc.; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work
