terms Flashcards
allegory
is a story within a story. It has a “surface story” and another story hidden underneath.
In most allegories, the hidden story has something to do with politics, religion, or morality — complex subjects that are difficult to understand directly.
alliteration
In alliteration, words that begin with the same sound are placed close together. Although alliteration often involves repetition of letters, most importantly, it is a repetition of sounds.
allusion
a reference to something else. It’s when a writer mentions some other work, or refers to an earlier part of the current work.
Ambiguity
an idea or situation that can be understood in more than one way. This extends from ambiguous sentences (which could mean one thing or another) up to ambiguous storylines and ambiguous arguments. It’s often viewed in a negative light, since we value clarity in writing and ambiguity is the opposite of clarity; however, sometimes ambiguity can be a good thing, especially in poetry and storytelling.
anachronism
Greek word meaning “backward time.” It’s what happens when an author, deliberately or accidentally, puts historical events, fashions, technology, etc., in the wrong place. This could include simple things like a historical film putting the wrong type of weapon in the hands of the soldiers, or it could be extreme inaccuracies such as having cavemen fight dinosaurs. The point is that the story shows something happening at a time when it would be impossible, or at least extremely unlikely, for that thing to happen.
analogy
literary technique in which two unrelated objects are compared for their shared qualities. Unlike a simile or a metaphor, an analogy is not a figure of speech, though the three are often quite similar. Instead, analogies are strong rhetorical devices used to make rational arguments and support ideas by showing connections and comparisons between dissimilar things.
anaphora
is when a certain word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of clauses or sentences that follow each other. This repetition emphasizes the phrase while adding rhythm to the passage, making it more memorable and enjoyable to read.
anastrophe
Greek: (“a turning back or about”) is a figure of speech in which the normal word order of the subject, the verb, and the object is changed.
archetype
Greek:( “original pattern”), in literary criticism, a primordial image, character, or pattern of circumstances that recurs throughout literature and thought consistently enough to be considered a universal concept or situation.
aside
An aside is a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience. By convention the audience is to realize that the character’s speech is unheard by the other characters on stage.
assonance
repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds within words, phrases, or sentences. The word is derived from the Latin phrase assonare, meaning to answer with the same sound. The following is a simple example of assonance:
asyndeton
kipping one or more conjunctions (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet) which are usually used in a series of phrases. Asyndeton is also known as asyndetism. This word is derived from the Greek phrase asyndetos meaning “unconnected.”
blank verse
Blank verse is poetry written with regular metrical but unrhymed lines, almost always in iambic pentameter.
caesura
refers to a break or pause in the middle of a line of verse. It can be marked as || in the middle of the line, although generally it is not marked at all – it’s simply part of the way the reader or singer pronounces the line
catastrophe
the final action that completes the unraveling of the plot in a play, especially in a tragedy
catharsis
meaning “cleansing” in Greek, refers to a literary theory first developed by the philosopher Aristotle, who believed that cleansing our emotions was the purpose of a good story, especially a tragedy. Catharsis applies to any form of art or media that makes us feel strong negative emotions, but that we are nonetheless drawn to – we may seek out art that creates these emotions because the experience purges the emotions from our system. We can feel something intense, then walk out of the theater feeling better afterwards. Catharsis is roughly synonymous with the idea of “blowing off steam.”
chiasmus
Greek word meaning “crossed,” and it refers to a grammatical structure that inverts a previous phrase. That is, you say one thing, and then you say something very similar, but flipped around.
cliché
saying, image, or idea which has been used so much that it sounds terribly uncreative.
climax
highest point of tension or drama in a narratives’ plot.
colloquialism
use of informal words or phrases in writing or speech. Colloquialisms are usually defined in geographical terms, meaning that they are often defined by their use within a dialect, a regionally-defined variant of a larger language.
comic relief
It’s just like in real life – we often make jokes to ease the burden of difficult circumstances. In storytelling, this is called comic relief.
conceit
Latin term for “concept,” a poetic conceit is an often unconventional, logically complex, or surprising metaphor whose delights are more intellectual than sensual.
conflict
literary device characterized by a struggle between two opposing forces.
connotation
is a feeling or idea that a word has, in addition to its literal or main meaning
context
the setting within which a work of writing is situated. … Literary context is background information or circumstances you provide to inform why something is taking place; context can also be the backstory of a character, provided to inform their behavior and personality.
