Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
190 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Active Voice |
The verb is active when the subject of the sentence is the doer of the action
|
|
|
Allegory
|
An extended metaphor
|
|
|
Alliteration
|
The repetition of an initial consonant sounds in words close together
|
|
|
Allusion
|
A reference to another literary/artistic/historic, work, author, character, or event. Frequently biblical or mythological)
|
|
|
Analogy
|
A comparison between two unlike things ( a subject and an analog) that nevertheless yields insight into the nature of the subject.
|
|
|
Antagonist
|
A character that seems to be the major face and is the opposite of the protagonist.
|
|
|
Anti-climax
|
Something trivial or commonplace that concludes a series of significant events.
|
|
|
Antithesis
|
The direct or exact opposite
|
|
|
Apostrophe
|
The direct address of a person of personified thing (i.e. quote), either present or absent. Its most common purpose in prose is to give vent to or display intense emotion, which can no longer be held back.
|
|
|
Argumentative essay
|
An essay that tries to prove a point by supporting it with evidence.
|
|
|
Anecdotal evidence
|
Unreliable evidence based on personal experience that has not been tested, and which is often used in an argument as if it had been scientifically or statistically proven. The person using anecdotal evidence may or may not be aware of the fact that, by doing so, they are generalizing.
|
|
|
archaic language
|
Language no longer in use
|
|
|
aside
|
A brief comment by an actor, heard by the audience, but not he other characters on stage
|
|
|
assonance
|
The repetition of internal VOWEL sounds in words close together.
|
|
|
atmosphere
|
The dominant mood or tone of setting
|
|
|
audience
|
The person or people for whom a piece of writing is intended
|
|
|
autobiography
|
A history of a person's life written by that person.
|
|
|
ballad
|
A narrative poem, usually sung or recited.
|
|
|
ballad stanza
|
One of the divisions of a poem and is usually in the form of a song. They are short narratives that typically deal with folklore or popular legends. The stanzas at times include a refrain. A typical rhyme scheme is ABAB or ABBA
|
|
|
bias
|
A partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation.
|
|
|
biography
|
A written account of a person's life
|
|
|
blank verse
|
Unrhymed iambic pentameter
|
|
|
cacophony
|
Harsh joining of sounds
|
|
|
caricature
|
A description or characterization that exaggerates or distorts a character's prominent features, usually for the purposes of mockery.
|
|
|
case study
|
An in-depth exploration of one particular case (situation or subject) for the purpose of gaining depth of understanding into the issues being investigated.
|
|
|
catastrophe
|
The reversal of the tragic hero's good fortune in Greek Tragedy.
|
|
|
cause and effect
|
Examines the relationship between an event or circumstance and its causes and/or its effects. The writer explains a situation, condition, or event (effects) and explains why it occured or reasons it exists (causes)
|
|
|
character
|
A person in fiction, drama, or poetry
|
|
|
characterization
|
The development of characters in fiction, drama, or poetry.
|
|
|
character foil
|
A flat, static character whose role in the narrative is simply to act as a contrast to another (presumably round) character.
|
|
|
chorus
|
A group of actors in Greek drama who comment on the action of the play. Chorus members chanted their lines together and move as a unit on the stage.
|
|
|
chronological order
|
A method of arranging things in relation to when they happen in time
|
|
|
cliche
|
A familiar expression that has been used and reused so many times that it's lost its expressive power.
|
|
|
climatic order
|
The organization of ideas from one extreme to another. From least important to most. From most destructive to least. From least promising to most.
|
|
|
climax
|
The turning point of plot in fiction or drama -- the highest point of tension
|
|
|
colloquialism
|
An informal expression, that is, an expression not used in formal speech or writing. A slang?
|
|
|
colloquial language
|
Characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation; "the broken syntax and casual enunciation of conversational English"
|
|
|
comedy
|
The traditional plot of comedy is the reverse of tragedy. Progatonist has problem; plot moves to improve circumstances; reversal of fortune from bad to good; falling action becomes rising action with a happy ending.
