Who Was I? English – 1st Quarter (Literary Terms from Shakespeare to Bildungsroman)

Vocabulary flashcards covering Shakespeare, poetry terms, short story elements, and key novels/concepts from the notes.

William Shakespeare

English poet and playwright, aka The Bard of Avon; England’s national poet; wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets.

Bard of Avon

Nickname for William Shakespeare, highlighting his status as England’s national poet.

Sonnets

Lyric poems of 14 lines, typically in iambic pentameter, often exploring love or philosophical themes.

Sonnet

A 14-line lyric poem, usually written in iambic pentameter.

Sonnet 18

Shakespeare’s famous sonnet with a (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG) rhyme scheme, 14 lines, iambic pentameter, and a volta at line 9.

ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Rhyme scheme of Sonnet 18; end-rhyme pattern across the 14 lines.

Iambic pentameter

Poetic line of five iambic feet (unstressed syllable followed by stressed syllable) per line.

Volta

The turn or shift in a sonnet’s argument or theme; occurs at the 9th line in Sonnet 18.

Poetry

Literary form that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language.

Structure

The forms and organization of a poem or text.

Sense

The message or theme conveyed by the poetry.

Simile

Figure of speech that makes an explicit comparison using like or as.

Metaphor

Figure of speech that makes a direct comparison, stating one thing is another.

Personification

Giving human traits to nonhuman things.

Hyperbole

Deliberate and extreme exaggeration for effect.

Oxymoron

Pairing of opposite or contradictory terms placed together.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality; often for effect or humor.

Metonymy

Substitution of a related term or attribute for the thing itself (e.g., ‘the crown’ for the monarchy).

Synecdoche

A part stands for the whole, or vice versa (e.g., ‘hands’ for workers).

Litotes

A figure of speech using understatement achieved by negating the opposite (e.g., ‘not bad’).

Apostrophe

Directly addressing an absent, dead, or nonhuman entity as if present.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect term substituted for a harsh or offensive one.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for emphasis, not to elicit an answer.

Rhythm

Pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in verse; contributes to musicality.

Meter

A regular pattern of rhythm in a line, measured in feet.

Foot

A metrical unit in poetry; a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Rhyme scheme

Pattern of end rhymes in a poem (e.g., ABAB).

Lyric poetry

Poetry driven by personal emotions and feelings; often musical and song-like.

Narrative poetry

Poems that tell a story (epics, ballads, etc.).

Bildungsroman

A coming-of-age novel; German origin meaning ‘educational novel’; focuses on the protagonist’s growth.

Kate Chopin

American author (1850–1904) known for feminist themes and Louisiana Creole settings; The Awakening.

The Awakening

Chopin’s 1899 novel about a woman’s search for independence and selfhood.

Short Story

A brief fictional narrative focusing on a single incident or idea.

Character

People or beings who take roles in a story.

Characterization

How the author reveals characters’ personalities and traits.

Setting

The time and place in which a story occurs.

Plot

The sequence of events in a story, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Exposition

Introductory portion that introduces setting, characters, and situation.

Rising Action

Series of events that build toward the climax; develops conflict.

Climax

Turning point or peak of tension in the plot.