Sestet- Six lines of poetry, OR the last six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet

182. Setting- Where and when a story takes place. Can be revealed either directly or indirectly.

183. Sociological Novel- Narrative which depicts the injustices of society, making moral judgements and

offering resolution

184. Sonnet- A fourteen-line poem written in iambic pentameter with a specific rhyme scheme

185. Sonnet, Petrarchan (Italian)- Sonnet composed of an octave and a sestet, usually with the rhyme

 scheme

abbaabba cdecde

186. Sonnet, Shakespearean (English)- Sonnet composed of three quatrains and a rhyming couplet with

the rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg

187. Spenserian Stanza- A nine-line stanza with the rhyme scheme ababbcbcc; the first eight lines are

written in iambic pentameter and the last line (an alexandrine) is written in iambic hexameter

188. Sprung Rhythm- Meter in which the number of stressed syllables in each line is the same, while the

the number of unstressed syllables can vary. Intended to imitate natural speech patterns.

189. Stanza- A division of a poem

190. Stereotype- A character whose attitudes, words, and actions fall within a widely-held idea of a

“type”; may also be applied to plot

191. Stichomythia- Dialogue in which the endings and beginnings of each line echo each other, taking on

a new meaning with each new line

192. Stream of Consciousness- A technique in which prose follows the logic and flow of a character (or

multiple characters’) thought processes—associations, tangents, seemingly strange transition—rather than

a more ordered narrative

193.Style- The way a literary work is written. Style is produced by an author’s choices in diction, syntax,

imagery, figurative language, and other literary elements.

194.Syllabic Verse- Poetry which contains the same number of syllables in each line or follows a pattern

of syllables per line

195.Symbol- A setting, an object, or an event in a story that carries more than literal meaning and

therefore represents something significant to understanding the meaning of a work in literature

196.Synecdoche- A figure of speech in which part of something is used to represent the whole

197.Syntax- The arrangement of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences in a prose passage. This

includes word order; the length and structure of sentences, phrases, and clauses; the preference of various

parts of speech over others; the use of connectors between and within sentences; and more

198. Syllogism- A form of logical reasoning that joins two or more premises to arrive at a conclusion

199. Tercet-Three lines of poetry that usually rhyme

200. Terza Rima- An interlocking three-line stanza with the rhyme scheme

aba bcb cdc ded, etc.

201. Theme- Underlying ideas or issues in a work

202. Thesis- The chief claim that a writer makes in any argumentative or expository piece of writing,

usually stated in one sentence

203. Tone- A speaker’s attitude or stance as exposed through stylistic choices

204. Tragedy- A serious dramatic work in which the protagonist experiences a series of unfortunate

reversals due to some character trait, referred to as a tragic flaw. Structurally, tragedies usually progress

from order to chaos.

205. Transcendentalism- A 19th century movement in the Romantic tradition that was a reaction to both

rationalism and empiricism. Emphasized the idea that humans can rise above materialism to a higher

happiness through simplicity and communion with nature.

206. Transition- A word or phrase that links ideas, signaling a shift from one idea to another

207. Understatement- The presentation or framing of something as less important, urgent, awful, good,

powerful, and so on than it actually is, often for satiric or comical effect; the opposite of hyperbole

208.Villanelle- A form of poetry in which five tercets (rhyme scheme aba) are followed by a quatrain

(rhyme scheme abaa). Lines 1 and 3 of the first tercet repeat alternately as refrains at the end of the

subsequent tercets, and are used to conclude the quatrain.

209.Wit- cleverness and keen perception

210. Zeugma- A technique in which one verb is used with multiple (and often incongruous) objects, so 

that the definition of the verb is changed, complicated, or made both literal and figurative