English Midterm Concepts and Terms

archetype

a typical example of a certain person or thing; a recurrent symbol in literature; serpent-evil; land/water in creation stories

archetypal setting

a setting representing something that occurs over and over again in literature

archetypal character

a typical character that represents specific actions, nuances, and characteristics; These characters have well-known qualities that shape their narrative and the story

epic conventions (see p. 14-15 PDF)

epic hero, epic conflict, epic quest, invocation to the Muse, in medias res, epic simile, serious tone, divine intervention, and epithet

epic

a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation; legend; long story

folk epic

stories about heroes that were originally recited or sung as entertainment at feasts. over the generations, these stories were passed down orally from story teller to storyteller until eventually they were written down

literary epic

written by a specific author, usually borrowing the style and characteristics of the other epic. some of these epics draw upon well-known stories, characters, and myths that were passed down through the oral tradition

invocation to the Muse

a short request in which the author asks one of the Muses to inspire him or her in the creation and development of a text

epic hero

a character that is usually better than others in some demostratable way

epic conflict

a situation in which the epic hero struggles against an obstacle or enemy and emerges triumphant

in medias res

beginning a story in the middle of its narrative arc

serious tone

the writing creates a level of suspense within the reader

epic simile

an elaborate comparison of unlike subjects using "like" or "as"

divine intervention

Direct and obvious intervention by a god in the affairs of humans

quest

perilous journey; a search of something of value to the hero’s people

epithet

a word or short phrase used repeatedly throughout an epic as a description or metaphor for someone or womething

mood

the atmosphere or feeling created in a literary work- usually created through descriptive details

metaphor

a comparison without using like or as

extended metaphor

a metaphor in a literary work, such as a novel or poem, that isn't just used in one line but is extended over multiple lines or throughout the work

personification

giving human qualities or emotions to animals or objects

tone

the author's attitude toward his or her subject

monotheism

belief in the exisistence of one god, or in the oneness of God

polytheism

the belief in or worship of more than one god

chronological order

of, relating to, or arranged in or according to the order of time

imagery

Description that appeals to the senses

dialogue

conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or movie

allusion

reference in one work of literature to a person, place, or event in another work of literature or in history, art, or music (including references to the Bible, Greek gods or goddesses, or famous events/documents/people/characters)

assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds usually found in the middle of words

alliteration

the repetition of consonant sounds within a passage

onomatopoeia

the naming of a thing or action by imitation of natural sounds; ex: buzz or hiss

parallelism

Phrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other

adding parallelism

type that elaborates

negating parallelism

type that contrasts

repeating parallelism

type that repeats

hyperbole

extravagant exaggeration used to emphasize a point

cultural values

a culture’s core beliefs; good or right vs. bad or wrong; knowledge vs. immortality

simile

A comparison using "like" or "as"

characteristics of folktales

one-dimensional characters, supernatural or magical elements, clear seperation of good and evil, trickery, lessons about life, cultural values

one-dimensional characters

a character that does not have an arc throughout the story (they stay the same)

supernatural or magical elements

any element out of the normal: angles, demons, gods, spirits, magic, telekinesis, levitation, precognition, extrasensory perception, monsters, grim reaper, miracles, demonic possession, souls, and ghosts

clear seperation of good and evil

good- what is considered morally right, beneficial, and to our advantage; evil- what is considered extremely immoral, wicked, and wrong; good vs. bad characters or actions

trickery

the practice of deception; cheating, deception, decit, and dishonesty

lesson about life

something which is useful knowledge or principles that are learned; morals of the story

frame story

a narrative that frams or surrounds another story or set of stories; exs: 1001 Nights, Wuthering Heights; If We Were Villainsf

aphorism

proverb; short, wise saying

analogy

a comparison between two things, typically for hte purpose of explanation or clarification; metaphors and similies

generalization

a broad statement/conclusion

allegory

story in which everything is a symbol for something else

dharma

the unique obligations that each person must fulfill in order to maintain harmony in the universe

Atman

the universal self, identical with the eternal core of the personality that after death either transmigrates to a new life or attains release from the bonds of existence

Brahman

the unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all things in this universe (Hindu god)

non-attached work

the performance of one’s duty without concern for the results

caste

each of the hereditary classes of Hindu society, distinguished by relative degrees of ritual purity or pollution and of social status; social class

reincarnation

the rebirth of a soul in a new body

parable

a short story that teaches a moral or spiritual lesson

paradox

a statement or situation that seems contradictory but actually presents a truth

ballad

songs that tell stories; need to have a narrative, imagery, and be musical; ex: “The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter” and Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

narrative poem

a type of poem whihc tells a story

haiku

consists fo three lines of five, seven, and five syllables in the original Japanese; focuses on soem aspect of nature and often includes a *kigo* that indicates the time of year being decribed; presents a comparison or contrast of two images, actions, or states of being

caesura

a stop or pause in a metrical line/verse, often marked by punctuation or by a grammatical boundary, such as a phrase or clause; ex: Are you nobody, too? Then there's a pair of us || – don't tell! They'd banish || – you know!

kigo

seasonal word such as “snow” or “cherry blossom”

didactic literature

literature serving as a means to teach the reader something, whether that be morals or how to make stew