Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Literary Terminology
For Tues. Test
70
English
8th Grade
05/25/2008

Additional English Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
alliteration
Definition
the repetition of initial consonant sounds
Term
allusion
Definition
a reference to a person, a place, an event or a literary work which a writer expects the reader to recognize and respond to; may be drawn from history, geography, literature, or religion.
Term
anaphora
Definition
a special type of repetition with a repeated element at the beginning
Term
archetype
Definition
the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype
Term
aside
Definition
a short speech delivered by an actor in a play expressing the character's thoughts. Typically this is directed to the audience and is presumed to be inaudible to the other actors
Term
assonance
Definition
the repetition of vowel sounds followed closely by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables
Term
bildungsroman
Definition
a piece of literature that deals with the movement from childhood to adulthood
Term
characterization
Definition
the act of creating and developing a character
Term
How a writer develops a character...
Definition
1. by showing character in action
2. by revealing the charater's thoughts; letting them speak
3. by giving a physical description
4. by telling what others think of the character
5. by analyzing the character; giving direct evaluation of the character
Term
protagonist
Definition
main character; most important
Term
antagonist
Definition
major character who opposed the protagonist
Term
round character
Definition
fully developed and shows many traits (virtues and faults)
Term
flat character
Definition
not fully developed; few traits
Term
dynamic character
Definition
develops and grows during the course of the story; shows change in behavior/belief
Term
static character
Definition
doesn't develop and grow during the story; will not change
Term
foil
Definition
a charater who is contrasted with another character
Term
conflict
Definition
struggle between opposing forces (there may be more than one)
Term
internal conflict
Definition
when main character is in conflict with himself
Term
external conflict
Definition
when the main character sturggles against an outside force
Term
comedy
Definition
a literary work, esp. a play, that has a happy ending; often show ordinary characters in conflict with society
Term
connotation
Definition
all the emotions and associations that a word or phrase may arouse
Term
denotation
Definition
literal or dictionary meaning of a word
Term
Deus Ex Machina
Definition
any last minute discrover, rescue or change of heart that helps resolve a situation and bring about a happy ending
Term
diction
Definition
a writer's choice of words, particularly for clarity, effectiveness, and precision; can be formal/informal, abstract/concrete
Term
drama
Definition
a story written to be acted out in front of an audience
Term
acts
Definition
large sections of a play
Term
scenes
Definition
smaller sections of a play found within an act
Term
stage directions
Definition
in italics, give commments on how and where the action happens
Term
ellipsis
Definition
the omission of a word or several words necessary for a complete construction that is still understandable (...)
Term
epic
Definition
a long narrative poem describing the deeds of a hero and reflecting the values of a culture from which it originated
Term
epithet
Definition
an adjective or descriptive phrase that is regulary used to characterize a person, place, or thing
Term
flashback
Definition
when the events in a story momentarily stop, so a sequence of past events can be related
Term
foreshadowing
Definition
when the author gives the readers hints about events to come; used to create interest and build suspense
Term
free verse
Definition
poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern or meter
Term
hyperbole
Definition
a figure of speech using exaggeration, or overstatement for special effect
Term
imagery
Definition
words or phrases that create pictures, or images, in the reader's mind; they are primarily visual
Term
inversion
Definition
reversal of normal word order of a sentence
Term
irony
Definition
involves differences between appearances and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention
Term
verbal irony
Definition
words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant
Term
dramatic irony
Definition
contradiction between what the character thinks and what the audience or reader knows to be true
Term
situational irony
Definition
an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience
Term
metaphor
Definition
saying one thing in terms of something else
Term
myth
Definition
a story, often about immortals and somethimes connected with religious rituals, that attempts to give meaning to the mysteries of the world
Term
mythology
Definition
a body of related myths that is accepted by a people; tells a people what it is most concerned about: where it came from, who its gods are, what is most sacred rituals are, and what its destiny is
Term
onomatopoeia
Definition
the use of words whose sound in some degree imitates or suggests its meaning
Term
oxymoron
Definition
a self-contradictory combination of words
Term
parallel structure
Definition
the coordination of sentence syntax, word order and ideas. used for effect and emphasis
Term
personification
Definition
human-like qualities are given to non human things
Term
plot
Definition
the sequence of events or actions in a short story, novel, narrative poem, or play; may be simple or complicated, loosely constructed or close-knit; made up of a series of incidents that are related to one another.
Term
exposition
Definition
part of the literary work/drama that introduces the characters, the setting and basic situation
Term
rising action
Definition
all the events that lead up to the climax
Term
climax
Definition
the point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or suspense in a narrative; usually marks a story's turning point
Term
falling action
Definition
all the events after the climax
Term
Dénouement
Definition
part of a work in which conflicts are resolved or unraveled and mysteries and secrets connected with the plot are explained
Term
point of view
Definition
how the story is told
Term
1st person
Definition
one person, a main character, minor character, or a witness describes what he sees, hears, etc.
Term
omniscient
Definition
when a person outside the story relates the events, can tell what every character thinks and feels
Term
3rd person limited
Definition
this narrator only sees the world through one character's eyes, thus doesn't know what the other characters are thinking and feeling
Term
pun
Definition
play on the multiple meanings of a word or on two words that sound alike but have different meanings
Term
repetition
Definition
word, sound, phrase, idea,; used for emphasis. An excellent technique in persuasive speeches. Always pay attention to it in writing because the author is trying to tell you something.
Term
rhyme
Definition
the repetition of sounds at the ends of words
Term
end rhyme
Definition
occurs when the rhyming words come at the end of lines
Term
internal rhyme
Definition
occurs when the rhyming words appear in the same line
Term
sentence structure
Definition
analyzing this asks that you look at sentence length; simple, compound, complex, unusual phrases, repetition, altered word order
Term
simile
Definition
a comparison of two things using like or as
Term
soliloquy
Definition
long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage
Term
symbol
Definition
when something stands for something else or when something takes on another abstract meaning.
Term
theme
Definition
the central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work; not the plot summary. It is a generalization about human beaings or about life that the literary work communicates. Can be directly stated or implied. If implied, the readers think about what the work seems to say about the nature of people or about life.
Term
tone
Definition
the attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject, characters, and readers. Through this, an author can amuse, anger, or shock the reader. Often the reader must figure this out in order to understand a literary work.
Term
syntax
Definition
the physical arrangement of the words in the sentence
Supporting users have an ad free experience!