|
|
|
comic relief
|
A short comig scene that releases some of the built-up tension of the play giving the audience a momentary "relief" before the tension mounts higher.
|
|
|
compare and contrast
|
Compare means to actively point out similarities. Contrast refers to differences.
|
|
|
comparison
|
A way of developing ideas in writing by showing similarities between or among things.
|
|
|
conflict
|
The struggle of opposing external or internal forces. External - physical or social; Internal - struggle of opposing forces within a character
|
|
|
connotation
|
Additional, suggested meaning as opposed to literal, direct meaning.
|
|
|
consonance
|
Repetition of FINAL CONSONANT sounds in words close together
|
|
|
contrast
|
An author writes contract when he or she describes the difference(s) bewteen two or more entities.
|
|
|
couplet
|
A stanza of two rhyming lines; especially, such lines of the same length.
|
|
|
denotation
|
The literal or "dictionary" meaning of a word
|
|
|
denouement
|
The resolution of the plot in fiction or drama (an "untying" of the complications at the end of the story line)
|
|
|
descriptive essay
|
An essay that focuses on the deep description of a single topic.
|
|
|
dialect
|
Regional form of a language. Over long periods of time, dialects can grow into distinct languages. Languages vary by geography, social class, education level, and individual speaker.
|
|
|
dialogue
|
Conversation of characters in fiction or drama.
|
|
|
diary
|
Somebody's written daily record of personal experiences
|
|
|
diction
|
A writer's choice of words, particularly for clarity, effectiveness and precision. A writer's diction can be formal or informal, abstract or concrete.
|
|
|
didactic
|
A text with a lesson, moral, or teaching.
|
|
|
dilemma
|
A moment or situation in which a character must chose between two different paths of action which are equally as undesirable.
|
|
|
direct presentation
|
The author tells us how a character looks, feels, is perceived by others, instead of letting the character's dialogue and action give insight into character.
|
|
|
dissonance
|
A harsh or disagreeable combination of sounds
|
|
|
drama
|
The literary genre which describes texts written for performance on stage, radio, or television.
|
|
|
dramatic irony
|
A type of irony in which a reader or audience member perceives something that a character in the story does not
|
|
|
dramatic monologue
|
A long, uninterrupted speech that is spoken in the presence of other characters.
|
|
|
dramatic form (genre)
|
The style in which a drama has been written. i.e. tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, melodrama, farce, history, or musical.
|
|
|
dynamic character
|
A type of character that undergoes personal development and change, whether through a gradual process or a crisis.
|
|
|
editorial
|
An article, typically short, expressing an opinion or point of view.
|
|
|
elegy
|
A mournful, contemplative lyric poem written to commemorate someone who is dead, often ending in a consolation.
|
|
|
emotional appeal
|
Writing that appeals to emotional desires rather than logic, economy, ego or utility.
|
|
|
epic
|
A long narrative poem, usually depicting the values of a culture through the adventures of a hero.
|
|
|
epiphany
|
When a character suddenly experiences a deep realization about himself; a truth whish is grasped in an ordinary rather than a melodramatic moment.
|
|
|
epigram
|
A short poem with a clever twist at the end or a concise and witty statement. They are among the best examples of the power of poetry to compress insight and wit.
|
|
|
epitaph
|
A short composition in momory of a dead person. An epitaph is a brief statement about one deceased, written originally on that person's tombstone.
|
|
|
euphemism
|
A mild word or phrase that substitutes for another that would be undesirable because it is too direct, unpleaseant, or offensive.
|
|
|
euphony
|
A pleasing sound in poetry. The opposite of cacophony.
|
|
|
expert testimony
|
Testimony given in relation to some scientific, technical or professional matter by experts who are persons qualified to speak authoritatively by reason of their special training, skill, or familiarity with the subject
|
|
|
exposition
|
A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work, that provides necessary background infomration about the characters and their circumstances. Explains what has gone on before, the relationships between characters, the development of a theme, and the introduction of a conflict.
