Untitled Flashcards Set

Text

A text is any form of written or spoken material that can be analyzed for meaning, structure, and content. It can refer to books, articles, poems, films, speeches, or any other form of communication.

Context

Context refers to the circumstances or environment in which a text was produced or is being interpreted. This can include historical, cultural, social, and personal factors that influence both the creation and reception of a text.

Literary Theory

Literary theory is the framework or approach used to analyze, interpret, and evaluate literary works. It includes various schools of thought, such as formalism, structuralism, poststructuralism, feminism, Marxism, psychoanalysis, and more.

Literary Criticism

Literary criticism refers to the analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of literature. Critics may use various theories to examine texts, such as looking at themes, characters, structure, language, and the author's intent.

Authorial Intention

Authorial intention refers to the meaning or purpose that the author had in mind when writing a text. This idea suggests that the author's personal beliefs or desires influence the interpretation of a work.

Intentional Fallacy

The intentional fallacy is a concept in literary theory that argues against trying to determine the author's intentions to understand the meaning of a text. It was famously discussed by W.K. Wimsatt and Monroe Beardsley, who argued that a text should be judged on its own terms, not on what the author may have intended.

Affective Fallacy

The affective fallacy refers to the error of judging a text solely by its emotional effect on the reader, rather than through formal analysis. This term was also coined by Wimsatt and Beardsley, who cautioned against basing interpretation on subjective emotional responses.

Close Reading

Close reading is a method of literary analysis that focuses on detailed examination of a text's language, structure, and meaning. The goal is to uncover deeper insights by carefully studying the text itself, rather than relying on external contexts like the author's biography.

New Criticism

New Criticism is an approach to literary analysis that emerged in the early 20th century. It emphasizes close reading of the text, focusing on its formal qualities (such as structure, diction, and imagery) and treating the text as a self-contained object, independent of historical or authorial context.

Formalism

Formalism is a literary theory that emphasizes the form and structure of a work, rather than its content or context. It focuses on elements like language, narrative techniques, and literary devices as the primary means of analysis.

Reader-Response

Reader-response theory suggests that the meaning of a text is co-created by the reader and the text itself. It emphasizes how different readers may interpret the same text in different ways, based on their individual experiences, cultural backgrounds, and personal perspectives.

Interpretive Communities

This concept refers to groups of readers who share a common set of interpretive strategies, often influenced by cultural, social, or academic factors. Texts are interpreted in different ways by different communities.

Structure

In literature, structure refers to the way a text is organized and how its parts relate to each other. It involves elements like plot, chapter divisions, and narrative organization.

Prosody

Prosody is the study of the rhythmic and melodic aspects of language, including meter, rhyme, stress, intonation, and timing. In poetry, it refers to the patterns of sound that create the musical quality of a poem.

Rhyme

Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds, typically at the ends of lines in poetry. It can serve various aesthetic and structural purposes, contributing to the rhythm or cohesion of a poem.

Rhyme Scheme

Rhyme scheme refers to the pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines in a poem, typically represented by letters (e.g., ABAB, AABB).

Slant Rhyme

Slant rhyme (or near rhyme) occurs when words have similar but not identical sounds, such as "worm" and "swarm." It contrasts with perfect rhyme, where the sounds match exactly.

Meter

Meter is the structured rhythm of a poem, determined by the number and arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line.

Regular vs. Irregular Meter

• Regular meter follows a predictable pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, creating a rhythm that is consistent throughout the poem.

• Irregular meter does not follow a strict pattern, allowing for variation and flexibility in rhythm.

Feet

A foot is a unit of meter in a poem, consisting of a specific combination of stressed and unstressed syllables. Common types of feet include iambs, trochees, and dactyls.

Stressed vs. Unstressed

• Stressed syllables are pronounced with greater emphasis.

• Unstressed syllables are pronounced with less emphasis.

Stanza

A stanza is a group of lines in a poem, typically separated by a space. Stanzas often follow a consistent pattern or structure.

Repetition

Repetition is the recurrence of words, phrases, or sounds in a text, often used for emphasis, rhythm, or thematic purposes.

Alliteration

Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words (e.g., "She sells seashells").

Consonance

Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in close proximity, often at the end or middle of words (e.g., "The lumpy, bumpy road").

Caesura

A caesura is a pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation or a natural pause in speech.

Enjambment

Enjambment occurs when a line of poetry does not end with a pause but continues onto the next line without a break, creating a sense of flow.

Diction

Diction refers to the choice of words and style of expression used by the author, which can shape the tone, mood, and meaning of the text.

Connotation

Connotation is the set of associations or emotional implications that a word carries, beyond its literal meaning.

Denotation

Denotation is the literal, dictionary definition of a word, without the emotional or cultural associations.

Imagery

Imagery refers to descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating vivid mental pictures in the reader's mind.

Figurative Language

Figurative language uses metaphors, similes, personification, and other devices to convey meaning beyond the literal level.

