Literary Terms - Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering major literary terms and concepts from the notes.

Allusion

A passing reference to historical/fictional characters, places, or events, or to other works; often biblical or Shakespearean; operates by suggestion and connotation.

Analogy

A comparison of similar things, often to explain something unfamiliar; distinguishes from metaphor/simile, which are imaginative comparisons between dissimilar things.

Antagonist

The character or force in opposition to the central character; can be a person, group, nature, or a trait of the hero.

Antihero

A central character who lacks traditional heroic qualities but remains sympathetic; often in conflict with a world or values they reject.

Archetype

A universal pattern or model of action, character type, or image that recurs in life and literature.

Atmosphere

The pervasive mood or tone of a work, created by setting, landscape, and symbolism.

Bildungsroman

A German term meaning “development novel”; a novel tracing the hero’s growth from youth to maturity.

Caricature

Descriptive writing that exaggerates features for comic effect; can describe a character with exaggerated traits.

Complication

An entangling of affairs early in the plot that must be resolved by the end.

Context

The part of a text that precedes or follows a word/phrase, clarifying meaning and preventing misinterpretation.

Denouement (Resolution)

The unraveling or final resolution of conflicts and complications in the plot.

Diction

Word choice; judged by clarity and appropriateness, including the use of strong verbs.

Dramatic Irony

Irony where the audience knows more about a situation than a character does.

Epiphany

A moment of sudden revelation or profound insight.

Exposition

Background information that sets up the plot; leads through rising action to the climax.

Flashback

A scene that presents events that occurred before the opening scene.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another to highlight particular traits.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues that suggest what will happen later, creating suspense.

Form

The organizing principle of a work; can be viewed as preexisting structure or the content’s unique shape.

Image/Imagery

Language that creates sensory experiences; descriptions that appeal to the senses and evoke mood or meaning.

Inference

A general conclusion drawn from specific details in the text.

Interior Monologue (stream of consciousness)

Presentation of a character’s inner thoughts and feelings as they occur.

Verbal Irony

A form of irony where what is said contrasts with what is meant.

Situational Irony

Irony in which the opposite of what is expected to happen occurs.

Local Color

Use of setting, dialect, customs, and attitudes of a particular region to define place and character.

Mood

The prevailing emotional attitude of a work; related to but distinct from tone.

Motif

A recurring image, symbol, or idea that has thematic significance across a work or across works.

Motivation

Psychological and moral impulses and circumstances that drive a character’s actions.

Omniscient Point of View

Narrator knows all thoughts and motives of all characters and can comment on them.

Limited Omniscient Point of View

Narrator focuses on the thoughts of a single character while others are observed externally.

Objective Point of View

Third-person narration that reports only what can be observed, with no internal commentary.

Parody

A humorous imitation that ridicules another work by mimicking its content, style, or structure.

Protagonist

The principal and central character in a work.

Satire

A form of writing that uses irony and wit to critique folly or vice, aiming to reform or instruct; differs from simple comedy.

Structure

The design and arrangement of parts of a work to form a unified whole; includes acts, scenes, and the sequence of events.

Symbol/ism

A thing that stands for or suggests something else; symbols can be universal or private to a work.

Syntax

The arrangement and order of words and phrases in sentences; a component of style.

Theme

The central idea or message of a work, inferred rather than directly stated.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject, characters, and readers.

Verisimilitude (Realism)

The appearance or semblance of truth; believable portrayal of life; also the name of a realism movement.