couplet
couplet is a literary device featuring two consecutive lines of poetry that typically rhyme and have the same meter
denotation
word’ or thing’s literal or main definition. The term comes from the late Latin Latin denotationem meaning “indication,” and is contrasted with connotation. A word’s denotation is completely absent of emotion, so it is defined as distinguished from its connotation (its associated meaning). In other words, denotation is a word’s “dictionary definition” rather than its associated emotion or definition.
denouement
is the very end of a story, the part where all the different plotlines are finally tied up and all remaining questions answered. It happens right after the climax, the most exciting point in the story, and it shows the aftermath of that climax, giving the reader some hints as to what will happen next. The denouement is usually the very last thing your audience sees, so it has to be well-written or the story will seem unsatisfying.
dues ex machina
Latin for “a god from the machine.” It’s when some new character, force, or event suddenly shows up to solve a seemingly hopeless situation. The effect is usually unexpected, and it’s often disappointing for audiences. It’s as if the author has brought us to the climactic moment of tension and suspense, and then simply said, “But then everything was suddenly OK.” It undermines the tension of the story, and seems to suggest that sheer blind luck is the ultimate determining force in the hero’s life. How unsatisfying!
dialogue
conversation.” In the broadest sense, this includes any case of two or more characters speaking to each other directly. But it also has a narrower definition, called the dialogue form. The dialogue form is the use of a sustained dialogue to express an argument or idea. This article will focus more on the narrower definition, since this definition is generally less familiar to people than the more general one.
diction
refers to word choice and phrasing in any written or spoken text. Many authors can be said to have their own “diction,” because they tend to use certain words more than others or phrase things in a unique way.
digression
A temporary departure from one subject to another more or less distantly related topic before the discussion of the first subject is resumed.
doppelganger
German word meaning “double-walker.” It’s a twin or double of some character, usually in the form of an evil twin.
double-entendre
a double meaning or interpretation for a word, phrase, or figure of speech. Usually, the first meaning is straightforward, but can be interpreted in a second way, which the Oxford Dictionary calls “indelicate”—meaning it is usually at least slightly inappropriate or risqué. Often, double entendres are used to mask or subtly deliver racy humor
elegy
poem of mourning. Written in a somber style, it reflects seriously on death and on the person who has passed. Elegies are written for a specific person, usually someone the author knew well, although sometimes people write elegies for long-dead heroes. The emotional effect is usually greatest, however, when the elegy is written from a personal experience of loss.
epic
is a long narrative poem that is elevated and dignified in theme, tone, and style. As a literary device, an epic celebrates heroic deeds and historically (or even cosmically) important events. An epic usually focuses on the adventures of a hero who has qualities that are superhuman or divine, and on whose very fate often depends the destiny of a tribe, nation, or sometimes the whole of the human race
epigram
short but insightful statement, often in verse form, which communicates a thought in a witty, paradoxical, or funny way.
end stop
metrical line ending at a grammatical boundary or break—such as a dash or closing parenthesis—or with punctuation such as a colon, a semicolon, or a period. A line is considered end-stopped, too, if it contains a complete phrase.
enjambment
continuing a line after the line breaks. Whereas many poems end lines with the natural pause at the end of a phrase or with punctuation as end-stopped lines, enjambment ends a line in the middle of a phrase, allowing it to continue onto the next line as an enjambed line. Enjambment is derived from the French phrase enjambment meaning to “straddle something,” as the sentence extends to a next line.
euphemism
polite, mild phrases which substitute unpleasant ways of saying something sad or uncomfortable.
is derived from the Greek, meaning “to sound good.”
figurative language
phrasing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to get a message or point across.
foil
Foil is a literary device designed to illustrate or reveal information, traits, values, or motivations of one character through the comparison and contrast of another character. A literary foil character serves the purpose of drawing attention to the qualities of another character, frequently the protagonist. This is effective as a means of developing a deeper understanding of a character by emphasizing their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, a literary foil allows writers to create a counterpart for the protagonist that puts their actions and choices in context.
foot
basic unit of measurement of accentual-syllabic meter. A foot usually contains one stressed syllable and at least one unstressed syllable.
foreshadowing
gives the audience hints or signs about the future. It suggests what is to come through imagery, language, and/or symbolism. It does not directly give away the outcome, but rather, suggests it.
