MP1 Lit Terms Quiz

Volta

Volta

turn of the poem

agon

struggle, conflict, tension

archaic language

old language/style

iambic pentameter

5 IMs (/u)

Ex: Shakespeare’s sonnets

lyrical language

expressing the writer's emotions in an imaginative and beautiful way

soliloquy

when a character takes the audience into their mind & presents their inner thoughts. Figuratively spoken words.

Ex: Iago does this often

Dramatic Monologue

a single character delivers a speech that reveals their thoughts, emotions, and motivations

Third Person Omniscient

Most flexible & permits widest scope, can destroy perception of reality that stories create, can add depth if done well, can easily be abused

Ex: “The Overcoat”

Objective pov

Must infer what characters think/feel, can entirety be dialogue

Ex: “Hills Like White Elephants”

Blank Verse

A poem that doesn’t rhyme but has meter

Ex: some Shakespearean plays

Hubris

Excessive pride

Ex: Oedipus

In media res

in the middle of things. Epics often begin this way.

Ex: The Odyssey

Tragic hero

A hero that is elevated, has a tragic flaw, & then ultimately experiences a fall because of the flaw. They are a relatable character.

Ex: Oedipus & Othello

Chorus

a group that conveys the messages & moods of the play

Shakespearean (English) Sonnet

a fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter, employing one of several rhyme schemes, and adhering to a tightly structured thematic organization.

Metonymy

comparing two things that are not similar in terms of their qualities. Naming something through association with something else.

Ex: Giving someone a hand (applause)

Tragic Flaw (hamartia)

a defect in the character of a good person (as the hero of a tragedy) that causes his or her destruction

Ex: hubris

Aside

a literary device where a character in a work of fiction directly addresses the audience to express a feeling, reveal a truth, or comment on the story

Ex: Iago does this a lot

Archetype

a character, pattern, or image that is so common that it's considered a universal concept

Ex: Villain, tragic hero, everyman, etc.

Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet

a 14-line poem that's divided into two stanzas and has a specific rhyme scheme

Ex: The New Colossus