|
|
|
expository essay
|
An essay which shares, explains, suggests, of explores infomation, emotions, and ideas.
|
|
|
extended metaphor
|
A metaphor elaborated upon over a series of lines. An extended comparison of the characteristics of one thing and another for the purpose of illumination.
|
|
|
external conflict
|
A dispute between the protagonist and another character of nature.
|
|
|
fable
|
A story meant to illustrate a moral point, usually involving anthro-promorphized animals representing particular kids of people or various aspects of human character.
|
|
|
falling action
|
The series of events that take place after the climax and lead to the conclusion. (Denouement and falling action are esentially two names for the same series of events)
|
|
|
fantasy
|
Fiction that features elements of wizardy, supernatural feats, and entities that suspend conventions or realism in the literary arts.
|
|
|
farce
|
A comic genre that depends on an elaborately contrived, usually improbable plot, broadly drawn stock characters, and physical humor. Most farces are a-moral and exist to entertain.
|
|
|
metre
|
The regular repetition of accented and unaccented syllables in a line or verse of poetry.
|
|
|
metonymy
|
A figure of speech whereby a thing or idea is represented by another thing or idea that has some association with it.
|
|
|
monologue
|
A long, uninterrupted speech that is spoken in the presence of other charcters. Unlike a soliloquy,a monologue is heard by other characters.
|
|
|
mood
|
The emotional atmosphere expressed by an author in their works; the dominant impression of the feelings of the listener, observer, or reader.
|
|
|
mystery
|
Any matter that is hidden, secret, unexplained or inexplicable, beyond human knowledge or comprehension OR a suspensful story dealing with a puzzling crime.
|
|
|
myth
|
Any story that attempts to explain how the world was created or why the world is the way it is. Myths are stories that are passed on from generation to generation and normally involve religion.
|
|
|
narrative
|
A personal story
|
|
|
narration
|
A storytelling arranged in a particular order and delivered by a narrator to a specific audience with a clear purpose in mind. Along with persuasion, exposition, and description, it is one of the four principle types of writing.
|
|
|
narrator
|
The speaker in prose or verse.
|
|
|
objective
|
Presented as if without bias.
|
|
|
objective point of view
|
The author presents the external action as if it were being filmed by a movie camera. Story is presented without any attempt to comment or interpret the characters private thoughts or feelings.
|
|
|
octave
|
Two stanzas of iambic pentameter of the rhyme scheme AbbA AbbA. An octave is seen at the beginning of a petrarchan (Italian) sonnet.
|
|
|
ode
|
A classical lyric form, typically of medium length with complex stanzas and ornate prosodic effects. Often written to commemorate ceremonial occasions such as anniversaries or funerals.
|
|
|
omniscient point of view
|
Uses third person. The author is free to go where he wants. He can enter the minds of all his characters, interpret their behaviour and comment on the significance of the story.
|
|
|
oxymoron
|
A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms.
|
|
|
paradox
|
A statement or situation which seems contradictory. A contradiction that creates tension in a work.
|
|
|
parallelism
|
A structureal arrangement within sentences, paragraphs, or entire essays through which two or more separate elements are similarly phrased and developed.
|
|
|
parody
|
Imitates the techniques and style of some person, place, or thing. Parady is used for mocking or mocking its idea of the person, place, or thing.
|
|
|
passive voice
|
Indicates that the subject is being acted upon. The opposite of active voice.
|
|
|
pastoral
|
A literary genre. Originally a poem dealing with shepherds, but now any view which idealizes the simple life from the perspective of a more complex life.
|
|
|
pathos
|
The sense of pity or sorrow aroused by a particular element or scene in a literary work.
|
|
|
personal essay
|
A narrative that focuses on a central idea about the writer or the writer's life and is supported by a variety of incidents from the writer's life.
