English 2H Final All literary terms

Tragic Hero

A main character with a tragic flaw that eventually leads to their downfall. Example: Macbeth's ambition causes his destruction in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth.'

Hamartia

A tragic flaw or mistake that leads to a character's downfall. Example: Oedipus's ignorance of the truth becomes his hamartia.

Hubris

Excessive pride or self-confidence that leads to downfall. Example: Creon's pride in 'Antigone' causes suffering for his family.

Catharsis

The release of emotional tension through feelings of pity and fear. Example: Audiences feel catharsis at the end of 'Romeo and Juliet.'

Antithesis

A figure of speech that contrasts opposite ideas in parallel structure. Example: 'Speech is silver, but silence is gold.'

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but may reveal a truth. Example: 'Less is more.'

Apostrophe

When a speaker addresses someone absent or an inanimate object. Example: Juliet says, 'O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?'

Monologue

A long speech given by one character. Example: A villain explaining their plan in a drama.

Soliloquy

A speech in which a character speaks thoughts aloud, usually alone on stage. Example: Hamlet's 'To be or not to be' speech.

Aside

A remark intended for the audience but not heard by other characters. Example: A character whispers a secret thought directly to the audience.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something the characters do not. Example: In 'Romeo and Juliet,' the audience knows Juliet is alive before Romeo does.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character to highlight traits. Example: Mercutio acts as a foil to Romeo.

Tragic Flaw

A weakness or error in judgment that leads to a hero's downfall. Example: Macbeth's ambition is his tragic flaw.

Turning Point

The moment of highest tension that changes the direction of the story. Example: The murder of Duncan is the turning point in 'Macbeth.'

Alliteration

The repetition of beginning consonant sounds. Example: 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.'

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds. Example: 'The light of the fire is a sight.'

Thesis

The overall arguable claim of a paper that directly answers all parts of the prompt. A thesis must take a position and include TAGs (title, author, genre). Example: In the novel 'The House on Mango Street' by Sandra Cisneros, the thesis could argue that Esperanza uses dreams of independence to challenge gender expectations.

CTA (Close Text Analysis)

A strategy for analysis when examining a complex written or verbal text. It focuses on the effect of language and how analysis leads to purpose. Example: Analyzing how figurative language in a poem creates a sorrowful tone.

Literary Purpose

The goal or aim of a piece of writing. Purpose can be revealed through theme, setting, tone, and characters. Example: George Orwell's purpose in 'Animal Farm' is to criticize corruption and abuse of power.

Genre

The specific type or category of a work, such as a poem, novel, short story, song, or drama. Example: 'Romeo and Juliet' is a tragedy play.

Formulate

To create a specific idea and express it clearly and concisely. Example: A student formulates a thesis before writing an essay.

Effect

The meaning of what a literary device is doing or the author's purpose for using it, such as creating tone, mood, or characterization. Example: Dark imagery creates a fearful mood in a horror story.

Social Criticism

The examination and critique of social issues in society through literature. Example: 'The Hate U Give' critiques racism and police brutality.

Magical Realism

A style of fiction where fantasy appears in everyday life, often symbolizing deeper conflicts or themes. Example: In 'Like Water for Chocolate,' emotions magically affect food and the people who eat it.

Anthropomorphism

Giving human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human things or animals. Example: Simba in 'The Lion King' acts and speaks like a human.

Conflict

The struggle between two forces in a story that drives the plot. Example: In 'The Hunger Games,' Katniss faces both internal and external conflict.

External Conflict

A conflict between a character and an outside force such as another person, society, nature, or an obstacle. Example: Odysseus battles monsters and the sea in 'The Odyssey.'

Internal Conflict

A conflict that takes place inside a character's mind. Example: Hamlet struggles with indecision and guilt.

Tone

The writer or speaker's attitude toward the subject. Example: A sarcastic tone may show the narrator's frustration.

Denotation

The literal dictionary definition of a word. Example: The denotation of 'home' is a place where someone lives.

Connotation

The emotions or ideas connected to a word beyond its dictionary meaning. Example: The word 'home' has a warm and comforting connotation.

Theme

The universal message or deeper meaning the writer wants readers to understand. Example: A common theme in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is the importance of justice and empathy.

Motif

A repeated word, phrase, image, or idea throughout a work that develops meaning. Example: Light and darkness are recurring motifs in 'Romeo and Juliet.'

Symbol

An object, person, or idea that represents a deeper meaning. Example: The mockingbird in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' symbolizes innocence.

Anaphora

The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or sentences. Example: Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech repeats 'I have a dream.'

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses. Example: 'The warm smell of fresh bread filled the kitchen' appeals to smell.

Visual Imagery

Imagery that appeals to sight. Example: 'The golden sunset spread across the sky.'

Olfactory Imagery

Imagery that appeals to smell. Example: 'The scent of rain drifted through the air.'

Auditory Imagery

Imagery that appeals to sound. Example: 'The thunder cracked loudly overhead.'

Gustatory Imagery

Imagery that appeals to taste. Example: 'The lemonade tasted sweet and sour.'

Tactile Imagery

Imagery that appeals to touch or texture. Example: 'The blanket felt soft and warm.'

Kinesthetic Imagery

Imagery that appeals to movement or action. Example: 'The runner sprinted down the track.'