Trope

A trope is a common or recurring theme, motif, or figure of speech in literature (e.g., the "tragic hero," the "reluctant hero").

Metaphor

A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes something as if it were something else, implying a comparison (e.g., "Time is a thief").

Tenor

The tenor is the subject of a metaphor, the thing being described.

Vehicle

The vehicle is the image or object used to describe the tenor in a metaphor (e.g., in "Time is a thief," "thief" is the vehicle).

Simile

A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two things using "like" or "as" (e.g., "as brave as a lion").

Personification

Personification is the attribution of human qualities or characteristics to non-human entities or objects (e.g., "The wind whispered").

Apostrophe

An apostrophe is a direct address to an absent or imaginary person, a thing, or a concept (e.g., "O Death, where is thy sting?").

Symbol

A symbol is an object, character, or event that represents a larger idea or theme beyond its literal meaning.

Allusion

An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, event, literary work, or cultural artifact, typically from history, mythology, or literature.

Convention

A convention is an established practice, style, or form that is widely accepted in literature or art.

Ambiguity

Ambiguity refers to a situation in which a word, phrase, or text has multiple meanings or interpretations.

Tone

Tone refers to the author's attitude or approach toward the subject matter or audience, often conveyed through style, diction, and imagery.

Verse Forms

Verse forms refer to the specific patterns of rhyme, meter, and structure that define particular types of poetry, such as sonnets, haikus, or limericks.

Shakespearean Sonnet

A Shakespearean sonnet is a 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme (ABABCDCDEFEFGG), usually written in iambic pentameter.

Petrarchan Sonnet

A Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet is a 14-line poem divided into an eight-line octave (ABBAABBA) and a six-line sestet (CDECDE or CDCDCD).

Volta

The volta is the shift or turn in a sonnet, where the argument or theme changes direction, typically occurring between the octave and sestet.

Ghazal

A ghazal is a form of poetry originating from Arabic and Persian literature, consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, often dealing with themes of love, loss, and longing.

Textual Criticism

Textual criticism is the scholarly study of texts to determine their original form, identifying and correcting errors or changes made over time.

Biographical Criticism

Biographical criticism analyzes a text in relation to the life and experiences of the author, assuming that understanding the author's background can illuminate the work.

Old Historicism

Old historicism is a literary approach that emphasizes the importance of historical context in understanding and interpreting a text.

Narrative Poetry

Narrative poetry tells a story, often with characters, a plot, and a setting. Famous examples include epic poems like The Iliad and Beowulf.

Genre

Genre refers to a category or type of literature, such as drama, poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, each with its own conventions and expectations.

Didacticism

Didacticism refers to literature that is intended to teach or instruct, often in a moral, ethical, or educational way.

Points of View

Points of view are the perspectives from which a story is told. Common types include:

• First person (narrator as a character)

• Second person (addressing the reader as "you")

• Third person (narrator outside the story)

• Omniscient (all-knowing narrator)

Reliable vs Unreliable Narrator

A reliable narrator provides an accurate, truthful account of events. An unreliable narrator may distort the truth, intentionally or unintentionally, often creating ambiguity.

Character

A character is a person, animal, or entity in a narrative work. Characters can be dynamic (changing) or static (unchanging), round (complex) or flat (simple).

Flashback

A flashback is a narrative device that takes the story back in time to reveal past events that are important to the plot.

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is a technique used to hint at future events in the story, creating anticipation or suspense.

Epigraph

An epigraph is a short quotation or saying placed at the beginning of a book or chapter, often setting the tone or hinting at themes.

Linear vs Non-linear Narration

• Linear narration follows a chronological order of events.

• Non-linear narration presents events out of chronological order, often using flashbacks or other devices.

Setting

The setting is the time, place, and context in which a story occurs. It can influence the mood, tone, and meaning of a work.

Irony

Irony is a discrepancy between expectation and reality. Types include:

• Verbal irony (saying the opposite of what one means)

• Situational irony (when events unfold contrary to expectations)

• Dramatic irony (when the audience knows something the characters do not).

Epistolary Novel

An epistolary novel is written in the form of letters, diary entries, or other documents.

Epiphany

An epiphany is a moment of sudden realization or insight, often experienced by a character in a narrative.

Flat and Round Characters

• Flat characters are one-dimensional and lack depth.

• Round characters are complex and fully developed, often showing a range of emotions and traits.

Vignette

A vignette is a short, descriptive piece of writing that captures a moment or scene, often focusing on a specific detail or impression.

Prose Poem

A prose poem is a short work that blends the characteristics of prose and poetry, often using poetic language and imagery but without a consistent meter or rhyme.

Memoir

A memoir is a non-fiction work that reflects on the author’s personal experiences and memories, often focusing on a particular theme or period of time.

Bildungsroman

A bildungsroman is a coming-of-age story, focusing on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood.