ENG 9: Combined glossaries (Poetic, Stylistic, Dramatic)

alliteration

The repetition of the initial consonant sounds at the start of words.

allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

diction (word choice)

Different types of words have significant effects on meaning.

hyperbole

an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis.

imagery

Words that create a vivid picture.

juxtaposition

placing two concepts, characters, ideas, or places near or next to each other so that the reader will compare and contrast them.

listing

emphasizes an idea through quantity of description; words which embody similar abstract or physical qualities or meanings with the intention to emphasize the common qualities that words hold.

metaphor

A comparison that asserts that one thing IS the other thing.

mood

the feeling created in the reader by the literary work or passage; it is often suggested by descriptive details.

paradox

a statement that seems contradictory but is actually true.

parallel structure

using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level.

personification

Giving human characteristics to animals, ideas or objects.

polysyndeton

a stylistic device in which several coordinating conjunctions are used in succession in order to achieve an artistic effect.

simile

A comparison between two unlike things which uses "like" or "as."

symbol

an object or action that stands for or represents something else.

syntax (sentence structure)

The ordering and structuring of the words in a sentence; grouping of words, while diction refers to the selection of individual words.

tone

the writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject.

onomatopoeia

The use of words or sounds which resemble the sounds they describe. (ex boom, psst)

verbal irony

saying the opposite of what you mean; sarcasm is a form

situational irony

occurs when there is an unexpected turn of events; when the opposite of what the reader expects happens.

dramatic irony

when the audience knows something the characters do not

foreshadowing

occurs when a writer provides hints that suggest future events in a story

irony

literary techniques that involve differences between the expected outcome and the actual outcome or between appearance and reality

wit

cleverness and humor in expression often through wordplay or unexpected twists of language

apostrophe

the direct address of a person or a personified thing, often interrupting something

extended metaphor

as in a regular metaphor, a subject is spoken or written of as though it were something else; however, several comparisons are made.

oxymoron

when contradictory or opposing words are combined into one expression, usually two words in an adjective-noun or adverb-adjective relationship.

pun

A play on words based on the similarity of sound between words with different meanings.

consonance

The repetition in two or more words of the final consonants in stressed syllables.

assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in two or more stressed syllables.

structure

described in terms of stanza, form and meter

stanza

a group of lines in a poem, considered a unit. Often, the ___ in a poem are separated by spaces

repetition

the use of a sound, word, phrase, clause, or sentence more than once

rhythm

the arrangement, or pattern, of accented and unaccented syllables- the "beat"

rhyme scheme

the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem; the ___ of a poem is indicated by using different letters of the alphabet for each new rhyme

rhyme

the repetition of sounds at the end of words

end rhyme

when the rhyming words come at the ends of lines

internal rhyme

rhyming words appear in the same line in a poem

meter

the pattern of accented and unaccented syllables that form that basis of the poem's rhythm; ___ signifies the number of rhythmic beats, or "feet" in a line and the arrangement of accented and unaccented syllables in each foot (i.e.-pentameter: a line with five beats, or feet)

eye rhyme

words whose spelling lead you to think that they rhyme

sonnet

a fourteen-line lyric poem; 3 quatrains and 1 couplet; usually rhyming

Shakespearean sonnet

consists of 3 quatrains and a couplet; a 14-lined poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter; abab cdcd efef gg

quatrain

a stanza or poem made up of four lines with rhythm and rhyme

couplet

a pair of rhyming lines, usually in the same length and meter

iamb

one unstressed and one stressed syllable in a 5-foot line

blank verse

Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. (Poetry that does not rhyme but has a line of five beats.)

free verse

Verse without a regular arrangement of accented and unaccented syllables; it is free of the restrictions of a set rhythmical pattern for each line.

exposition

Creates the tone, gives the setting, introduces some of the characters, and supplies facts necessary for the understanding of the play.

protagonist / tragic hero

The chief character in the play. He may have heroic qualities. He is usually a person of high rank.

antagonist

The chief opponent of the protagonist; his rival.

soliloquy

a speech given by a character while alone on stage. It exposes a character's thoughts and feelings to the audience.

aside

Words spoken by an actor to be heard by the audience only and not by the actors on the stage. Reveals the character's private thoughts.

climax

Most exciting moment of the story; turning point

humorous (comic) relief

Elements of humor in the play that serve to relieve tension in the audience.

rising action

the series of conflicts or struggles that build a story toward a climax.

falling action

Events after the climax, leading to the resolution

denouement

The resolution of the play where the tragedy is explained and a solution to the problem is given for future reference.

catastrophe

The tragic failure, usually the death, of the hero and comes as the natural outgrowth of the action.

complications

Events which serve to further the climax or catastrophe.

fate

Circumstances which cannot be controlled by humans

tragic flaw

A certain quality in a character's personality (usually in the protagonist's personality) that causes his own downfall and ends in tragedy.

chorus

The actor who sets the tone of the play, introduces the characters, and/or explains the plot of the play. The chorus will appear at the beginning of the play and before acts. He may also appear at the end of the play to provide closure for the audience.

stage directions

Instructions written in the script for the actors, designers, and directors. This information can include where the scene is set, what the setting looks and sounds like, how the actors move, and what emotions should be behind the delivery of the line. They are often offset with parentheses ( ) and are not read aloud.

tragedy

A genre of drama which tells of an important and related series of events in the life of a person of significance. The events usually end in an unhappy catastrophe. The whole drama is treated with great seriousness and dignity.

pathos

The suffering of a character and the feeling that the audience has for the characters. Pity is another word for pathos.

free will

The ability of a character in the play to make his own decisions and shape his own future. Fate and free will are usually opposing each other in Shakespearean drama.

foil

a character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another character, which emphasizes another character's attributes and traits

structure of Shakespearean drama

All plays had five acts

Each act was divided into scenes. There could be any number of scenes in an act.

Each scene was divided into lines.