English lit vocab

Rhetorical questions

Questions posed for effect rather than to elicit an answer, often used to persuade or provoke thought.

Antithesis

an idea posed against another to highlight contrast and create tension.

Periphrases

a roundabout way of expressing something, often using more words than necessary.

Hyperbole

an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or effect.

Metaphors and similes

are figures of speech that compare one thing to another, enhancing imagery and meaning.

Hendiadys

a figure of speech where two words connected by a conjunction are used to express a single complex idea.

Syntactical parallelism

is a repetitive structure in sentences, where similar grammatical patterns are used to create rhythm and enhance clarity in writing. (to be or not to be soliloquy)

stream of consciousness

a narrative technique that attempts to capture the flow of thoughts and feelings in a character's mind, often in a chaotic or nonlinear manner.

free indirect discourse

third-person narration that slips into a character’s thoughts

non-linear narrative

when events are presented out of chronological order

omniscient narrator

narrator who knows everything (Hardy in Tess)

Narrative intrusion

When the narrator steps in to address the reader

• Hardy uses this to guide our moral interpretation

Modernist Fragmentation

modernist focus on broken identity and disconnection

• Clarissa

• Septimus

Psychological realism

realistic portrayal of a character’s inner world

• Septimus’s experiences

Character foil

A character who contrasts with another to highlight traits

existentialism

philosophy focusing on individual meaning and alienation

determinism/fatalism

the philosophical concept that every event or state of affairs, including human actions, is determined by preceding events in accordance with the natural laws.

pastoral ideal

romanticised depiction of rural life

urban alienation

the feeling of isolation and disconnection experienced by individuals in a city environment, often contrasted with rural life.

modernism

focus on interiority, time and fragmentation

Bildungsroman

coming of age story

naturalism

literary style portraying human beings as subject to forces beyond their control

dramatic irony

a situation in which the audience knows something that the characters do not, creating tension or humor.

cyclical structure

ending mirrors the beginning, connoting futility

tragic hero

a character who experiences a downfall due to a personal flaw or fate.

catharsis

the emotional release experienced by the audience at the end of a tragedy, allowing them to purge their feelings of pity and fear.

paratactic syntax

the arrangement of clauses without conjunctions, creating a sense of immediacy and directness.

poly syndetic sentences

a construction where conjunctions are used repeatedly in quick succession between clauses, creating a rhythm and emphasizing each element.

reporting clause

a phrase that introduces speech or thought in dialogue and indicates the speaker.

hubris

excessive pride or self-confidence, often leading to a downfall.

peripeteia

a sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, often found in dramatic literature.

anagnorisis

a moment in a play or story where a character makes a critical discovery or realization, typically regarding their true identity or situation, often too late.

machiavellianism

a political theory advocating cunning, manipulation, and deceit in the pursuit of power.

blank verse

unrhymed iambic pentameter

great chain of being

a hierarchical structure of all matter and life

hamartia

a tragic flaw or error in judgment that leads to the downfall of a character.

providence

the protective care of God or nature, guiding human destiny.

The Cassandra

an oracle gifted with foresight yet no one believed her out of ignorance

sententious

given to excessive moralizing; self-righteous.

similitude

a similarity or likeness between two things, often used to draw comparisons in literature.