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139 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Absolute |
a word free from limitations or qualifications |
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Adage |
a familiar proverb or wise saying |
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Ad hominem Argument |
an argument attacking an individual's character rather than his or her position on an issue |
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Allegory |
a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
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Alliteration |
the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words |
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Allusion |
the reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize |
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Analogy |
a comparison of two different things that are alike in some way |
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Anaphora |
the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences |
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Anecdote |
a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event |
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Antecedent |
the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers |
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Antithesis |
a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced |
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Aphorism |
a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance |
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Apostrophe |
a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction |
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Archetype |
a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response |
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Argument |
a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work |
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Asyndeton |
a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions |
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Balanced Sentence |
a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast |
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Bathos |
insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity |
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Chiasmus |
a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second is structurally reversed |
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Cliche |
an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off |
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Climax |
the point off highest interest in a literary work |
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Colloquialism |
informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing |
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Complex Sentence |
a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause |
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Compound Sentence |
a sentence with two or more independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions |
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Conceit |
a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor |
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Concrete Details |
details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events |
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Connotation |
the implied or associative meaning of a word |
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Cumulative Sentence |
a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases |
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Declarative Sentence |
a sentence that makes a statement or declaration |
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Deductive Reasoning |
reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case |
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Denotation |
the literal meaning of a word |
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Dialect |
a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region |
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Dialogue |
conversation between two or more people |
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Diction |
the word choices made by a writer |
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Didactic |
having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing |
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Dilemma |
a situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives
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Dissonance |
harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds |
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Elegy |
a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme |
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Ellipsis |
the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context |
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Epic |
a long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation |
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Epigram |
a brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying |
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Epigraph |
a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work |
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Epiphany |
a moment of sudden revelation or insight |
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Epitaph |
an inscription on a tombstone or burial place
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Epithet |
a term used to point out a characteristic of a person |
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Eulogy |
a formal speech praising a person who has died |
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Euphemism |
an indirect. less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant |
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Exclamatory Sentence |
a sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark |
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Expletive |
an interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes a profanity |
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Fable |
a brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters |
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Fantasy |
a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters |
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Figurative Language |
language employing one or more figures of speech |
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Flashback |
the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative |
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Flat Character |
a character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story |
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Foreshadowing |
the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work |
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Frame Device |
a story within a story |
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Genre |
a major category or type of literature |
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Homily |
a sermon, or a moralistic lecture |
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Hubris |
excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy |
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Hyperbole |
intentional exaggeration to create an effect |
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Hypothetical Question |
a question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture or supposition |
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Idiom |
an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression
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Imagery |
the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses |
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Implication |
a suggestion an author or speaker makes without stating it directly |
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Inductive Reasoning |
deriving general principles from particular facts or instances |
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Inference |
a conclusion one draws based on premises or evidence |
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Invective |
an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack |
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Irony |
the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs
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Jargon |
the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession |
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Juxtaposition |
placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast |
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Legend |
a narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements |
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Limerick |
light verse consisting of five lines of regular rhythm in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme, and the second and third lines rhyme |
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Limited Narrator |
a narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts information to what is seen heard, thought, or felt by that one character |
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Literary License |
deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect |
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Litotes |
a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite |
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Malapropism |
the mistaken substitution of one word for another that sounds similar |
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Maxim |
a concise statement, often offering advise; an adage |
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Metaphor |
a direct comparison of two different things |
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Metonymy |
substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it |
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Mood |
the emotional atmosphere of a work |
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Motif |
a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works |
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Motivation |
a character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a character to act |
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Myth |
a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events |
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Narrative |
a story or narrated account |
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Narrator |
the one who tells the story |
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Non sequitur |
an inference that does not follow logically from the premises |
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Omniscient Narrator |
a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters
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Onomatopoeia |
a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds |
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Oxymoron |
an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined |
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Parable |
a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson |
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Paradox |
an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth |
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Parallelism |
the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms |
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Paraphrase
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a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity
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Parody |
a humorous imitation of a serious work |
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Parenthetical |
a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain |
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Pathos |
the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity |
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Pedantic |
characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship |
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Personification |
endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics |
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Philippic |
a strong verbal denunciation |
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Plot |
the action of a narrative or drama |
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Point of View |
the vantage point from which a story is told |
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Polysyndeton |
the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural |
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Pun |
a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings |
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Resolution |
the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax |
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Rhetoric |
the art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner |
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Rhetorical Question |
a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer |
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Rhetorical Devices |
literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression |
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Riddle |
a question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum |
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Romantic |
a term describing character of literary work that reflects the characteristics of Romanticism. the literary movement beginning in the late 18th century that stressed emotion, imagination, and individualism |
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Round Character |
a character who demonstrated some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of the work |
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Sarcasm |
harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule |
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Satire |
the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions |
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Scapegoat |
a person or group that bears the blame for another |
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Scene |
a real or fictional episode; a division of an act in a play |
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Setting |
the time, place, and environment in which action takes place |
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Simile |
a comparison of two things using "like," "as," or other specifically comparative words |
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Simple Sentence |
a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause |
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Solecism |
nonstandard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rule |
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Structure |
the arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work |
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Style |
the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work |
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Surrealism |
an artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongruous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control |
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Syllepsis |
a construction in which one word is used in two different senses |
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Syllogism |
a three part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and a minor one |
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Symbol |
an object that is used to represent something else |
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Synecdoche |
using one part of an object to represent the entire object |
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Synesthesia or Synaesthesia |
describing one kind of sensation in terms of another |
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Syntax |
the manner in which words are arranged into sentences |
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Tautology |
needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding |
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Theme |
a central idea of a work |
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Thesis |
the primary position taken by a writer or speaker |
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Tone |
the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience |
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Topic |
the subject treated in a paragraph or work |
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Tragedy |
a work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin or destruction |
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Trilogy |
a work in three parts, each of which is a complete work in itself |
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Trite |
overused and hackneyed |
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Turning Point |
the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs |
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Understatement |
the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis |
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Usage |
the customary way language or its elements are used |
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Vernacular |
the everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage |