literary terms

dolos - trickery/guile greek term

xenia - greek custom of hospitality

nostos - homecoming or return after a long journey, greek term

kleos - fame, glory, reputation that lives on after death, greek term

Linear structure - story that goes from beginning, middle, to end

syntax - arrangement of words/phrases to create well-formed sentences

Nonlinear structure - story is told out of order; middle, end, beginning. ex. purple hibiscus

anaphora - the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of sucessive clauses

anagnorisis - a character recognizes/discovers the true identity of a character or their circumstances

sight imagery - visual imagery

auditory imagery - sound imagery

gustatory imagery - taste imagery

tactile imagery - touch imagery

organic imagery - internal sensations and emotions imagery

round characters - complex, well developed characters

flat characters - only have 1-2 traits, underdeveloped character

static - does not change throughout the story

dynamic - changes throughout the story

symbol - a single element that represents something deeper in a story

motif - a recurring element, theme, image, phrase etc that reinforces a story’s themes through repetition

dramatic irony - the reader knows more than the character, creates tension or humor

direct characterization - explicitly stating character traits

indirect characterization - reveals traits through actions, dialogue, thoughts, interactions w other charas

Literary Elements - fundamental components of a story. plot, setting, characters

Literary devices - specific techniques to elaborate on literary elements. metaphors, similes, imagery

Alliteration - Repetition of consonant sounds (NOT a,e,i,o,u)

An angry alligator agitated an anteater

Allusion - reference to another work of literature, person, or event "He's a real Romeo with the ladies."

Assonance - Repetition of vowel sounds "The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains."

Ballad - A poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas Ex. The Ballad of John and Yoko

Consonance - Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity. (Usually a letter near the end of the word.)

Diction - choice

"Ramon, your hair looks unique."

"Ramon, your hair looks weird."

Enjambment - The lines run over into the next stanza (line). No complete sentences

free verse - Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

You don't have to rhyme OR count syllables!

Metaphor - A comparison without using like or as

Onomatopoeia - words that imitate sounds

Buzz. Bark. Howl. Growl.

Rhythm - Pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables

"a HORSE, a HORSE, my KINGdom FOR a HORSE."

Simile - A comparison using "like" or "as"

Stanza - A group of lines in a poem

Symbol - something that stands for something else

Theme - Central idea of a work of literature

Tone - Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

verse - a single line of poetry

iambic pentameter - a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable

"shall I comPARE thee TO a SUMmers DAY? (10 Syllables total)

Haiku - 3 unrhymed lines (5, 7, 5) usually focusing on nature

Limerick - A five line poem in which lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme and lines 3 and 4 rhyme. This poetry originated in Ireland as one of the world's first drinking games.

Sonnet - a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line. ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

Personification - A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes

Hyperbole - exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. "I caught a fish as big as a whale."

Imagery - Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Allegory - a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

unreliable narrator - a narrator whose account of events appears to be faulty, misleadingly biased, or otherwise distorted

Anthropomorphism - the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.

Freytag's Pyramid - exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, reslolution

Irony -

A contrast between expectation and reality

Paradox - a contradiction or dilemma

Flashback - a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story.