Technical Terminology Flashcards
Adventure
Form
Story genre that depicts the story of a protagonist that goes on a literal or metaphorical journey
Allegory
Language
A story that can be interpreted to have a hidden moral/political meaning
Allusion
Language
Alluding to something, non-literal reference
Amplification
Language
A rhetorical device used to embellish a sentence with more information
Anadiplosis
Language
The repetition of a word or phrase that ends with a clause and begins with another clause
E.g. “fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”
Anaphora
Language
Repetition of a word/phrase in successive clause at the begging of a sentence
E.g. “I have a dream.”
Analogy
Language
Comparison of two completely different concepts for the sake of explanation
E.g. life is like a race
Anastrophe
Structure
The inversion of typical word order
E.g. patience I lack
Anecdote
Language
The use of a story to explain/exaggerate a point
Anthropomorphise
Language
Attributing human qualities/characteristics to a non-human thing such as a God, dog or bog
Antithesis
Language
A thing that is the direct opposite of something else
E.g. love is the antithesis of hate
ANTI thesis
Aphorism
Language
An observation that doesn’t say a lot but that contains a general truth
E.g. the child is father to the man
Aposiopesis
Language
The rhetorical device of suddenly breaking off in the middle of speech
E.g. nothing last for-
Archetype
Language
(Based of Jungian phycological theory) a very typical expanse of a person
E.g. hero, sage or joker
Asyndeton
Language
When conjunctions are put in a series of clauses, they shorten sentences and focus on the meaning.
E.g. “I came, I saw, I conquered”
Authorial Intrusion
Language
When the narrator speaks directly to the reader
Bildungsroman
Form
A novel that explores someone’s formative years
Cacophony
Language
A harsh incoherent mixture of sounds
Catachresis
Language
The incorrect use of words or phrases on purpose
Characterisation
Language
The creation of a fictional character that gives them human qualities
Chiasmus
Language
The repetition of similar ideas in the reverse sequence
E.g. she has all my love; my heart belongs to her
Conflict
Form
The narrative of disagreement
Connotation
Language
An idea which invokes a meaning deeper than the literal
E.g. ‘discipline’ has connotations of punishment and repression
Denotation
Language
The straight forward definition of something
E.g. a lamb is a young sheep
Deus ex Machina
Structure
Plot device
An unexpected event that saves a seemingly hopeless situation
E.g. the appearance of the eagles in Lord of the Rings
Diacope
Language
Repetition of a word or phrase with only one or two words between the repeated words
E.g. see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil
Diction
Language
The choice and use of words and phrases in writing
Doppelgänger
Language
An apparition or double of a living person
Epanalepsis
Language
Repetition at the end of a clause with the word at the begging of the clause
E.g. the next time there won’t be a next time
Epilogue
Form
Section at the end of a book
Epistrophe
Language
The repetition of a word at the end of successive phrase, clause or sentence
E.g. I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
Epizeuxis
Language
The repetition of a word in the same sentence
Euphemism
Language
Makes something bad sound good
E.g. they passed away
Flashback
Structure
Use of the past
Foil
Language
Pairs of characters whose differences highlight their character
Folklore
Form
The stories of a community passed down through the generations by word of mouth
Foregrounding
Language
Making something the most prominent or important feature
Foreshadowing
Language
Alluding to future events
Hendiadys
Language
An idea expressed by two words connected by ‘and’
E.g. nice and warm
Hubris
Language
Excessive pride or self-confidence
Hyperbaton
Language
Inversion of normal word order for effect
E.g. this I must see
Hyperbole
Language
Exaggerated statements not to be taken literally
E.g. I slept for a thousand years
Imagery
Language
Visual symbolism
In medias res
Structure
‘In the action’
The story begins in the action
Irony
Language
Using language that usually means the opposite of the original meaning
E.g. the cow is lactose intolerant
Isocolon
Language
Succession of sentences of grammatically equal length
E.g. ‘roses are red, violets are blue. It’s called catching fire, not the hunger games 2’
Juxtaposition
Language
Broad term
Compares two contrasting things
E.g. Satan’s Pandemonium juxtaposes God’s Heaven
Litotes
Language
An ironic understatement when an affirmative is expressed by the negative
E.g. I shan’t be sorry for I shall be glad
Malapropism
Language
The accidental use of a word in place of a similar sounding word
E.g. dancing ‘flamingo’ - instead of ‘flamenco’
Metaphor
Language
A thing regarded as representative of something else
Metonymy
Language
A figure of speech in which one word is substituted for another which is closely associated
E.g. lend me your ear
Motif
Language
An image, sound, action or other figure that has a symbolic significance and develops a theme
E.g. the polka music in ‘Streetcar’ or Marilyn Monroe in ‘Blood Brothers’
Oxymoron
Language
Combines a pair of opposite terms and turns them into a single expression
E.g. sweet sorrow
Paradox
Language
A statement that contradicts itself and is still somewhat true to reveal a point
E.g. ‘I know that I know nothing’
Pathetic fallacy
Language
The weather described reflects the mood or emotions of the protagonist
Periphrasis
Language
An overly long expression
E.g. elongated yellow tropical fruit - a banana
Personification
Language
Personification is an act of giving human characteristics to animals or objects to create imagery,
Anthropomorphism aims to make an animal or object behave and appear like it is a human being.
Polyptoton
Language
Repetition of words derived from the same root
E.g. love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired
Polysyndeton
Language
Repetition of conjunctions in close succession in place of a comma
E.g. he is brave and strong and kind and clever
Portmanteau
Language
The blending of two words into one sound
E.g. brunch
Prologue
Form
A separate introduction to a literary piece that provides insight on the story
Satire
Form
the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticise people’s stupidity, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues
Simile
Language
To say something is like something else
