Studied by 10 people
allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
comic relief
A humorous scene or speech intended to lighten the mood
alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds
conceit
A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.
illusion
(n.) a false idea; something that one seems to see or to be aware that really does not exist
ambiguity
The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.
conflict
A struggle between opposing forces
connotation
an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.
anchorism
absence of one or both testes
context
The circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding a text.
analogy
A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way
couplet
Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme
anaphora
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
denotation
The dictionary definition of a word
Anastrophe
Inversion of the natural or usual word order
denouement
an outcome; result
antagonist
A character or force in conflict with the main character
deus ex machina
In literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem.
Anthropomorphism
the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.
aphorism
A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life.
Dialogue
Conversation between characters
diction
the word choices made by a writer
Apostrophe
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.
digression
straying from main point
archetype
a very typical example of a certain person or thing
doppleganger
an apparition or double of a living person
aside
a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage
double entendre
a statement that has two meanings, one of which is dirty or vulgar
assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds
elegy
a sad or mournful poem
asydeton
the omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.
epic
A long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
blank verse
unrhymed iambic pentameter
epigram
a witty saying expressing a single thought or observation
caesura
A natural pause or break in a line of poetry, usually near the middle of the line.
epithet
an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
catastrophe
a large-scale disaster, misfortune, or failure
end stop
when a line of poetry ends with a period or definite punctuation mark, such as a colon
Catharsis
a release of emotional tension
enjabment
the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
chiasmus
A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed
euphemism
An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
Cliché
a worn-out idea or overused expression
figurative language
Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.
climax
Most exciting moment of the story; turning point
foil
A character who acts as a contrast to another character
Colloquialism
informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing
foot
a unit of meter in poetry
point of view
the perspective from which a story is told
foreshadowing
A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.
prose
written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.
frame story
a story within a story
protagonist
main character
free verse
Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme
pun
A play on words
genre
a major category or type of literature
rhetorical
relating to speech that is used to persuade or have some effect; insincere in expression
hyperbole
exaggeration
Rythym
A strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.
iambic pentameter
a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable
satire
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
imagery
Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
setting
The time and place of a story
in media res
in the middle of things
Sibilance
a hissing sound
irony
A contrast between expectation and reality
Simile
A comparison using "like" or "as"
Juxtaposition
Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts
Soliloquy
A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage
kenning
A device employed in Anglo-Saxon poetry in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions or qualities, as in "ring-giver" for king and "whale-road" for ocean.
Sonnet
a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line.
literal
Exactly true, rather than figurative or metaphorical
stream of consciousness
a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character's mind.
lyric
A type of poetry that explores the poet's personal interpretation of and feelings about the world.
style
the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work
metaphor
A comparison without using like or as
simbolism
icons and symbols
meter
measure
Synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa
metonymy
A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it
syntax
Sentence structure
mood
Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader
theme
Central idea of a work of literature
motif
A recurring theme, subject or idea
tone
Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character
Onomatopoeia
A word that imitates the sound it represents.
trope
a figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression
Oxymoron
A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.
Understatement
the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.
paradox
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
verse
A single line of poetry
parallel structure
the repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structures
voice
A writers distinctive use of language
parody
A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.
Personification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
Polysyndeton
the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural
Note
Flashcard