|
|
|
personification
|
Giving human qualities of characteristics to an inanimate object, an emotion or instict, to a moral quality, to an event like death, to an invisible essense of the soul.
|
|
|
persuasive essay
|
Essays that attempt to change readers' opinions, attitudes or behaviour in some area.
|
|
|
persuasive technique
|
Appealing to reders on logical emotional levels using many rhetorical devices.
|
|
|
plot
|
The structure of the action of a story. Plot has three main parts: rising action, climax, and falling action leading to a reolution or denouement.
|
|
|
point of view
|
The way an author chooses to tell/narrate a story. It is sometimes called voice.
|
|
|
pro and con argument
|
An argument which attempts to balance both the positive and negative sides of an issue
|
|
|
prologue
|
An introductory passage or speech before the main action of a novel, play, or long poem.
|
|
|
propaganda
|
An extreme form of written or spoken persuasion intended to influence the reader or listener strongly, through sometimes subtly, and usually by one-sided rather than objective arguements.
|
|
|
protagonist
|
The central character of a drama, novel, short story, or narrative poem upon whom the action centers and the reader's sympathy lies.
|
|
|
proverb
|
A short saying or statement in frequent and widespread use that expresses a basic truth or practical precept. A proverb which describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a "MAXIM". If it is distinguished by particularly good style it may be known as an APHORISM.
|
|
|
purpose
|
Why an author writes a text, the ideas, themes or message they wish to convey to the reader.
|
|
|
pun
|
A play on words resulting in odd ideas or ludicrous meaning (ie. using sun for son)
|
|
|
quatrain
|
A 4-line stanza of a poem or an entire poem consisting of four lines.
|
|
|
question and answer
|
An expository technique inteded to inform the audience in a potentially bias way.
|
|
|
figurative language
|
words used in other than their literal or ordinary meanings for the purpose of communicating a secondary meaning via the comparison.
|
|
|
first person point of view
|
Story told by the narrator who is usually a participant and observer of the action. Example "I"
|
|
|
flashback
|
A scene from the past that interrupts the action to explain motivation or reaction of a character to the immediate scene.
|
|
|
flat character
|
A character not fully developed who seems to represent a "type" more than a real personality. See also stock character.
|
|
|
foil
|
A minor character whose situation or actions parallet those of a major character, and thus by contast sets off or illuminates the major character.
|
|
|
foreshadowing
|
A literary device in which an author drops subtle hints about plot developments to come later in his story. Each of these hints widens the range of possible consequences and maintains tension throughout the narrative as these possiblities narrow.
|
|
|
form
|
The design or structure of a composition.
|
|
|
formal essay
|
An essay that follows all the convensions of formal writing.
|
|
|
formal language
|
Language which is used in formal and elevated pices of writing, void of slang and colloquialisms.
|
|
|
free verse
|
Poetry that has irregular metrical pattern and little or no rhyme scheme. Closer to prose than rhythmic poetry.
|
|
|
genre
|
The term for a category of literature such as fiction, poetry, or drama.
|
|
|
graphic text
|
Any text that accompanies the graphic portion of a piece of writing.
|
|
|
hero
|
The central character of a play, usually the character who undergoes the most pronounced change. An anti-hero is a characger who may not be "good" but who is the central figure of the drama.
|
|
|
historical reference
|
Text that makes reference to events from the past in order to illuminate a situation in the present or future.
|
|
|
hyperbole
|
Use of overstatement or exaggerated terms to emphasize the importance or extent of something.
|
|
|
iambic pentameter
|
The most common verse line in English poetry. Consists of 5 verse feet, with each foot an iamb -- that is, an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Shakespear's plays are written almost exclusively in iambic pentameter.
|
|
|
idiom
|
An expression that does not mean what it literally says. e.g. to have the upper hand has nothing to do with hands. They cannot be translated literally.
