English Lit Terms

Enjambment

The running over the sense and grammatical structure form one verse line or couplet to the next without a punctuated pasue

end-stopped line

Describes the end of a line of poetry that coincides with the completion of a sentence, clause, or other independent unit of syntax

Repetition

Repeated use of sounds, words, or ideas for effect and emphasis

shift

Where changes in time, space, feeling, point of view, topic, or tone that occur in a poem

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem

Syntax

Sentence structure that creates coherent sentences

binary pairs

two opposing ideas or objects that appear in the same text and contrast one another to create a deeper meaning. Ex: good/evil, life/death, male/female, light/dark

Juxtaposition

When two or more ideas, places, characters, or characters' actions are placed side-by-side in order to facilitate comparisons and contrasts

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Metaphor

Compares 2 things as if they were the same without the words "like" or "as"

Simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

main subject

the initial object in figurative language

comparison subject

in figurative language, the initial object is being compared to this

Personification

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

Symbol

anything that stands for or represents something else

Understatement

A statement that says less than what is meant

visual imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of sight

tactile imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of touch

auditory imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of sound

olfactory imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of smell

gustatory imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of taste

kinestheic imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the feelings of movement

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds ex. Sally sold seashells by the seashore

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds Ex. hE fell aslEEp under the cherry trEE

Consonance

Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity. Ex. bits of leaf like flakes off a fresco

Ryhme

When two or more words have similar sounding final syllables

meter

An audible pattern in verse established by the intervals of stressed syllables; the rhyme or beat of the poem

Theme

Central idea of a work of literature

Tone

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

Archetype

a pattern or model of a character type, plot, setting, or symbol that recurs consistently enough in life and literature to be considered universal

Allusion

an indirect or passing reference to an event, person, place, or artistic work that the author assumes the reader will understand

Character motivation

the psychological and moral impulses and external circumstances that cause a character to act, think, or feel a certain way

Characterization

the method by which an author creates the appearance and personality of imaginary persons

Dicition

word choice

Epistolary Form

fiction that relies on a series of documents to reveal the plot to the reader

External conflict

a complication in the plot that pits a character against an adversary of some sort

Feminism

A female movement for gender equality.

Flashback

a way of presenting scenes or incidents that took place before the opening scene

Flashback

a way of presenting scenes or incidents that took place before the opening scene

Foil

a character whose qualities or actions serve to emphasize those of the *protagonist (or of some other character) by providing a strong contrast with them.

Foreshadowing

a device in which the author provides insight into what will come later in the story

internal conflict

a complication in the plot that occurs within a character's mind or heart

Narrative perspective

refers to how the narrator perceives events in the story which, in turn, affects how he/she conveys the plot to the reader

Narrator bias

refers to the personal beliefs or partiality a narrator reveals through his/her telling of the story

narrator reliability

refers to the extent to which a narrator can be trusted or believed

Archetype

a pattern or model of a character type, plot, setting, theme, or symbol that recurs consistently enough in life and literature to be considered universal

Exposition

the beginning of the plot of a narrative or drama where all things necessary for understanding it are introduced

In medias res

the technique of beginning a story in the middle of the action

Situational Irony

when the outcome of a situation in a plot is the opposite of what one expects

Stream of consciousness

a type of narration in which a character’s thoughts are related through a continuous dialogue or description