Glossary Terms - English 9

Blank Verse

Poetry written in unrhyhmed iambic pentameter (poetry that doesn't rhyme but has a line of five beats)

Free Verse

Verse without a regular arrangement of accented and unaccented syllables; it's free of the restrictions of a set rhythmical patter for each line

Meter

The pattern of accented and unaccented syllables that form that basis of the poem's rhythm; it signifies the number of rhythmic beats, or "feet“ in a line and the arrangement of accented and unaccented syllables in each foot (ex. pentameter: a line with five beats, or feet)

Repetition

The use of a sound, word, phrase, clause, or sentence more than once

Rhyme

The repetition of sounds at the end of words

End Rhyme

When the rhyming words come at the ends of lines

Eye Rhyme

Words whose spellings lead you to think that they rhyme

Internal Rhyme

Rhyming words appear in the same line in a poem

Rhyme Scheme

The regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem; it's indicated by using different letters of the alphabet for each new rhyme

Rhythm

The arrangement, or pattern, of accented or unaccented syllables - the "beat“

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem, considered a unit like a paragraph. Often, they're separated by spaces

Structure

How a poem is built in terms of stanza, form, and meter

Sonnet

A 14-line lyric poem; 3 quatrains and 1 couplet; usually rhyming

Shakespearean Sonnet

Consists of 3 quatrains and 1 couplet; a 14-lined poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter; abab cdcd efef gg

Couplet

A pair of rhyming lines, usually in the same length and meter

Iamb

One unstressed and one stressed syllable in a 5-foot line

Quatrain

A stanza or poem made up of four lines with rhythm and rhyme

Diction

The words an author chooses, which have a cumulative impact on the tone and meaning of a text. Different types of words have significant effects on meaning

Foreshadowing

Occurs when a writer provides hints that suggest future events in a story. Used to move the plot forward and build suspense

Irony

Literary techniques that involve differences between the expected outcome and the actual outcome or between appearance an reality

Dramatic Irony

When the reader knows what will happen in the story, but the characters do not. The words or acts of a character in a play may carry meaning unknown to him, but understood by the audience

Situational Irony

Occurs when there's an unexpected turn of events; when the opposite of what the reader expects happens

Verbal Irony

Saying the opposite of what you mean; sarcasm is a form of this

Mood

The feeling created in the reader by the literary work or passage; it's often suggested by descriptive details

Symbol

An object or action that stands for or represents something else

Tone

The writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject

Wit

Cleverness and humor in expression, often through wordplay or unexpected twists of language

Allusion

A reference, explicit or implied, to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Apostrophe

The direct address of a person or a personified thing, often interrupting something

Hyperbole

The use of exaggeration

Imagery

Descriptive language that creates a vivid picture, activating at least one of the five senses

Juxtaposition

Placing 2 concepts, characters, ideas, or places near or next to each other so that the reader will compare and contrast them. It highlights differences and emphasizes themes or character traits

Metaphor

A comparison of 2 different things by saying that one thing is another, without using like or as

Extended Metaphor

As in a regular metaphor, a subject is spoken or written of as though it were something else. However it differs from a regular metaphor in that several comparisons are made

Oxymoron

When contradictory or opposing words are combined into 1 expression, usually 2 words in an adjective-noun or adverb-adjective relationship

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but is actually true. It points out ironic truth about the nature of things

Personification

Giving human characteristics to animals, ideas, or objects

Pun

A play on words based on the similarity of sound between words with different meanings

Simile

A comparison between 2 unlike things which uses "like“ or "as“

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of 2 or more words

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonants in 2 or more stressed syllables

Consonance

The repetition in 2 or more words of the final consonants in stressed syllables

Onomatopoeia

Words whose sounds echo their meanings

Listing

Makes an abstract idea more concrete; emphasizes an idea through quantity of description. It's a stylistic device that's defined as a list of words which embody similar abstract or physical qualities or meanings with the intention to emphasize the common qualities that words hold

Parallel Structure

Using the same pattern or form of words to show that 2 or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level

Polysyndeton

A stylistic device in which several coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) are used in succession in order to achieve an artistic effect

Syntax

Grammatical arrangement of words (sentence structure). It's the grouping of words

Exposition

Creates the tine, gives the setting, introduces some of the characters, and supplies facts necessary for the understanding of the play

Rising Action

The antagonist and the protagonist are balanced against each other

Climax

Always occurs in the third act of a Shakespearean drama. It's the turning point of the action where the action turns from good to bad

Complications

Events which serve to further the climax or catastrophe

Falling Action

The continuous downfall of the protagonist(s). It prepares the audience for the next phase of the play

Catastrophe

The tragic failure, usually the death, of the hero and comes as the natural outgrowth of the action

Denouement

The resolution of the play where the tragedy is explained and a solution to the problem is given for the future reference. It sometimes presents a moral

Aside

Words spoken by an actor to be heard by the audience only and not by the actors on the stage. It reveals the character's private thoughts

Comic Relief

A humorous scene or speech mean to relieve the tension; the contrast can heighten the seriousness of the action

Fate

Circumstances which cannot be controlled by humans

Free Will

The ability of a character in the play to make their own decisions and shape their own future. It's usually opposing to free will in Shakespearean drama

Pathos

The suffering of a character and the feeling that the audience has for the characters. Pity is another word for this

Stage Directions

Instructions written in the script for the actors, designers, and directors. They're often in parentheses and not read aloud

Soliloquy

A speech given by a character while alone on stage. It exposes a character's thoughts abd feelings to the audience

Tragedy

A genre of drama which tells of an important and related series of events in the life of a person of significance. The events usually end an unhappy catastrophe. The whole drama is treated with great seriousness and dignity

Antagonist

The chief opponent of the protagonist; their rival

Chorus

The actor who sets the tone of the play, introduces the characters, and/or explains the plot of the play. It appears at the beginning of the play and before acts. They may also appear at the end of the play to provide closure for the audience

Foil

A character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another character, which emphasizes another character;s attributes and traits

Protagonist/Tragic Hero

The chief character in the play. They may have heroic qualities. They're usually a person of high rank

Tragic Flaw

A certain quality in a character's personality (usually the protagonist's personality) that causes their own downfall and ends in a tragedy