Vocab

Question 1

Plot Structure

Answer 1

The structure of a plot or plot structure is the sequence of events in a story. (Freytag’s Pyramid & Hero’s Journey)

Question 2

Characterization

Answer 2

a description of the distinctive nature or features of someone or something: (flat/round, dynamic/static)

Question 3

Symbolism

Answer 3

the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities:

Question 4

Allusion

Answer 4

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference:

Question 5

Assonance

Answer 5

in poetry, the repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong in nonrhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discernible (e.g., penitence, reticence).

Question 6

Imagery

Answer 6

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work

Question 7

Personification

Answer 7

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

Question 8

Epithet

Answer 8

an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned:

Question 9

Epic Simile

Answer 9

An epic simile is a long poetic comparison, that uses like or as, and which goes on for several lines. It grows more complicated and reveals its meaning as the lines progress.

Question 10

Monologue

Answer 10

a long speech by one actor in a play or movie, or as part of a theatrical or broadcast program

Question 11

Dramatic Foil

Answer 11

A dramatic foil is a character who may be similar or in parallel circumstances compared to the main character of the story.

Question 12

Metaphor

Answer 12

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Question 13

Flashback

Answer 13

A flashback is a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story. It is a device used to interrupt the chronological sequence of events by interjecting events of earlier occurrence

Question 14

Volta

Answer 14

In poetry, a volta is a turn or transition in a sonnet’s main argument, theme, or tone. It refers to the moment in a sonnet in which the writer makes an important change or transition. The poem turns in, usually a very clear, way. The “turn” or “volta” can refer to a change in subject, perspective, speaker, or writing style

Question 15

Free verse

Answer 15

Free verse is a type of poetry that does not use consistent meter patterns, rhyme, or any musical pattern. It is an open form of poetry that tends to follow the rhythm of natural speech

Question 16

Verbal irony

Answer 16

Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which the speaker says or writes something that is different or opposite from what they actually mean. The speaker intends to be understood as meaning something that contrasts with the literal or usual meaning of their words

Question 17

Situational irony

Answer 17

Situational irony is when the outcome of a situation is significantly different from what was expected or considered appropriate. It involves a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected

Question 18

Dramatic irony

Answer 18

Dramatic irony is a literary device by which the audience’s or reader’s understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters. It is an incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play

Question 19

Foreshadowing

Answer 19

a literary device that provides vague or subtle indications of what will happen later in the story

Question 20

Alliteration

Answer 20

the repetition of initial consonant sounds of nearby words in a phrase, often used as a literary device.

Question 21

Consonance

Answer 21

a figure of speech in which the same consonant sound repeats within a group of words

Question 22

Mood

Answer 22

In literature, mood is a device that evokes certain feelings for readers through a work’s setting, tone, theme, and diction.

Question 23

Rhyme scheme

Answer 23

the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other

Question 24

Tone

Answer 24

the tone of a literary work expresses the writer’s attitude toward or feelings about the subject matter and audience. It is conveyed through word choice and style

Question 25

Aside

Answer 25

a short comment or speech that a character delivers directly to the audience or to himself, while other actors on the stage appear not to hear

Question 26

Soliloquy

Answer 26

a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost thoughts and feelings as if thinking aloud.

Question 27

Simile

Answer 27

A simile is a figure of speech in which two essentially dissimilar objects or concepts are expressly compared with one another through the use of “like” or “as.” Simile is used as a literary device to assert similarity with the help of like or a

Question 28

Theme

Answer 28

a universal idea, lesson, or message explored throughout a work of literature

Question 29

Epic poem

Answer 29

An epic poem is a long, typically novel-length, poetic work. It is a type of narrative poem, which tells a story, typically in third-person point of view, through the typical conventions of poetry

Question 30

Enjambment

Answer 30

a literary device in which the running on of the thought from one line, couplet, or stanza to the next without a syntactical break. It is a creative device of long standing, famously used by Homer, Shakespeare, and Eliot, among many other literary luminaries

Question 31

Prose

Answer 31

a form of written or spoken language that follows the natural flow of speech, uses a language’s ordinary grammatical structures, or follows the conventions of formal academic writing

Question 32

Speaker

Answer 32

In literature, the speaker refers to the narrative voice or the voice of the poem. It is the person who is speaking in a work of literature. The speaker is not always the author of the work and can be a character or persona created by the author to tell the story or express their thoughts and feelings

Question 33

Conflict

Answer 33

a literary element that involves a struggle between two opposing forces. Conflict is used to create tension and interest in a story and is often the driving force behind the plot.