|
|
|
image
|
A word, phrase, or figure of speech that address the senses, suggesting mental pictures of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings, or actions. Offer sensory impressions to reader to help convey emotions and moods through verbal pictures.
|
|
|
inderterminate ending
|
An ending which does not sum up a story in a "tidy" way. It is uncertain or ambiguous in nature.
|
|
|
indirect presentation
|
Author shows us the character in action; the reader infers what a character is like from what they think, say or do.
|
|
|
informal essay
|
An essay that does not conform to a recognizable structure, and may use a number of informal writing techniques -- i.e. colloquial language.
|
|
|
interior monologue
|
A type of stream of consciousness in which the author depicts the interior throughts of a single individual in the same order these throughts occur inside that character's head. Author provideds minimal commentary, description, or guiding discussion to help reader untangle the complex web of thoughts.
|
|
|
internal conflict
|
Occurs when the protagonist struggles with themselves. The protagonist is pulled by two courses of action or by differing emotions, which frequently leads to a dynamic change in the character.
|
|
|
internal rhyme
|
A rhyme that occurs WITHIN a line of verse.
|
|
|
irony
|
A contrast or an incongruity between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen.
|
|
|
jargon
|
Specialized of technical language or a trade, profession, or similar group.
|
|
|
juxtaposition
|
Occurs when two things are placed close to each other or side by side, espeically for comparison or contrast.
|
|
|
legend
|
A story about mythical or supernatural beings or events.
|
|
|
limited omniscient
|
Uses a third person. The author is free to go where he wants. He can enter the minds of all his characters, interpret their behaviour and comment on the significance of the story.
|
|
|
point of view
|
The perspective of voice of a piece of writing
|
|
|
literal language
|
The ordinary, straight-forward lexical (dictionary) meaning of a word or expression.
|
|
|
lyric
|
A short, highly formal, song-like poem, usually passionate and confessional, often about love.
|
|
|
drama
|
The dramatic genre characterized by an emphasis on plot over characterization; typically, characters are defined as heros or villans. Conflicts defined along moral lines. Resolution rewards the good, punishes the wicked.
|
|
|
metaphor
|
A figure of speech that compares two or more things with a similar quality and does NOT use "like" or "as"
|
|
|
refrain
|
A phrase or line, generally about the central topic, which is repeated, usually at regular intervals throughout a poem.
|
|
|
repetition
|
A device used by writers to create a particular effect; it may be of single letters of sourcs, as in alliteration and onomatopoeia, or may be of whole words or phrases to create an atmosphere or mood.
|
|
|
research
|
An active, diligent, and systematic process of inquiry in order to discover, interpret or revise facts, events, behaviours, or theories, or to make practical applications with the help of such facts, laws, or theories.
|
|
|
resolution
|
Finding a solution to a problem; the solution to a protagonists
|
|
|
rhetorical question
|
Asks a question in such a way that it does not require an answer
|
|
|
rhyme
|
The sense of movement gained through the rise and fall of unaccented and accented syllables, long and short vowel sounds, and emphasis of ideas in both prose and poetry. Through the repetition of the metrical foot, poetry gains strong rhythms.
|
|
|
rising action
|
The plot developments, including complication and conflict, that lead to a plot's climax.
|
|
|
round character
|
A multi-faceted character, especially one who is capable of choosing right or wrong.l Usually a protagonist is a round character; in most short stories no more than 1-2 characters are round. Not to be confused with a dynamic character.
|
|
|
sarcasm
|
Harsh form of wit, aimed to wound, which often employs irony
|
|
|
satire
|
A literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject. Often an intended means of provoking or preventing change.
|
|
|
sestet
|
A sestet is six lines of poetry forming a stanza or complete poem.
|
|
|
setting
|
The environment in which the action of a fictional work takes place. Includes time period, place, historical milieu (such as a war), social politics,and spiritual realities. Usually established through description, though narration is also used.
