Literary Terms 4UP

Theme

Theme

main ideas/topics of a work or reading, "What" the author is writing about, never one word, always a sentence

Style

indicated "how" the author writes the work, helps the reader gain insights to the story

Diction

the use/type of words that are being used

Dialect

a variety of language, represents peoples speech the way it really sounds

Denotation

dictionary definition of a word

Connotation

implied meaning of a word

Slow Pace

indicates that the reader should reflect, when a character thinks, uses longer sentences

Fast Pace

implies character actions, creates a sense of urgency, uses shorter sentences

Alliteration

repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words, for example good grief, red rose, etc.

Assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds that are close together in a sentence, for example, "His tender heir might bear his memory"

(heir/bear)

Consonance

when two words have the same consonant sound following different vowel sounds, for example, the words 'same' and 'home' have the same 'm' sound, but the vowel sounds before it are different.

Onomatopoeia

words that imitate or name a sound

Structure

planned framework of a piece of literature, three types of orders/plots

Chronological Order

tells the cause and effect of the plot of events

Episodic Plots

may have several seemingly unconnected episodes that have a recurring character or location

Circular Plots

end where they began, ex. To Kill a Mockingbird

Allusion

makes a brief referance to a historical or literary character/event/object, often to the Bible, ex. Twighlight to the Genesis creation story

Oxymoron

contradictory terms tha appear in conjunction, ex. kept him Falsely True

Imagery

figurative language used to describe objects, actions or ideas, a collection of images

Ironic Contrasting Parallels (ICP)

compares and contrasts similarities, differences between two people, things, places with an overall ironic outcome

Ethos

credibility of the person speaking or telling the story

Logos

logic or reasoning in a story

Pathos

sympathy/emotions of the authors audience

Parallelism

using elements in sentences that are grammatically similar/identical in structure, sound, meaning or meter adds symmetry, effectiveness and balance, ex. "You need to work quickly and decisively"

Parallelism

also indicates likeness between components of plot

Paradox

a contradictory/absurd statement that is true within the writing, ex. In Macbeth "So fair and foul a day"

Juxtaposition

side by side placing for compare and contrast, usually between two opposites, ex. Death of a Salesman - comparing characters in illusions vs reality.

1 person major

using "I", main characters POV

1 person minor

using "I", minor characters POV

2 person

using "you", rarely used and makes the story applicable

3 person omniscient

Using "he/she/they", knowing thoughts of all/most characters

3 person limited

aka 3 person central, using "he/she/they", knowing thoughts of one character

3 person dramatic

aka 3 person objective, using "he/she/they", dont know any thoughts, basically spectating

Tone

reflects "why?", the underlying message for the purpose of writing the work

Atmosphere

feeling, emotion, mood that author creates, can change throughout the story

Irony

unexpected twist in the story, helps to convey tone

Verbal Irony

saying opposite of what is meant

Situational Irony

result that is the opposite of expectations

Dramatic Irony

where the audience grasps the incongruity of a situation before the actor does

Mood

emotion that author wants reader to feel

Abstract

abbreviated synopsis of a longer work of scholarship or research

Anachronism

when something/someone is in the incorrect time period, ex. a bright yellow construction crane in the 13th century

Analogy

a comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things

Antithesis

when opposite or strongly contrasting statements are balanced against each other for emphasis, ex. "hatred stirs upon strife, but love covers all sins"

Archetype

original model that all things of the same type are representations/copies of, ex. "mythological archetypes are good and evil"

Diasporic Novel

encompasses stories bout those who disperse from their homelands, usually follows characters trying to assimilate life in a new country, ex. Afghan community in The Kite Runner

Eponymous

title character of a work, ex. Gatsby, Hamlet, etc.

Historical Fiction Novel

literary genre where the story takes place in the past, captures details of the time period that are factual, ex. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Foil

minor character whose personality contrasts with main characters personality, intensifies the qualities of both

Indirect Quotation

words are paraphrased/approximated

Metaphor

comparing two things without using "like" or "as"

Metonymy

name of an object or concept that is replaced with a word closely related to it, ex. "crown" instead of "king", "suit" instead of "business executive", "the track" instead of "horse racing", etc.

Motif

recurring elements of literary devices that helps to develop and inform the piece's major themes

Narrative Motif

means by which the narrative theme is conveyed, can be and idea/object/place or statement, ex. the flute in Death of a Salesman

Paraphrase

forming someone elses ideas into thy's own words without damaging the original meaning of the text, using synonyms=plagarism

Pathetic Fallacy

attribution of human feelings and responses to inanimate objects or animals, ex. night of Duncan's murder in Macbeth -- screams of death in the air, the unruly night, feverous earth that depicts the evil act of the murder the night before

Polysyndenton

representation of conjunctions in close succession, adds weight and gravity to a sentence, ex. "Neither snow, nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stay those courtiers"

Asyndenton

just like, polysyndenton but uses commas instead of conjunctions,ex. "Jane's days became a blue of meaningless events -- wake up, brush teeth, make the coffee, get the mail, fix dinner, watch TV."

Symbol

something which means more than it is, represents something else, reinforces or carries meaning

Tragedy

form of literature where the hero is destroyed by some character flaw and a set of external forces

Tragic Hero

protagonist of a tragedy, human-ness of the character makes him appealing to the audience, misfortunes are brought by frailty

Hamartia

Greek word fro tragic flaw, what leads to the tragic hero's downfall, ex. Macbeth's ambition

Hubris

extreme pride/arrogance, often leads tragic hero to death

Peripeteia

AKA PERIPETY, reversal of fortune that is brought by external factors

Anagnorisis

following peripeteia, recognition of human fate/destiny, where everything becomes clear

Downfall

tragic flaw + external circumstances = downfall at end of story, brings pity and fear in the audience as we see the possibility of our own downfalls

Pathos

stimulates pity/sorrow

Catastrophe

final resolution that unravels intrigue and closes the literary piece

Catharsis

cleansing of the spirit, brought out by pity and terrors of dramatic tragedies, downfall and death of a hero allows audience a safe and controlled outlet for pent-up emotions of pity and fear