Studied by 9 people
pastoral
A poem, play, or story that celebrates and idealizes the simple life of shepherds and shepherdesses
pathos
The quality of a literary work or passage which appeals to the reader’s or viewer’s emotions
periodic sentence
A sentence that delivers its point at the end; usually constructed as a subordinate clause followed by a main clause
personification
The attribution of human characteristics to an animal or to an inanimate object
point of view
Perspective of the speaker or narrator in a literary work
polysyndeton
Repetition of conjunctions in close succession
prose
The ordinary language people use to express themselves; the opposite of poetry
protagonist
The main or principal character in a work; often considered the hero or heroine
physiognomy
The assessment of a person's character or personality from his or her outer appearance, especially the face; can also refer to the general appearance of a person, object or terrain
pun
Humorous play on words that have several meanings or words that sound the same but have different meanings
quatrain
Four-line stanza
refrain
Repetition of a line, stanza, or phrase
repetition
A word or phrase used more than once to emphasize an idea
rhetorical question
A question with an obvious answer, so no response is expected; used for emphasis or to make a point
satire
The use of humor to ridicule and expose the shortcomings and failings of society individuals, and institutions, often in the hope that change and reform are possible
scansion
The process of measuring metrical verse; marking accented and unaccented syllables, dividing the lines into feet, identifying the metrical pattern, and noting significant variations from that pattern
sestet
A six-line stanza of poetry; also, the last six lines of an Italian sonnet
shift
In writing, a movement from one thought or idea to another; a change
simile
A comparison of unlike things using the word like, as, or so
soliloquy
A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener
English sonnet
Traditionally, a fourteen-line poem in iambic pentameter, but in contemporary poetry form may vary. A conventional ___’s prescribed rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, efef, gg. The final couplet (gg) sums up or resolves the situation described in the previous lines.
Italian sonnet
Fourteen-line poem divided into two parts: the first is eight lines (abbaabba) and the second is six (cdcdcd or cdecde)
spondee
A metrical foot consisting of two syllables equally or almost equally accented
stanza
A grouping of poetic lines; a deliberate arrangement of lines of poetry
stock character
A stereotypical character; a type. The audience expects the character to have certain characteristics. Similar to conventional character and flat character.