|
|
|
simile
|
Figure of speech which makes direct comparison bewteen two elements and which is usually introduced by the words "like" or "as".
|
|
|
slang
|
Non-standard use of language of a particular social group and sometimes the creation of new words from another language.
|
|
|
soliloquy
|
A speech, usually lengthy, in which a character, alone on stage, expresses his or her thoughts aloud. A very useful dramatic device. Allows the dramatist to convey a character's most intimate thoughts and feelings directly to the audience.
|
|
|
sonnet
|
A 14 line poem, usually in iambic pentameter, with a varied thyme scheme. The two main types of sonnets are the PETRARCHAN (Italian) or the SHAKESPEAREAN
|
|
|
speaker
|
The narrator of a story or poem
|
|
|
stanza
|
The grouping of lines within a poem. Many poems have stanzas of uniform length and metre. Divisions may also be determined by the ideas they contain and act as paragraphs.
|
|
|
style
|
Author's selection and arrangement of words used in presenting his imaginative creation. Style may be formal, informal, colloquial, vulgar, ornamented, discursive, spare of words, poetic, journalistic.
|
|
|
style vs diction
|
Diction referes only to the selection of words; style refers to the manner in which the words are combined.
|
|
|
stream of consciousness
|
Narrative that represents the random process of a character's thoughts and sense impressions. May be largely sentence fragments.
|
|
|
static character
|
A character who remains the same throughout a narrative. Static characters do not develop or change beyond the way in which they are first presented.
|
|
|
stereotype
|
An exaggerated image of the characteristics of a particular group.
|
|
|
stock or stereotyped character
|
A character type used repeatedly, often a stereotype like a mad scientist or the blonde airhead. Stock characters are usually encountered in popular fiction.
|
|
|
style
|
The manner of expression of a particular writer, produced by choice of words, grammatical structures, use of literary devices, and all the possible parts of language use. Some styles include scientific, ornate, plain, emotive. Most writers have their own style.
|
|
|
subjective language
|
As opposed to objective language. Full of personal emotions and feelings and differs for each individual.
|
|
|
surprise ending
|
A literary technique. A piece of fiction ends differently than a reader might expect. Sometimes the surprise ending is no resolution at all!
|
|
|
suspense
|
That quality of a literary work that makes the reader or audience uncertain or tense about the outcome of events. Suspense makes the reader ask "What will happen next?" Suspense is greatest when it focuses attention on a sympathetic character.
|
|
|
symbol
|
A fusion of two identities; The symbol usually has some concrete form AND has an abstract concept of meaning. A symbol is anything that stands for something else. e.g. a flag
|
|
|
symbolism
|
The systematic use of recurrent symbols or images in a work to create an added level of meaning.
|
|
|
synecdoche
|
Describing something by substituting a part for the whole
|
|
|
theme
|
The overall meaning we derive from the poem, story, play, or essay.
|
|
|
thesis
|
The point of the essay
|
|
|
thesis statement
|
The main idea of an essay. Makes a general statement about the essay's topic and is usually 1-2 sentences long. Can appear in any part of the essay, but is most often in the introduction and next-most-often in the conclusion.
|
|
|
third person point of view
|
A non-participating narrator who provides the reader with all the emotions and ideas of one central character.
|
|
|
tone
|
An author's attitude toward his or her material. Writers may treat the subject seriously, playfully, ironically, informally, solemnly, satirically, or in many other ways.
|
|
|
tragedy
|
Classic tragedy follows the plight of a noble person who is flawed by a defect and whose actions cause him to break some moral law and suffer downfall and destruction
|
|
|
understatement
|
The opposite of hyperbole. Refers to a figure of speech that says less than is inteded. Understatement usually has an ironic effect, and sometimes may be used for comic purposes.
|
|
|
voice
|
the personality or style of the writer or narrator that seems to come to life in the words.
|
|
|
wit
|
Wit is a form of intellectual humour, based on manipulation of concepts.
|
