lit 3

metaphysical conceit

reserved for metaphysical poems only, a startling or unusual metaphor

metonym

a word used to stand for something else that has attributes of or is associated with

nemesis

the protagonist’s arch enemy or supreme and persistent difficulty

neologism

a new word, usually invented on the spot

objectivity

an impersonal treatment of subject matter with an outside view of events

omniscient narrator

a third person narrator who sees, like God, into each character’s mind and understands all action going on

onomatopoeia

words that sound like what they mean

opposition

means you have a pair of elements that sharply contrast, a pairing of images where each becomes more striking and informative because their placed in contrast with one another

oxymoron

a phrase composed of opposites, a contraditcion

parable

like a fable or an allegory, a story that instructs

paradox

a situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but on closer inspection does not

parallelism

repeated syntactical similarities used for effect

paraphrase

to restate phrases and sentences in your own words, to re-phrase

parenthetical paraphrase

a phrase set off by commas that interrupts the flow of a sentence with some commentary or added detail

parody

the work that results when a specific work is exaggerated into ridiculousness

pastoral

a poem set in tranquil nature or even more specifically, one about shepherds

pathos

an emotional appeal

periodic sentences

a sentence that isn’t grammatically complete until the last phrase

persona

narrator in a non first person novel

personification

when an inanimate object takes on human shape

plaint

a poem or speech expressing sorrow

point of view

the perspective from which the action is presented

prelude

an introductory poem to a longer work of verse

protagonist

a main character in a novel or play

pun

the usually humorous use of a word in such a way to suggest two or more meanings

refrain

a line or set of lines repeated several times over the course of a poem

requiem

a song of prayer for the dead

rhapsody

an intensely passionate verse or section of verse, usually of love or praise

rhetorical question

a question that suggests an answer, causes the listener to feel like they have to come up with an answer themselves

satire

exposes common character flaws, attempts to improve things by pointing out people’s mistakes in hope that once exposed behavior will become less common

simile

like a metaphor but it softens the analogy, often but not always using like or as

soliloquy

a speech spoken by a character alone on stage, meant to convey the impression that the audience is listening to the characters thoughts, not meant to imply that the actor acknowledges an audience’s presence

stanza

a group of lines roughly analogous in function in verse to the paragraph’s function in prose

stock characters

standard or clichéd character types

stream of consiousness

like first person narrative but instead of the character telling the story the author puts the reader inside the character’s head

subjective

uses the interior or personal view of single observer, typically colored with the observers emotional response

subjunctive mood

set up a hypothetical situation

suggest

to imply, infer, or indicate, similar to implicit

summary

a simple retelling of what was read

suspension of disbelief

demand made of theater audience to accept the limitations of staging and supply the details with the imagination

symbolism

a literary device where an object represents an idea

syntax

the ordering and structuring of words

technique

the methods or tools used by the author, the “how she does it”. not elements

theme

the main idea of the overall work; the central idea

thesis

the main position of an argument, the central contention that will be supported

tragic flaw

the weakness of a character in an otherwise good individual that ultimately leads to his demise

travesty

a grotesque parody

truism

a way too obvious truth

unreliable narrator

when the first person narrator is crazy, a liar, young, or not entirely credible

utopia

an idealized place, imaginary communities where people live in happiness, prosperity, and peace

zeugma

use of a word to modify two or more words, but used for different meanings (He closed the door and his heart on his lost love)