Vocab Lit Terms

5.0(1)
studied byStudied by 16 people
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/101

flashcard set

Earn XP

Description and Tags

Done: Allegory, archaism, couplet, euphony, foreshadowing, gothic novel, masculine rhyme, rhetorical question, theme, melodrama

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

102 Terms

1
New cards

Abstract (style)

Writing that discusses ideas or concepts rather than specific people, places, or things. It is often theoretical and lacks physical details.

2
New cards

Academic (style)

Formal, objective writing focused on analytical or scholarly discussions. It adheres to standard grammar and citation rules, often used in essays, articles, or academic publications

3
New cards

Accent

The emphasis or stress placed on a syllable in poetry or prose, which contributes to the rhythm of a line or sentence.

4
New cards

Aesthetic/Aesthetics

principles of beauty and taste in art and literature; the study of these principles, exploring how beauty is perceived and appreciated

5
New cards

Allegory

A narrative in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. The story has both a literal and symbolic meaning, often to convey a deeper message.

6
New cards

Alliteration

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in close proximity

7
New cards

Allusion

A reference, often indirect, to a person, place, event, or literary work that the author expects the reader to recognize

8
New cards

Anachronism

An element in a story or text that is out of its historical time period, like a character in ancient Rome using a smartphone

9
New cards

Analogy

A comparison between two things that are alike in some respects, often used to explain a complex idea or situation by relating it to something simpler or more familiar

10
New cards

Anecdote

A brief narrative or story about an interesting, amusing, or strange event, often used to make a point.

11
New cards

Antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. For example, in "Jane lost her book," "Jane" is the __________ of "her."

12
New cards

Anthropomorphism

The attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities, such as animals or objects, often to make them more relatable (e.g., the animals in Animal Farm).

13
New cards

Anticlimax

A disappointing or trivial turn of events in a narrative, where the tension or excitement built up leads to a less significant outcome than expected.

14
New cards

Antihero

A protagonist who lacks traditional heroic qualities like bravery or morality, often displaying flawed characteristics.

15
New cards

Aphorism

A concise statement that expresses a general truth or principle, such as "Actions speak louder than words."

16
New cards

Apostrophe

A rhetorical device in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or an inanimate object, as in "O Death, where is thy sting?"

17
New cards

Archaism

The use of old-fashioned language, often to evoke a sense of antiquity or tradition.

18
New cards

Aside

A remark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but not by the other characters.

19
New cards

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within close proximity, as in "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain

20
New cards

Atmosphere

The overall feeling or mood created in a piece of writing, often influenced by setting, tone, and diction

21
New cards

Ballad

A narrative poem that is typically arranged in quatrains with an ABAB rhyme scheme and often tells a story about love, death, or adventure

22
New cards

Black Humor

Humor that makes light of serious or morbid subjects, often to highlight the absurdity of life or the inevitability of death

23
New cards

Bombast

Language that is overly rhetorical or pompous, often without meaningful content or substance.

24
New cards

Burlesque

A form of satire that exaggerates or distorts a serious subject by treating it humorously or ridiculing it through absurdity.

25
New cards

Cacophony

Harsh, discordant sounds used deliberately in poetry or prose to create a jarring effect.

26
New cards

Cadence

The rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words, often used in poetry or oratory.

27
New cards

Canto

A major division in a long poem, much like a chapter in a book

28
New cards

Caricature

A portrayal of a person in which certain features or mannerisms are exaggerated for comic or satirical effect.

29
New cards

Catharsis

The emotional release felt by the audience at the end of a tragic drama, where tension is resolved and a sense of relief is achieved

30
New cards

Chorus

In classical Greek drama, a group of characters who comment on the action of a play without directly participating in it.

31
New cards

Colloquialism

A word or phrase used in everyday conversation or informal writing but inappropriate in formal settings (e.g., "y’all" instead of "you all")

32
New cards

Conceit

An extended metaphor with a complex logic that governs a poetic passage or entire poem, often comparing two vastly different things.

33
New cards

Connotation

The implied or associated meaning of a word beyond its literal definition, often carrying emotional or cultural implications

34
New cards

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds, typically at the end of words, as in "pitter-patter" or "tick-tock."

