jane eyre vocab

balance sentence

constructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and importance

archetype

in literature, this is a typical character, action or a situation that seems to represent such universal patterns of human nature

bildungsroman

this is a special kind of novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of its main character from his or her youth to adulthood, usually battling with society until they gain acceptance

indirect characterization

the author reveals to the reader what the character is like merely by showing the character in action; common in modern literature

direct characterization

the author tells us directly what the character is like: sneaky, generous, mean to animals, etc. romantic and classic literature relied more heavily on this form

reflexive narrative

a story in which the narrator reflects back on the story, separated from the action. the narrator also comments on the events that they describe, showing their current perspective which may be different than in the original action

apostrophe

a figure of speech wherein the speaker speaks directly to something nonhuman

mood

the atmosphere or feeling created by a literary work, partly by a description of the objects or by the style of the descriptions

symbolism

a device in literature where an object represents an idea

asyndeton

a stylistic device used in literature and poetry to intentionally eliminate conjunctions between the phrases and in the sentence yet maintain the grammatical accuracy. this literary tool helps in reducing the indirect meaning of the phrase and presents it in a concise form

cumulative sentence (loose sentence)

when the writer begins with an independent clause, then adds subordinate elements

periodic sentence

when the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence. the writer begins with subordinate elements and postpones the main clause.

allegory

story/poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities

flat character

characters that are two-dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work

flashback

an interruption in the chronological order or timeline of a narrative to give additional information or backstory needed to further the reader's understanding

memento mori

Latin phrase that translates to “Remember you death/Remember you will die.” This is directed towards those with great wealth who life lives with ease compared to those who don’t. “Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.”

alliteration

repetition of same/similar consonant sounds in words that are close together

end-stopped

A line with a pause at the end. Lines that end with puncuation.

enjambed lines

The continuation of the sense and grammatical construction from one line to the next.

feminie rhyme

A type of rhyme where the second-to-last syllable in each word rhymes, and the final sound of each word is the same

masculine rhyme

A rhyme between two monosyllabic words, for example, "gab" and "blab," or between the final stressed syllables of polysyllabic words, for example, "connive" and "survive"

lyric poem

is a technique in which a sound,word,phrase,or entire line is repeated

narrative poem

A message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader

imagery

the representation of our senses through a mental picture in the mind's eye

onomatopoeia

words whose very sound is very close to the sound they are meant to depict

paradox

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity

personification

figure of speech in which objects and animals have human qualities

synesthesia

stimulate the senses

colloquial

use of slang or informalities in speech or writing

polysyndeton

The use of a conjunction between each word, phrase, or clause