Literary Device Dictionary Pt1

Bildungsroman

A novel that deals with the growth of a character over time ("building" "rome" > takes a long time).

- Often the character realizes something about themselves and/or the world they live in

Archetype

A universal symbol, character, or pattern that reappears across different works and cultures, serving as an original model template for stories and characters

- ex = luke is the hero from star wars

Diction

A author's choice of words and style of expression, which helps create tone, mood, and meaning.

Pastiche

An artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period; paying homage or building on existing world

- PAST-iche for PAST works

- ex = Wicked and the Wizard of Oz

Heroic Couplet (Iambic Pentameter)

A pair of rhyming iambic pentameters (10 syllables arranged in 5 iambs [unstressed syllable followed by stressed syllable])

- Often in epic poetry

Pastoral Poetry

Poetry that idealizes rural life, nature, and country living

- Often contrasts urban life

- Associated with simplicity, innocence, calm, nostalgia, idealization

- bucolic

Lyric Poetry

Expresses personal feelings and emotions in the first person, often with songlike qualities

Existential Character

the human struggle with the freedom to create their own meaning in a seemingly absurd and purposeless world, leading to personal responsibility, authenticity, alienation, and anxiety.

Complication

A difficulty or obstacle that complicates the main plot, creating challenges for the protagonist and increasing tension in the story.

Sensory Imagery

Use of vivid language appealing to at least one of the five sense (visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory)

- Utilized to build atmosphere, establish mood/tone, create depth

Soliloquy

Revealing of internal thoughts (typically set on stage, usually when alone)

- Private, internal (not directed at audience)

Dramatic Monologue

Internal thoughts characterized (typically a poem to specific, distinct audience)

- An "address" delivered to audience within play/literary work or to actual audience reading/watching

Doggerel

Trivial or comical poetry often described as crude, comic, or irregular.

- Characteristics = clumsy rhythm, trivial subject, forced rhymes, lack of poetic finesse, satirical/comical tone

Analogy

Compares two unrelated things, while highlighting their shared qualities in order to explain a main idea

- More than a metaphor, compares things to strengthen an arugment

Vignette

A short descriptive scene/moment that details a specific mood or character without having a definitive plot

- Can be singular or a series (a series conveys a message with various snapshots of the plot to form one story)

Allusion

Indirect reference to a person, place, event, or another literary work that the author expects the reader to recognize and understand, even though it is not explicitly explained.

- Common Allusions = biblical, greek, literary, historical, contemporary

Periphrasis

a roundabout form of expression to get to the point

Invective

harsh, abusive, or insulting language used to express blame, censure, or deep ill will

Zeugma

a figure of speech where one word (often a verb or adjective) governs two or more other words in a sentence
- ex: She lost her daughter and her patience in the grocery store.

Anaphora

rhetorical device where a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines to create emphasis, rhythm, and emotional impact
- ex: I have a dream

Apotheosis

the elevation of a character (or concept) to divine status, a peak moment of glorification

- Hercules becoming a god

Aside

a brief remark or comment delivered by a character directly to the audience or to themselves

Ode

a formal, often lengthy lyric poem

Palindrome

a type of word play in which a word or phrase spelled forward is the same word or phrase spelled backward

Paradox

a statement or situation that seems self-contradictory or absurd but, upon deeper reflection, reveals a profound truth, insight, or underlying reality

Cacophony

the use of harsh, jarring, and discordant sounds in words and phrases to create an unpleasant auditory experience

Euphony

the use of pleasing, melodious word arrangements that create a harmonious and soothing sound, making text more beautiful and emotionally resonant

- ex: “murmur” or “slow and steady”

caesura

a deliberate pause or break within a line of poetry