frame story
A story within a story, within sometimes yet another story, as in,
for example, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. As in Mary Shelley’s work, the form echoes in structure the thematic search in the story for something deep, dark, and secret at the heart of the narrative.
free verse
nonmetrical, nonrhyming lines that closely follow the natural rhythms of speech. A regular pattern of sound or rhythm may emerge in free-verse lines, but the poet does not adhere to a metrical plan in their composition.
genre
category of literature identified by form, content, and style
hyperbole
a figure of speech in which an author or speaker purposely and obviously exaggerates to an extreme. It is used for emphasis or as a way of making a description more creative and humorous. It is important to note that hyperbole is not meant to be taken literally; the audience knows it’s an exaggeration.
iambic pentameter
the construction of a line of poetry with five sets of unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables. … A foot of poetry is referred to as an iamb if it has one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable
imagery
Imagery is language used by poets, novelists and other writers to create images in the mind of the reader. Imagery includes figurative and metaphorical language to improve the reader’s experience through their senses.
in media res
(Latin: “in the midst of things”) the practice of beginning an epic or other narrative by plunging into a crucial situation that is part of a related chain of events; the situation is an extension of previous events and will be developed in later action.
irony
is when there are two contradicting meanings of the same situation, event, image, sentence, phrase, or story. In many cases, this refers to the difference between expectations and reality.
juxtaposition
is the placement of two or more things side by side, often in order to bring out their differences.
kenning
concise compound or figurative phrase replacing a common noun, especially in Old Germanic, Old Norse, and Old English poetry. A kenning is commonly a simple stock compound such as “whale-path” or “swan road” for “sea,” “God’s beacon” for “sun,” or “ring-giver” for “king.”
literal
most obvious or non-figurative sense of a word or words.
lyric
collection of verses and choruses, making up a complete song, or a short and non-narrative poem. A lyric uses a single speaker, who expresses personal emotions or thoughts. Lyrical poems, which are often popular for their musical quality and rhythm, are pleasing to the ear, and are easily put to music.
maxim
brief statement that contains a little piece of wisdom or a general rule of behavior. Maxims are sometimes written by a single author, for example in the form of philosophical quotations. When a maxim has no specific author, it becomes a kind of proverb – something that just emerges from the culture and survives because people use it, not because any specific person wrote it in a book.
metaphor
comparison w/o using like or as
meter
the basic rhythmic structure of a line within a work of poetry. Meter consists of two components: The number of syllables. A pattern of emphasis on those syllables.
metonymy
Although literally a pen has no power over a sword, we understand this phrase means that the written word and the sharing of ideas, are more powerful than fighting, or physical force. This phrase uses metonymy (pronounced mi-ton–uh-mee), which is a figure of speech that replaces words with related or associated words. A metonym is typically a part of a larger whole, for example, when we say “wheels,” we are figuratively referring to a “car” and not literally only the wheels. So, “wheels” are the associated part that represent the whole car. In the example above, we replaced “written words” with “the pen.”
The word metonymy is derived from the Greek phrase metōnymía meaning “a change of name.”
mood
the atmosphere of the narrative. Mood is created by means of setting (locale and surroundings in which the narrative takes place), attitude (of the narrator and of the characters in the narrative), and descriptions. … Atmosphere is the aura of mood that surrounds the story.
motif
symbolic image or idea that appears frequently in a story. Motifs can be symbols, sounds, actions, ideas, or words. Motifs strengthen a story by adding images and ideas to the theme present throughout the narrative.
narrator
one who tells a story. In a work of fiction the narrator determines the story’s point of view. If the narrator is a full participant in the story’s action, the narrative is said to be in the first person. A story told by a narrator who is not a character in the story is a third-person narrative.
onomatopoeia
refers to words whose pronunciations imitate the sounds they describe. A dog’s bark sounds like “woof,” so “woof” is an example of onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia can be used to describe the gears of machines working, the horn of a car honking, animals croaking or barking, or any number of other sounds
oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that puts together opposite elements.
paradox
statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same time. Paradoxes are quirks in logic that demonstrate how our thinking sometimes goes haywire, even when we use perfectly logical reasoning to get there.
parallel structure
using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as “and” or “or.”
parody
created by imitating an existing original work in order to make fun of or comment on an aspect of the original. Parodies can target celebrities, politicians, authors, a style or trend, or any other interesting subject.
