Prose/drama terminology Cartes | Quizlet

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

antecedent

a thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another

Aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle.

Asyndeton

A construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions

Bildungsroman

A coming of age story

catalog

a list of things, people, or events

deux ex machina

an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel.

epistolary novel

A piece of literature contained in or carried on by letters

Existentialism

A philosophical approach that emphasizes the inevitable dilemmas and challenges of human existence.

Foil

A character who is in most ways opposite to the main character (protagonist) or one who is nearly the same as the protagonist. The purpose of the foil character is to emphasize the traits of the main character by contrast only

Imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

in medias res

in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things

Metaphor

A comparison without using like or as

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it

Modernism

A cultural movement embracing human empowerment and rejecting traditionalism as outdated. Rationality, industry, and technology were cornerstones of progress and human achievement.

Pastoral

A work of literature dealing with rural life

Pun

a humorous play on words

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of a series of conjunctions.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the thing made from it (as steel for sword).

understatement

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Aside

a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

digression

a temporary departure from the main subject in speech or writing

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

Flashback

a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story.

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality

Litote

A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite.

Magic realism

A style of writing in which realistic details, events, settings, characters, and dialogue are interwoven with magical, bizarre, fantastic, or supernatural elements.

Naturalism

A term often used as a synonym for realism; also a view of experience that is generally characterized as bleak and pessimistic.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

Parable

A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson

Paradox

A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.

Personification

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

picaresque

(adj.) involving or characteristic of clever rogues or adventurers

Postmodernism

Post-World War II intellectual movement and cultural attitude focusing on cultural pluralism and release from the confines and ideology of Western high culture.

Repitition

Repeating a word, phrase, or idea for emphasis or rhythmic effect

Romanticism

a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual.

Satire

A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

soliliquy

a speech where character is alone on stage and is speaking their thoughts outloud

Symbol

A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

Tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

Victorian

of or pertaining to the reign of Queen Victoria; also someone who shares the values of that period

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