Organic Imagery

Imagery that appeals to internal feelings or sensations like hunger or fatigue.

Allusion

A reference to a famous person, place, event, literary work, religion, or pop culture element. Example: Saying someone is "a Romeo" alludes to 'Romeo and Juliet.'

Mood/Atmosphere

The emotional feeling created for the reader through the author's words and details. Example: A suspenseful atmosphere may make readers feel anxious.

Point of View

The narrator's position from which the story is told. Example: First person point of view uses "I" and shares one character's thoughts.

Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as." Example: "Time is a thief."

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that continues throughout multiple lines or sections of a text. Example: In Shakespeare's 'As You Like It,' life is compared to a stage throughout the speech.

Zoomorphism

Giving animal traits to humans or objects. Example: A character described as prowling like a wolf shows zoomorphism.

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things in a figurative way. Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."

Polysyndeton

Using more conjunctions than necessary in a series. Example: "We laughed and cried and shouted and danced."

Asyndeton

Leaving out conjunctions in a series. Example: "I came, I saw, I conquered."

Epistrophe

Repeating a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses. Example: "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

Balanced Syntax

Sentence structure that emphasizes similarity or contrast. Example: "He maketh me lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters."

Parallel Syntax

Using similar grammatical structure to show equal importance of ideas. Example: "She likes reading, writing, and painting."

Biodiversity

The variety of life in ecosystems, species, and genes on Earth. Example: Rainforests have high biodiversity because they contain many species.

Natural Resources

Materials found in nature that humans use to survive and improve life. Example: Water and oil are natural resources.

Credibility

The quality of being trustworthy and reliable. Example: A scientific journal is usually more credible than an anonymous blog.

Parable

A short fictional story that teaches a moral or religious lesson. Example: Many stories in the Bible are parables.

Epistolary

A genre told through letters, diary entries, or journals. Example: 'Dracula' uses letters and journal entries.

Dialect

A version of language specific to a region or group. Example: Mark Twain uses Southern dialect in 'Huckleberry Finn.'

Synthesis Writing

Combining multiple sources and ideas to create new understanding. Example: A research essay using several articles to support one argument.

Narrative Structure

The framework for how a story is organized and presented. Example: A story told in chronological order has a linear narrative structure.

Dual Timeline

A story told across multiple time periods or perspectives. Example: Flashbacks reveal a character's past while present events continue.

Phonetic

Representing speech sounds in writing. Example: Writing "gonna" instead of "going to" is phonetic spelling.

Folklore

Traditional stories, customs, and beliefs passed through generations. Example: Legends like Paul Bunyan are part of American folklore.

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose account cannot fully be trusted. Example: The narrator in 'The Tell-Tale Heart' is unreliable.

Intertextuality

The relationship between literary works that influence or reference each other. Example: Modern dystopian novels often reference '1984.'

Nautical Fiction

Literature set at sea that focuses on voyages and nautical culture. Example: 'Moby-Dick' is nautical fiction.

Dystopian Fiction

Fiction that critiques society through a dark or oppressive future setting. Example: 'The Hunger Games' is dystopian fiction.

Anthropocene

The era in which human activity strongly impacts Earth's climate and environment. Example: Pollution and climate change are linked to the Anthropocene.

Species

A group of living things of the same kind. Example: Tigers are a species of big cat.

Migration

The seasonal movement of animals from one region to another. Example: Monarch butterflies migrate south for winter.

Selkie

A mythical creature that is a seal in water and human on land. Example: Selkies appear in Celtic folklore.

Redemption

Being saved from error or making up for a mistake. Example: A character sacrifices themselves to achieve redemption.

Depletion

A reduction in the amount of something. Example: Overfishing causes fish population depletion.

Prohibition

The act of forbidding something by law. Example: The prohibition of alcohol occurred in the United States during the 1920s.

Extinction

The complete disappearance of a species. Example: Dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago.

Empathy

Understanding and sharing another person's feelings. Example: Atticus Finch teaches empathy in 'To Kill a Mockingbird.'

Literary Theory

A style of literary analysis used to critique and interpret literature. Example: Readers can analyze novels through different literary lenses.

Feminist Theory

A literary lens that examines female experiences, roles, and authorship. Example: A feminist reading of 'Jane Eyre' explores women's independence.

Authorial Intrusion

When the author directly speaks to the reader within the text. Example: The narrator pauses the story to comment on events.

Bildungsroman

A coming-of-age novel focused on a character's moral and psychological growth. Example: 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is a bildungsroman.

Parallelism

Using similar grammatical structures to emphasize ideas. Example: "Easy come, easy go."

Rhetorical Questions

Questions asked for effect rather than answers. Example: "Who wouldn't want success?"

Epiphora

The repetition of words at the end of clauses or sentences. Example: "I want pizza, he wants pizza, we all want pizza."

Chiasmus

A reversed parallel structure in two phrases or clauses. Example: "Never let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You."

Anadiplosis

Repeating the last word of one clause at the beginning of the next. Example: "Knowledge leads to confidence. Confidence leads to success."

Antimetabole

Repeating words in reverse order. Example: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

Gothicism

A style featuring gloomy settings, supernatural elements, and emotional intensity. Example: Edgar Allan Poe's stories often use gothic elements.

Character Foils

Characters who contrast with others to highlight qualities. Example: Draco Malfoy acts as a foil to Harry Potter.