Whalen Lit Terms for 09/30

Made by egan!

ALLEGORY

story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities

ALLUSION

reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture

AMBIGUITY

a word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning. Such words or statements may lead to vagueness and confusion and shape the basis for instances of humor

ANACHRONISM

an element in a story that is out of its time frame

ANALOGY

clarifies or explains an unfamiliar concept or object with one that is familiar, explaining the abstract in terms of the concrete

ANECDOTE

a short and often personal story used to emphasize a point, develop a character or theme, or to inject humor

ANTICLIMAX

an often disappointing, sudden end to an intense situation

ANTIHERO

central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes. may lack courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples

APOSTROPHE

a figure of speech in which someone absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and could reply

APOTHEOSIS

elevating someone to the level of a god

ARCHETYPE

a 'universal symbol'; a character, situation, or symbol that is familiar to people from all cultures because it occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion, or folklore

ARTISTIC UNITY

unified parts of the writing are related to one central idea or organizing principle. Unity is dependent upon coherence

CHARACTERIZATION

the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character through description or dialogue

PROTAGONIST

the central character in a story

ANTAGONIST

opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero or protagonist in a story

DEUTERAGONIST

the second most important and present character in a story

INDIRECT

the author shows the reader by describing how the character looks and dresses, by letting the reader hear what the character says, by revealing the character's private thoughts and feelings and the character's effect on other people, allowing the reader to infer what the character is like

DIRECT

the author tells us directly what the character is like

DYNAMIC

is one who changes in some important way as a result of the story's action

FLAT

has only one or two personality traits. They are one dimensional and can be summed up in one phrase

FOIL

a character who acts as contrast to another character. Often a funny sidekick to the dashing hero, or a villain contrasting the hero

ROUND

has more dimensions to their personalities---they are complex, just as real people are

STATIC

is one who does not change much in the course of a story

STOCK

a stereotyped character

COLLOQUIAL

informal, conversational language

COMIC RELIEF

a humorous incident introduced into a serious literary work in order to relieve dramatic tension

CONFLICT

the struggle between opposing forces or characters in a story

DUES EX MACHINA

(God from the machine) the resolution of a plot by use of a highly improbable chance or coincidence

DIALECT

A way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of the inhabitants of a certain geographical area

DICTION

A speaker or writer's choice of words

EPIPHANY

A sudden flash of insight or realization

EPISTOLARY

A novel written as a series of documents

Euphemism

Subsituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for a harsh, blunt, or offensive one

Explication

Act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text, usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language

Extended metaphor

A metaphor developed in great detail and extends beyond one example - it can vary from that of a paragraph to encompassing the entire work

Fable

A very short story told in prose or poetry that teaches a practical lesson about how to succeed in life

Flashback

Interruption of a narrative by the introduction of an earlier event or past experience

Foreshadow

Hints or clues to suggest future action in the story

Hubris

Overbearing or excessive pride

In Medias Res

(Latin: "In the middle of things") the practice of beginning an epic or other narrative at the mid point or conclusion rather than the beginning

Invective

Dununciatory or abusve language

Irony

A discrepancy between appearances and reality

Dramatic Irony

Is so called because it is often used on stage (drama). A character in the play or story who thinks something is true, but the audience knows better. (Othello thinking his wife cheated)

Situational Irony

Takes place where there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, and what really does happen.

Verbal irony

Occurs when someone says one thing but really means something else

Juxtaposition

Poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, creating an effect of surprise and wit.

Linear Structure

A plot that follows a straight-moving, chronological order.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which some aspect or detail of an experience is used to represent the whole experience

Mood

An atmosphere created by a writer's diction and the details selected; the pervading impression of a work

Motif

A recurring image, word, phrase, action, idea, object, or situation used throughout a work

Narrative distance

The perceived distance between the readers and characters and between readers and events

Nonlinear structure

When the plot is presented in a non-casual order, events are presented in a random series jumping to and from the main plot

Novella

A fictional prose that is generally under 100 pages

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase

Parable

A simple story illustrating a religious or moral lesson

Paradox

A statement that appears contradictory but reveals a kind of truth

Parody

A work that appears contradictory but reveals a kind of truth

Pathetic fallacy

Practice of attributing human emotion or responses to nature, inanimate ojects, or animals

Personification

A figure of speech in which human characteristics are given to an animal, object, or concept

Plot

The series of related events in a story or play, sometimes called the storyline.

Exposition

Introduces characters, situation, and setting

Rising action

complications in conflict and situations

Climax

The point in a plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest - "turning point"

Denouement/Resolution

The conclusion of a story

Point of view

THe vantage point from which the writer tells the story

First person

One of the characters tells the story

Third person

An unknown narrator, tells the story, but this narrator zooms in to focus on the thoughts and feelings of only one character

Omniscient

An all-knowing narrator tells the story, including what characters are thinking and feeling

Limited omniscient

Author tells the story but is limited to knowing all about only one character

Objective

A narrator who is totally impersonal and tells the story, with no comment on characters or events

Proverb

A short, pithy saying that expresses a basic truth or practical precept

Pun

A "play on words" based on the multiple meanings of a single word

Red herring

A literary tactic of diverting attention away from an item or person of significance

Satire

A type of writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about a change

Shift

When writers or speakers alter the style, tone, or point of view of a piece

Stream of consciousness

A style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character's mind

Style

The distinctive way in which a writer uses a language: a writer's distinctive use of diction, tone, and syntax

Suspense

A feeling of uncertainty and curiosity about what will happen next in a story

Symbol

A person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something more than itself

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

Syntax

The way in which words and sentences are placed together

Tall tale

An outrageously exaggerated, humorous story that is obviously unbelievable

Theme

the insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work

Tone

The attitude a writer takes toward the subject of a work , the characters in it, or the audience, revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization

Tragedy

In general, a story in which a heroic character either dies or comes to some other unhappy end

Understatement

A statement that says less than what is meant

Vernacular

The language spoken by the people who live in particular locality

Agency (non-literary term of importance)

action or intervention, especially such as to produce a particular effect.

inference (non-literary term of importance)

a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

nuance (non-literary term of importance)

a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.

bias (non-literary term of importance)

prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.