Terms Flashcards
Frame Tale
a group of stories unified by a central theme or situation
Beast fable
a moral tale in which the animals act the parts of human beings
Ballad
a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas. Traditional ballads are typically of unknown authorship, having been passed on orally from one generation to the next as part of the folk culture.
Folk Ballad
a song that is traditionally sung by the common people of a region and forms part of their culture
Literary Ballad
a narrative poem created by a poet in imitation of the old anonymous folk ballad. Usually the literary ballad is more elaborate and complex; the poet may retain only some of the devices and conventions of the older verse narrative
Couplets
two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit
Tone
the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.
Quatrain
a stanza of four lines, especially one having alternate rhymes.
Romance
a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love
Didacticism
intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment
Plot
the main events of a play, novel, movie, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence
Atmosphere
the pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art
Hyperbole
exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
Symbolism
the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
Understatement
the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is
