Techniques - Structure Flashcards

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1
Q

anaphora

A

repeating a sequence of words at the beginning of adjacent clauses

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2
Q

antithesis

A

parallel structure that uses opposites to create emphasis
e.g. it was the best of times, it was the worst of times

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3
Q

aside

A

a part of an actor’s lines that are not meant to be heard by other characters on stage and intended only for the audience; a short disgression

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4
Q

blank verse

A

unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter

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5
Q

couplet

A

a rhymed pair of lines

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6
Q

cyclical

A

when the same sequence of events repeats throughout a story

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7
Q

dramatic irony

A

when a character shows that they are oblivious of the reality of which the audience is aware

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8
Q

dramatic monologue

A

a passage of speech in which one person is speaking to an audience or ‘thinking out loud’

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9
Q

epistrophe

A

when the same word (or a group of words) is employed at the end of successive sentences with the time of emphasising it

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10
Q

exposition

A

information provided through stage directions, narration, dialogue, or description, used to introduce the audience to crucial background information

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11
Q

heroic couplet

A

the last two lines of a Shakespearean sonnet - a couplet of rhyming iambic pentameter

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12
Q

iambic pentameter

A

a sentence (10 syllables in total) which is composed of two syllables: the first unstressed; the second stressed

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13
Q

in media res

A

starting in the middle of the action

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14
Q

microcosm

A

using a place, group of people, or event in the small-scale to represent something much larger

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15
Q

paradox

A

a statement that seems to contradict itself but is still true

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16
Q

parallelism

A

using components that are similar in grammar, structure, or meaning within a sentence or multiple sentences, or throughout the text as a whole
e.g. ‘he came, he saw. he conquered’

17
Q

refrain

A

a word, phrase, or sentence that is repeated throughout a text

18
Q

soliloquy

A

a dramatic device whereby a character stands alone on stage and addresses the audience, giving voice to their deepest thoughts and feelings

19
Q

sonnet form

A

a highly stylised form of poetry, with 14 lines written in iambic pentameter
e.g. R & J first real encounter in the balcony scene

20
Q

stichomythia

A

a dialogue between two characters who speak one after the other
e.g.
Romeo: ——
Juliet: ——
Romeo: ——
Juliet: ——–

21
Q

book-ending

A

starting and ending a piece of literature with the same word, sentence, event, or idea

22
Q

Chinese box narrative/frame narrative

A

when a story is told within a story, often through different perspectives and forms (e.g. letters, diary entries, word of mouth)

23
Q

chronological

A
  • when events are told in the order they occurred
24
Q

tricolon

A
  • three parallel clauses, words or phrases in quick succession
    e.g. ‘eye it, try it, buy it’