English Ii Honors Literary Terms

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metaphor

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figure of speech where word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

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similie

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a figure of speech involving comparison of one thing with another of a different kind using "like" or "as"

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alliteration

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the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words

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diction

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the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing; the style of enunciating in speaking or singing

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personification

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attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form

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foreshadow

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an indication or hint at a future event

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flashback

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a scene set in a time earlier than the main story

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frame story

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literary technique that sometimes serves as a companion piece to a story within a story; a narrative providing the framework for connecting a series of otherwise unrelated stories; a literary device that uses such a narrative structure

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onomatopoeia

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the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named

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hyperbole

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exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

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rhyme scheme

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the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse

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internal rhyme

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a rhyme involving a word in the middle of a line and another at the end of the line or in the middle of the next

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end rhyme

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a rhyme that occurs in the last syllables of verses

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assonance

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the repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong in non-rhyming stressed syllables near enough to each other for the echo to be discernible

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consonance

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recurrence of similar sounds, especially consonants, in close proximity

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tone

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attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience

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theme

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subject of a piece of writing

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hamartia

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fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine

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characterization

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process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character

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protagonist

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the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text

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amntagonist

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a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something (the protagonist)

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climax

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the most intense, exciting, or important point of the piece of literature

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conflict types

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man vs. nature, man vs. society, man vs. man, man vs. self

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reliable narrator

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narrator who reports action without offering opinion

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unreliable narrator

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narrator who is biased with questionable credibility

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caesura

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a break between words within a metrical foot

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allusion

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an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference

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exposition

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a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory

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diction

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the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing; the style of enunciating in speaking or singing

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free verse

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poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter

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blank verse

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verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter

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irony

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the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typical for humorous or emphatic effect

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mood

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literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions

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parody

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a work in which the style of an author is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule

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stereotype

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a character who is so ordinary or unoriginal that they are immediately identified with a group

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romanticism

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a movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual

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Enlightenment (Age of Reason)

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a period that stretched from the early seventeenth century to the early nineteenth century, especially in France, England, and Germany; thinkers of the era wanted to make reason the ruler of human life, believing that all men could gain knowledge and liberation

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transcendentalism

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an idealistic philosophical and social movement beginning in New England around 1836 as a reaction to rationalism; taught that divinity pervades nature and humanity with influences from romanticism, Platonism, and Kanitan philosophy; central figures Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson as well as other members had progressive views regarding feminism and communal living

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point of view

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the place from which a writer listens and watches

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stream of consciousness

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method of narration that describes in words the flow of thoughts in the minds of the characters

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paradox

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a statement or proposition that leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory despite sound (or apparent sound) reasoning from acceptable premises

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slant rhyme

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either vowels or consonants of stressed syllables are identical; also called half rhyme, imperfect rhyme, near rhyme, oblique rhyme, off rhyme

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Puritanism

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beliefs and practices of Puritans; followed very strict moral and religious rules about the proper ways to behave and live

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Puritan Plain Style

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simple; direct and to the point; used by Puritans; no elaborate words, imagery, or figures of speech; plain

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motif

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a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc. in literature