31 Wonderful Words and Literary Terms

Vocabulary and literary term flashcards compiled from Hawthorne's novel, SAT study words, and poetic techniques.

loquacious

talkative

verbose

noticeably too wordy

recalcitrant

defiant

meritorious

deserving of praise or merit

latent

present but hidden

paragon

model of perfection

exorbitant

excessive

boisterous

loud, energetic

deft

skilled, adept

inauspicious

boding ill

phantasmagoric

characterized by fantastic and incongruous imagery

ignominy

a state of dishonor

to assuage

provide physical relief, as from pain

sable

very dark black ink or paint pigment

visage

the appearance conveyed by a person's face

lurid

glaringly vivid and graphic; marked by sensationalism

peremptory

putting an end to all debate or action

cabalistic

having a secret or hidden meaning (a cabal is a secret group)

iniquity

absence of moral or spiritual values

intrusive

causing uninvited disturbance

Free verse

type of poetry that doesn't "follow a particular form and…[doesn't]… rhyme"

hyperbaton

A rhetorical device in which you arrange the words in your sentence in an unexpected order… can tweak the normal order of a sentence to make certain parts stand out like a punch line

hyperbole

Deliberately overblown or exaggerated language to give emphasis or focus

literal

Language that is used and interpreted in its primary meaning

motif

A recurring structural device that reminds the audience of an important theme (plural: motives, but we write motifs to be clear that we're discussing the plural of motif)

myopic

short-sighted (hard to see up close)

catalogue

listing (length of words and lists have an effect with rhythm and other poetic qualities)

contrastive pair

Two words, phrases or images that work in contrast to each other for effect

diction

"The choice of words [of] a character; the [vocabulary written] by a writer"; note: always insert an adjective before the word diction

didactic

Describes a work that is intended to preach or teach, often containing a particular moral or political point

figurative language

a generalized term for "language that is symbolic or metaphorical and not meant to be taken literally"