35
New cards

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that typically rhyme and have the same meter, often used to summarize or conclude a thought.

36
New cards

Decorum

The appropriate style, tone, or behavior for a particular setting or character, ensuring that literary elements align with the expectations of the audience or genre.

37
New cards

Denotation

The literal or dictionary definition of a word, without any emotional or cultural associations.

38
New cards

Diction

The choice of words and style of expression used by an author. Can be formal, informal, colloquial, or poetic, depending on the tone and context of the work

39
New cards

Dirge

A mournful or somber song, poem, or speech, usually performed at funerals to express grief or sorrow.

40
New cards

Dissonance

A disruption of harmonic sounds or rhythms; the use of harsh or jarring sounds, often to create a sense of discomfort or tension in writing

41
New cards

Doggeral

Crude or irregular verse, often with a comic or satirical tone, lacking in artistic quality.

42
New cards

Dramatic irony

A situation in which the audience knows something that the characters do not, creating tension or humor as the characters remain unaware of their circumstances

43
New cards

Dramatic monologue

A poem or speech in which a single speaker addresses another character or the audience, revealing their thoughts, feelings, and motivations, often unintentionally

44
New cards

Elegy

A reflective poem that laments the death of someone or something, often ending in consolation

45
New cards

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence or phrase beyond the end of a line of poetry, without a pause or break, to maintain the flow of thought. (“I wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills”)

46
New cards

Epic

A long narrative poem, often written in elevated language, that recounts the adventures of a hero whose actions determine the fate of a nation or people (e.g., The Iliad, The Odyssey)

47
New cards

Epitaph

An inscription on a tombstone or a brief poem written in memory of someone who has died.

48
New cards

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or phrase used to replace a harsh or blunt one, often to avoid offending or to soften difficult topics (e.g., "passed away" instead of "died").

49
New cards

Euphony

A pleasing or harmonious arrangement of sounds, often achieved through the use of soft consonants and vowels.

50
New cards

Farce

A type of comedy that uses exaggerated, improbable situations, slapstick humor, and absurdity to entertain

51
New cards

Feminine Rhyme

A rhyme that matches two or more syllables, with the stress not on the final syllable (e.g., "motion" and "ocean").

52
New cards

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist, in order to highlight particular qualities of the main character.

53
New cards

Foot

The basic unit of measurement in poetry, consisting of a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables

54
New cards

Foreshadowing

A literary device where hints or clues are provided about what will happen later in the story, often building suspense.

55
New cards

Free verse

Poetry that does not follow a regular meter or rhyme scheme, allowing greater flexibility and freedom in expression.

56
New cards

Gothic novel

A genre characterized by dark, mysterious settings and supernatural elements, often featuring gloomy castles, haunted landscapes, and intense emotions (e.g., Frankenstein or Wuthering Heights).

57
New cards

Hubris

Excessive pride or self-confidence that leads to the downfall of a character, particularly in Greek tragedy

58
New cards

Hyperbole

Deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for effect or emphasis (e.g., "I’m so hungry I could eat a horse").

59
New cards

Interior monologue

A narrative technique that reveals a character’s thoughts and feelings in real-time, as though the reader is privy to their inner world.

60
New cards

Inversion

The reversal of the normal word order in a sentence, often used for emphasis or poetic effect (e.g., "In the night sky shimmered the stars").

61
New cards

Irony

A contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs. There are three types:

  • Verbal: Saying the opposite of what one means

  • Situational: When the opposite of what is expected happens.

62
New cards

Lampoon

A written satire that ridicules or criticizes a person, group, or institution, often in a humorous or mocking way.

63
New cards

Lyric

A short poem that expresses personal emotions or thoughts, often written in the first person.

64
New cards

Masculine Rhyme

The final syllable of the first word rhymes with the final syllable of the second word.

65
New cards

Melodrama

A dramatic work that emphasizes exaggerated emotions, sensationalism, and a simplistic moral dichotomy between good and evil (A form of cheesy theater in which the hero is very, very good, the villain mean and rotten, and the heroine oh-so-pure.)

