Literary Terms - Setting and Structure

These flashcards cover essential literary terms related to setting and structure, providing definitions and explanations.

Allegory

A literary mode that converts abstract concepts into characters or elements with symbolic meaning.

Anachronism

Something in a storyline that is out of place in its time period; literally means 'misplaced in time'.

Argumentation

The act of analyzing evidence and drawing conclusions, particularly in literature.

Atmosphere

The emotional tone or background surrounding a scene in literature.

Bathos

When writing strains for grandeur it can't support and elicits excessive emotion.

Catharsis

The emotional cleansing experienced by the audience after going through vicarious experiences in a narrative.

Connotation

All the suggestions and implications a word carries beyond its literal meaning.

Denotation

The literal meaning of a word.

Dystopia

An idealized world that ultimately proves unsuccessful and destructive.

Euphemism

A word or phrase that replaces a harsh or unpleasant reality.

Explicit

Something stated directly and clearly.

Foreshadowing

An event or statement in a narrative that hints at a larger event that will occur later.

Genre

A subcategory of literature such as science fiction or detective stories.

Symbolism

A literary element representing one concept or concern with another; symbols recur throughout a narrative.

Structure

The arrangement or division of a literary work, including the relationship between its parts.

Style

The way an author uses language to convey ideas and purpose.

Syntax

The structure of sentences and the arrangement of words to create meaning.

Technique

The methods and tools an author employs in writing.

Theme

A salient abstract idea that emerges from a literary work.

Thesis

The main argument or position that will be supported in a piece of writing.

Tone

The attitude conveyed in a text through word choice, style, and subject matter.

Utopia

An idealized place where people live in happiness, prosperity, and peace.

Gothic

A sensibility derived from dark novels that evoke horror and the supernatural.

Implicit

Something that is suggested or implied but not directly stated.

In media res

Beginning a narrative in the middle of action.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality, including situational, dramatic, and verbal irony.

Juxtaposition

Placing two or more elements together for comparison or contrast.

Opposition

A pairing of contrasting elements that highlight their differences.

Paradox

A contradictory statement that reveals a deeper truth upon closer inspection.

Parallelism

Repetition of similar syntactical structures for rhetorical effect.

Satire

A style of writing that mocks or ridicules to challenge beliefs or groups.

Setting

The physical location and time context of a literary work.