Question 34

Conflict types

Answer 34

character vs. character,
character vs. self,
character vs. society,
character vs. nature

Question 35

Foreshadow

Answer 35

a literary device in which authors hint at plot developments that don’t actually occur until later in the story.

Question 36

Comic relief

Answer 36

a humorous or amusing scene, incident, or speech that is introduced into a serious or tragic literary work or drama. It is intended to provide temporary relief from the emotional tension or to intensify the dramatic action by means of contrast

Question 37

Setting

Answer 37

the time and place (or when and where) of the story. It’s a literary element used in novels, short stories, plays, films, etc.

Question 38

Point of view (POV)

Answer 38

point of view refers to the perspective from which a story is told. It is the voice in which a story is told and its relationship to the events in the story (first person, second person, & third person)

Question 39

What is the measurement of the margins for an essay?

Answer 39

According to the MLA style guidelines, you should set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides

Question 40

What does the heading consist of, where should it be placed, and how is it spaced?

Answer 40

left-aligned on the first page of your paper and includes your full name, your instructor’s or supervisor’s name, the course name or number, and the due date of the assignment. After the MLA header, you should press ENTER once and type your paper title. Center the title and don’t forget to apply title-case capitalization. Is there anything else you would like to know?

Question 41

What are the spacing and margins for a typed essay?

Answer 41

According to the MLA style guidelines, you should set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides. The text of your paper should be double-spaced

Question 42

What goes in the right top corner of every page of an essay? What is the proper name for this? How far from the top of the page?

Answer 42

At the top of every page, including the first page, you need to include your last name and the page number. This is called the “running head”. The running head should be placed one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin.

Question 43

5 elements of a Shakespearean sonnet

Answer 43

1) They are fourteen lines long
2) The fourteen lines are divided into four subgroups
3) The first three subgroups have four lines each, which makes them “quatrains,” with the second and fourth lines of each group containing rhyming words
4) The sonnet then concludes with a two-line subgroup, and these two lines rhyme with each other
5) There are typically ten syllables per line, which are phrased in iambic pentameter

Question 44

Literary/Poetic Device Application

Answer 44

a technique that a writer uses to produce a special effect in their writing. These devices can be used to enhance the meaning of the text, make it more interesting, or help the reader understand the writer’s intent (metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, etc)

Question 45

Hyperbole

Answer 45

Hyperbole is a literary device that uses exaggeration for emphasis or humor. It is not meant to be taken literally and is used to create strong impressions or evoke strong feelings

Question 46

Onomatopoeia

Answer 46

Onomatopoeia is a literary device that refers to the use or creation of a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes

Question 47

Ballad

Answer 47

A poem that tells a story, often set to music

Question 48

Haiku

Answer 48

A traditional form of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines with a syllable count of 5-7-5

Question 49

Free Verse

Answer 49

Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

Question 50

Sonnet

Answer 50

A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme and structure

Question 51

Invocation

Answer 51

at the start of epic, the poet calls upon the Goddess or Muse. The poet either believes or adopts the stance that the poem couldn’t be composed without divine inspiration

Question 52

In medias res

Answer 52

into the middle of things, the epic story begins in the middle of things and reveals the past with narratives and flashbacks

Question 53

Dactylic Hexameter

Answer 53

the meter of epic has 6 dactylic feet in a line. A dactyl is a long syllable followed by two short

Question 54

Hero’s journey

Answer 54

1) call to adventure
2) refusal of the call
3) meeting the mentor
4) crossing the first threshold
5) test, allies, enemies

Question 55

Form

Answer 55

The structure and organization of a poem, including its meter, rhyme scheme, and stanzaic pattern