66
New cards

Metaphor

A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things, suggesting that one is the other, without using "like" or "as" (e.g., "Time is a thief")

67
New cards

Metonym

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted with a related word or concept (e.g., "The White House" for "the President").

68
New cards

Nemesis

A character’s ultimate opponent or downfall, often representing a force of justice or retribution.

69
New cards

Objectivity

The presentation of a narrative or argument without personal bias or subjective influence, relying on facts rather than opinions.

70
New cards

Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate the sounds they describe

71
New cards

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms are placed together for effect (e.g., "deafening silence")

72
New cards

Parable

A simple, short story that teaches a moral or religious lesson, often using human characters (e.g., many stories in the Bible).

73
New cards

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but reveals a deeper truth (e.g., "This is the beginning of the end").

74
New cards

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures or word order in two or more sentences or phrases to create a sense of balance and rhythm (e.g., "She likes cooking, jogging, and reading").

75
New cards

Parody

A humorous or satirical imitation of a serious work, often exaggerating its style or subject matter for comedic effect.

76
New cards

Pastoral

A literary work that idealizes rural life and landscapes, often portraying shepherds or country folk in a peaceful, simplistic setting

77
New cards

Pathos

The emotional appeal in literature that aims to evoke feelings of pity, sadness, or compassion from the audience

78
New cards

Persona

The voice or character assumed by the author in a literary work, often different from the author's real voice or personality.

79
New cards

Personification

A figure of speech in which inanimate objects, animals, or abstract ideas are given human qualities or characteristics

80
New cards

Plaint

complaint or sad cry, often found in poetry.

81
New cards

Protagonist

The main character in a story, play, or novel, around whom the plot revolves. The character with whom the audience sympathizes

82
New cards

Pun

A play on words that exploits the different meanings of a word or words that sound alike but have different meanings (e.g., "I used to be a baker, but I couldn't make enough dough").

83
New cards

Refrain

A repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song, often at the end of a stanza, used to emphasize a key idea or create rhythm.

84
New cards

Requiem

A poem or musical composition written in honor of someone who has died, often solemn and reflective in tone.

85
New cards

Rhapsody

An emotionally intense, enthusiastic, or passionate piece of writing or music, often expressing wild or uncontrolled feeling.

86
New cards

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect or emphasis, not intended to be answered because the answer is implied (e.g., "Who doesn’t love a good story?").

87
New cards

Satire

A genre that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize human vice or folly/society, often with the intent of inspiring change.

88
New cards

Simile

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as" (e.g., "Her smile was like the sun").

89
New cards

Soliloquy

A speech in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud while alone on stage, revealing their innermost feelings or plans, often found in drama

90
New cards

Stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem, usually separated from other _______ by a blank line or indentation, similar to a paragraph in prose.

91
New cards

Stock characters

Stereotypical characters that are easily recognizable because they appear frequently in literature (e.g., the evil stepmother, the mad scientist).

92
New cards

Subjectivity

A perspective influenced by personal feelings, opinions, or biases, rather than objective facts or universal truths.

93
New cards

Subjunctive Mood

A verb mood used to express wishes, hypotheticals, or conditions contrary to fact (e.g., "If I were a bird, I would fly away").

94
New cards

Summary

A brief retelling of the main points or events in a story or piece of writing, without added commentary or analysis.

95
New cards

Symbolism

The use of symbols (objects, characters, or actions) to represent abstract ideas or concepts (e.g., a dove representing peace)

96
New cards

Theme

The central idea, message, or underlying meaning of a literary work, often a universal insight about life or human nature.

97
New cards

Thesis

A central argument or main point that an author develops in a piece of writing, especially in an essay or critical analysis.

98
New cards

Tragic flaw

A character trait, usually a flaw like hubris or jealousy, that leads to the downfall of the protagonist in a tragedy.

99
New cards

Travesty

A grossly distorted or absurd imitation of something, often mocking or reducing the subject (that is traditionally viewed as respectable) to a ridiculous level.

100
New cards

Truism

A statement that is obviously true and says nothing new or interesting (e.g., "The sun rises in the east").