Lit terms 26-50

Conflict

the struggle that grows out of the interplay of the two opposing forces in the plot. Conflict may be internal (man against self) or external (man against, man against nature, man against fate). No conflict = no plot.

Connotation

what a word suggests beyond its basic definition; a word’s overtones or cluster of implications that a word or phrase may carry with it as distinguished from its denotative meanings. ex: The word shroud literally means cloth used for burial purposes or anything that covers or protects. However, most people associate the word with death, gloom, darkness, and other shadowy, mysterious things.

Consonance

the repetition of consonant sounds that are preceded by different vowel sounds. Consonance is an effective device for reinforcing mood and meaning. ex: “The autumn time has come; On woods that dream of bloom.” In these lines, the m sounds contribute to the drowsy, end-of-summer feeling. ex: the happy ending, the boy-meets-girl incident, etc.

Couplet

Two lines of verse with similar end rhymes. ex: “So long as men can breathe, and eyes can see / So long lives this, and thus gives life to thee.” Shakespearean sonnet

Denotation

the literal, specific, exact meaning of a word, independent of its emotional coloration or associations; the dictionary definition

Denouement

the final unraveling of the plot in fiction; the solution of the mystery; the explanation of the outcome.

Diatribe

a bitter, invective, abusive argument in writing.

Diction

a writer’s choice of words, particularly for clarity, effectiveness, and precision. Four literary levels: formal (serious and formal books), informal (relaxed and polite conversation of cultivated people), colloquial (everyday usage in a group but not necessarily universal), and slang (newly coined words that are not acceptable for formal usage).

Double-entendre

an expression usually intended to be humorous that is capable of two interpretations, one of them often indelicate or sexual.

Dramatic irony

the words or acts of a character in a piece of fiction that carry a meaning unperceived by himself but understood by the audience or reader. ex: In Macbeth, Macbeth and his wife plot to kill King Duncan, who remarks on the serenity and loveliness of their home upon his arrival.

Dramatic monologue

a lyric poem delivered by one speaker about a dramatic event in which he is involved. The speaker addresses a listener who does not speak but whose presence helps to develop the speaker’s speech, which, in turn, reveals his character. ex: Poe’s “The Raven,” Browning’s “My Last Duchess”

Dynamic character

a character in fiction who develops or changes as a result of the actions of the plot.

Dystopia

the opposite of a utopia, it is an imagined place in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically under a totalitarian rule or in an environmentally degraded world.

End-stopped lines

lines of poetry in which both the grammatical structure and the sense reach completion at the end of the line. A “run-on line” of poetry needs the next line to complete its sense. ex: “It besseth him that gives and him that takes: / Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes / The throned monarch better than his crown” (Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice)

Enjambement

employment of “run-on lines” which carry the completion of a statement from one line to another without rhetorical pause.

Epigram

a very short poem or prose piece, or a very short passage, expressing a single idea with brevity and cleverness, and often with wit; commonly, a short-pointed saying. ex: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” Pope

Epiphany

A literary epiphany is the intuitive grasp of reality achieved in a quick flash of recognition in which something is understood in a new way.

Euphemism

the use of an agreeable or non-offensive word or expression for one that is harsh, indelicate, or unpleasant; a mild name for something disagreeable. ex: passing away for dying; fibber for the lie.

Euphony

combinations of sounds and words which are pleasant to the ear. ex: “So smooth, so sweet, so silvery is thy voice.” (Herrick, “Upon Julia’s Voice”)

Falling action

the second half or resolution of a dramatic plot that follows the climax and exhibits the failing fortunes of the hero (in a tragedy).

Figurative language

Language that is not intended to be interpreted in a literal sense; language that expresses one thing in terms of another. ex: simile, metaphor, personification, symbol

Flashback

a device whereby the reader or audience views scenes or incidents that occurred prior to the opening scene.

Foil

a character who is used as a contrast to another character. The contrast emphasizes the differences between the two characters, bringing out the distinctive qualities in each. ex: In Shaw’s Pygmalion, Col. Pickering, thoughtful, considerate, and courteous at all times, is a foil to Henry Higgins, who is consistently inconsiderate and self-centered.

Foreshadowing

a device in which the author drops hints or prepares the reader for an event that will come later.

Frame story

a story within a narrative setting; a story within a story. ex: Canterbury Tales, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Heart of Darkness, Maus