The term parody (pronounced par–uh-dee) is derived from the Greek phrase parodia which referred to a type of poem which imitated the style of epic poems but with mockery and light comedy.
personification
When we talk about non-human things as if they were human, we personify them. Personification is a kind of metaphor in which you describe an inanimate object, abstract thing, or non-human animal in human terms. It is used to create more interesting and engaging scenes or characters.
polysyndeton
is a literary device that uses multiple repetitions of the same conjunction (and, but, if, etc), most commonly the word “and.”
POV
character or narrator telling the story can see (his or her perspective). The author chooses “who” is to tell the story by determining the point of view. Depending on who the narrator is, he/she will be standing at one point and seeing the action. This viewpoint will give the narrator a partial or whole view of events as they happen. Many stories have the protagonist telling the story, while in others, the narrator may be another character or an outside viewer, a narrator who is not in the story at all. The narrator should not be confused with the author, who is the writer of the story and whose opinions may not be those written into the narrative.
prose
non-verse writing. Pretty much anything other than poetry counts as prose: this article, that textbook in your backpack; lack of line breaks
protagonist
s just another word for “main character.” The story circles around this character’s experiences, and the audience is invited to see the world from his or her perspective. Note that the protagonist is not necessarily a “good guy.” Although most of the time the protagonist is some kind of hero, sometimes we see the whole story from the perspective of a villain.
pun
is a joke based on the interplay of homophones — words with the same pronunciation but different meanings. It can also play with words that sound similar, but not exactly the same. The joke’s humor (if any) comes from the confusion of the two meanings.
rhetorical
any language that helps an author or speaker achieve a particular purpose (usually persuasion, since rhetoric is typically defined as the art of persuasion). But “rhetorical device” is an extremely broad term, and can include techniques for generating emotion, beauty, and spiritual significance as well as persuasion.
rhythm
the recurring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in the flow of language in a literary work, particularly verse. Rhythm is best understood as the pace and beat of a poem, and it’s created through specific variations of syllabic emphasis
satire
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices.” It’s an extremely broad category. The “or” in the definition is key – most satires are humorous, ironic, and exaggerated, but they only have to be one of these things to count as satire.
There are two important things to remember about satire:
It makes fun of a person, idea, or institution
Its purpose is not just to entertain, but also to inform or make people think.
setting
time, place, time period, month, year, etc
soliloquy
is a kind of monologue, or an extended speech by one character. In a soliloquy, though, the speech is not given to another character, and there is no one around to hear it. Instead of another character, the soliloquy is delivered to a surrogate, to the audience, or to no one in particular.
sonnet
is a fourteen line poem with a fixed rhyme scheme. Often, sonnets use iambic pentameter: five sets of unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables for a ten-syllable line.
stream of consciousness
a narrative mode or method that attempts “to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind” of a narrator.
style
style is the way in which an author writes and/or tells a story. It’s what sets one author apart from another and creates the “voice” that audiences hear when they read. There are many important pieces that together make up a writer’s style; like tone, word choice, grammar, language, descriptive technique, and so on. Style is also what determines the mood of a piece of literature, so its importance is huge across all genres
symbolism
literary device that uses symbols, be they words, people, marks, locations, or abstract ideas to represent something beyond the literal meaning.
synecdoche
figure of speech which allows a part to stand for a whole or for a whole to stand for a part. When using synecdoche, you refer to your car as your “wheels” and a handful of quarters, dimes, and pennies as the “change” needed to pay the meter.
syntax
Ancient Greek for “coordination” or “ordering together.” In spoken and written language, syntax refers to the set of rules that determines the arrangement of words in a sentence. Along with diction, it is one of the key ways writers convey meaning in a text.
theme
point of story; what its about
tone
refers to the “feel” of a piece of writing. It’s a more complex and general quality than, say, an “angry tone of voice”; instead it is closer to the meaning of “style” or “voice” in writing, possibly referring to any or all of the stylistic qualities the writing, such as formality, dialect, and atmosphere.
understatement
when a writer presents a situation or thing as if it is less important or serious than it is in reality. It describes something with less strength than would be expected. Understatement is the opposite of hyperbole or overstatement.
verse
The literary device verse denotes a single line of poetry.
voice
expresses the narrator or author’s emotions, attitude, tone and point of view through artful, well thought out use of word choice and diction
