Contemporary Literature: Forms and Features

This set of flashcards covers the key literary forms and features discussed in the Session 3 Contemporary Literature lecture, focusing on terminology used to engage readers personally.

Literary Form

The structure or mode of a literary work — the 'container' or shape the writer uses to present their ideas and stories.

Poetry

A literary form that utilizes line breaks, rhythm, and the compression of language.

Short Story

A narrative literary form that includes a plot, characters, and a setting.

Oral Narrative

A literary form consisting of a spoken story shared in performance.

Digital Text

A modern literary form that includes blogs, interactive fiction, and social media stories.

Imagery

Language that appeals to one or more of the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to create a vivid mental picture or sensory experience.

Tone

The writer's attitude toward the subject, the characters, or the reader, expressed through word choice, style, and details to create an emotional atmosphere.

Voice

The distinctive personality, style, and perspective of the narrator or speaker that makes a text feel like it comes from a specific, real person.

Metaphor

A direct comparison stating one thing IS another, helping to create new meaning and emotional resonance.

Simile

A comparison between two things using the words 'like' or 'as' to connect the unfamiliar to something the reader already knows.