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70 Terms
1
allegory
A work that functions on a symbolic level.
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conflict
A clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs. man; man vs. nature; man vs. God; man vs. self.
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alliteration
The repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.'
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connotation
The interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning.
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allusion
A reference contained in a work.
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anapest
A metrical pattern of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable (* * ').
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convention
A traditional aspect of a literary work, such as a soliloquy in a Shakespearean play or tragic hero in a Greek tragedy.
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antagonist
The force or character that opposes the main character, the protagonist.
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annotation
To make personal notes on a text in order to get a better understanding of the material.
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10
couplet
Two lines of rhyming poetry; often used by Shakespeare to conclude a scene or an important passage.
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dactyl
A foot of poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables, ('').
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denotation
The literal or dictionary meaning of a word.
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denouement
The conclusion or tying up of loose ends in a literary work; the resolution of the conflict and plot.
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aside
Words spoken by an actor intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on stage.
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15
deus ex machina
A Greek invention, literally 'the god from the machine' who appears at the last moment and resolves the loose ends of a play.
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ballad
A simple narrative poem, often incorporating dialogue that is written in quatrains, generally with a rhyme scheme of abcd.
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blank verse
Unrhymed iambic pentameter.
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diction
The author's choice of words.
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19
dramatic monologue
A type of poem that presents a conversation between a speaker and an implied listener.
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20
catharsis
According to Aristotle, the release of emotion that the audience of a tragedy experiences.
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21
elegy
A poem that laments the dead or a loss.
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character
One who carries out the action of the plot in literature.
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enjambment
A technique in poetry that involves the running on of a line or stanza.
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climax
The turning point of action or character in a literary work, usually the highest moment of tension.
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comic relief
The inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work.
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epic
A lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero.
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epigram
A brief witty poem.
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euphony
The pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work.
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exposition
Background information presented in a literary work.
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30
fable
A simple, symbolic story, usually employing animals as characters.
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figurative language
The body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one.
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flashback
A device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, episodes.
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foot
A metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line: iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, and spondee.
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foreshadowing
Hints of future events in a literary work.
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form
The shape or structure of a literary work.
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free verse
Poetry without a defined form, meter, or rhyme scheme.
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hyperbole
Extreme exaggeration.
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38
iamb
A metrical foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one; the most common poetic foot in the English language.
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idyll
A type of lyric poem which extols the virtues of an ideal place or time.
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image
A verbal approximation of a sensory impression, concept, or emotion.
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imagery
The total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature.
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irony
An unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen.
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lyric poetry
A type of poetry characterized by emotion, personal feelings, and brevity; a large and inclusive category of poetry that exhibits rhyme, meter, and reflective thought.
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metaphor
A direct comparison between dissimilar things.
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meter
A pattern of beats in poetry.
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monologue
A speech given by one character.
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narrative poem
A poem that tells a story.
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48
narrator
The speaker of a literary work.
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octave
An eight-line stanza, usually combined with a sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet.
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ode
A formal, lengthy poem that celebrates a particular subject.
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onomatopoeia
Words that sound like the sound they represent.
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oxymoron
An image of contradictory terms.
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53
parable
A story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson.
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paradox
A set of seemingly contradictory elements which nevertheless reflects an underlying truth.
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parallel plot
A secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot.
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parody
A comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original.
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pathos
The aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience.
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personification
The assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts.
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plot
A sequence of events in a literary work.
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point of view
The method of narration in a work.
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protagonist
The hero or main character of a literary work, the character the audience sympathizes with.
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quatrain
A four-line stanza.
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resolution
The denouement of a literary work.
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rhetorical question
A question that does not expect an explicit answer.
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rhyme scheme
The annotation of the pattern of the rhyme.
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rhythm
The repetitive pattern of beats in poetry.
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satire
A mode of writing based on ridicule, which criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution.
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scansion
Analysis of a poem's rhyme and meter.
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sestet
A six-line stanza, usually paired with an octave to form a Petrarchan sonnet.
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apostrophe
Direct address in poetry. Yeats's line "Be with me Beauty, for the fire is dying" is a good example.
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