Unit 1 Literary Elements Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a Simile?

A

A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as”

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2
Q

What is a metaphor?

A

A direct comparison between two unlike things; saying one thing IS another.

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3
Q

What is motif?

A

Any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story.

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4
Q

What is symbolism?

A

The use of an object, person, place, etc. to represent a larger idea

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5
Q

What is hyperbole?

A

An extreme exaggeration

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6
Q

What is euphemism?

A

An understatement used to lessen a potential harshness or crass

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7
Q

What is verbal irony?

A

Similar to sarcasm. When a character says one thing but means the opposite

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8
Q

What is situational irony?

A

When the opposite of what is expected (or is ideal) occurs.

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9
Q

What is dramatic irony?

A

When the audience knows what is happening but the character(s) does not.

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10
Q

What is a cliché?

A

A phrase or opinion that is overused and has lost its original effect.

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11
Q

What is tone and how does it relate to diction?

A

The way the author expresses his attitude through his writing. Diction (or word choice) often plays a role in how tone is revealed.

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12
Q

What is personification?

A

Giving human traits to non-human things.

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13
Q

What is onomatopoeia?

A

A word that sounds like its meaning.

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14
Q

What is an oxymoron?

A

A figure of speech where two opposite words appear together

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15
Q

What is an allegory?

A

A story, poem, or picture that sends a moral lesson to its audience.

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16
Q

What is a rhyme?

A

The repetition of same sounds in two or more words, often at the end of the word(s) or lines of poetry or prose.

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17
Q

What is an allusion?

A

A direct or indirect reference to something well known (like other stories, history, movies, etc.)

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18
Q

What is foreshadowing?

A

The hint an author gives about what will happen in a story

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19
Q

What is a flashback?

A

Showing events from before the story started, often through memories.

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20
Q

What is characterization?

A

CHARACTERIZATION: A device used by the author to show or tell about the characters. The author uses characterization to reveal traits about the characters and to develop their personalities.

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21
Q

What is direct characterization?

A

When the author tells us about the character.

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22
Q

What is indirect characterization?

A

When the author shows us about the character through the character’s thoughts, actions, looks, effects on other characters, and speech. (TALES)

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23
Q

Name the 5 different types of heroes

A

Classical, anti-hero, tragic-hero, romantic-hero, modern-hero

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24
Q

What is a protagonist?

A

The main character. The story revolves around this character.

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25
Q

What is an antagonist?

A

The character (or force) that is against the protagonist

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26
Q

What is a flat character?

A

An underdeveloped character with few traits.

27
Q

What is a round character?

A

A developed character with many traits.

28
Q

What is a dynamic character?

A

A character who changes over the course of a story.

29
Q

What is a static character?

A

A character who stays the same over the course of a story.

30
Q

What is a foil character?

A

A character who demonstrates opposite traits and contrasts another character (often the protagonist).

31
Q

What is a stock character?

A

A stereotypical character who fills a purpose and is underdeveloped.

32
Q

What is a major character?

A

The main, and important, characters in a story.

33
Q

What is a minor character?

A

Additional characters who are not important to moving the story forward

34
Q

ANALYSE THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLOT

A

Plot is a word used to describe the series of events that take place in a story

35
Q

What is the introduction?

A

The characters are introduced

The setting is revealed

The goals of the protagonist are clear

36
Q

Rising Action

(Explain the Inciting Incident

A

The problem is revealed (this is called the inciting incident). It gets in the way of the protagonist’s goals.

Suspense builds

37
Q

What is the climax?

A

The turning point in the story.

The audience knows if the problem will be solved or if the problem will not be solved

38
Q

What is falling action?

A

The result of the problem begins to be understood

Details and unanswered questions may be answered

39
Q

What is the resolution?

A

The end of the story

The result is understood

40
Q

What is conflict?

A

The problem that the protagonist faces in a story.

41
Q

What is character vs self?

A

Internal conflict

Character has a struggle in his own mind

42
Q

What is character vs character?

A

An external conflict

The character struggles against another character

43
Q

What is character vs society?

A

An external conflict

The character struggles against the expectations of the society, or community he lives in.

44
Q

what is character vs nature?

A

An external conflict

The character struggles against the forces of nature

45
Q

What is character vs supernatural?

A

An external conflict

The character struggles against unnatural forces

46
Q

What is character vs technology?

A

An external conflict

The character struggles against man-made structures, objects, inventions, etc.

47
Q

What is character vs fate/circumstance?

A

An external conflict

The character struggles against situations that are out of his control but are somehow linked to him through his destiny

48
Q

What is dialogue?

A

The speech exchange between two characters. A conversation.

49
Q

What is point of view of first person?

A

Told from a character’s P.O.V. Uses words like “I, My, us,”

50
Q

What is POV second person?

A

Used often with directions. Uses words like “you, your”

51
Q

What is POV third person?

A

Told from an outsider’s P.O.V. Uses words like “they, his, her, John,”

52
Q

What is an objective?

A

Can only report on what is happening (similar to a camera)

53
Q

What is omniscient POV?

A

Knows all the thoughts and feelings of several characters.

54
Q

What is the limited POV?

A

Knows the thoughts and feelings of only one character (often the protagonist)

55
Q

What is alliteration?

A

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of near words

56
Q

What is assonance?

A

The repetition of vowel sounds within near words

57
Q

What is consonance?

A

The repetition of consonant sounds within near words

58
Q

What is imagery?

A

Visually descriptive language. Painting a picture with words. Engaging the five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch)

59
Q

What is tone TONE

AND HOW IT RELATES TO DICTION

A

The way the author expresses his attitude through his writing. Diction (or word choice) often plays a role in how tone is revealed.

60
Q

MOOD (AND HOW IT RELATES TO SETTING)

A

The overall feeling of a piece. The setting often sets the mood by creating a particular atmosphere.

61
Q

What is paradox?

A

A statement or situation that may seem to be both true and untrue at the same time.

62
Q

What is idiom?

A

An expression that, as a whole, has a different meaning than the individual words that make it up

63
Q

What is a pun?

A

A humorous use of words that sound similar but have different meanings