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60 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Allegory |
Where every aspect of a story is representative, usually symbolic, of something else, usually a larger abstract concept or important historical/geopolitical event. |
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Alliteration |
The repetition of consonant sounds within close proximity, usually in consecutive words within the same sentence or line. |
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Allusion |
A reference to a famous person or event in life or literature. |
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Analogy |
The comparison of two pairs which have the same relationship. |
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Anastrophe |
Also known as inversion, it is a sentence or a poetic expression which reverses or changes the order of words for greater emphasis. |
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Antagonist |
Counterpart to the main character and source of a story’s main conflict. The person may not be “bad” or “evil” by any conventional moral standard, but he/she opposes the protagonist in a significant way. |
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Anthropomorphism |
Where animals or inanimate objects are portrayed in a story as people, such as by walking, talking, or being given arms, legs, facial features, human locomotion or other anthropoid form. |
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Assonance |
Repetition of a vowel sound to achieve a particular kind of effect. |
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Blank verse |
Non-rhyming poetry, usually written in iambic pentameter. |
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Character |
The people who inhabit and take part in a story. |
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Characterization |
The author’s means of conveying to the reader a character’s personality, life history, values, physical attributes, etc. |
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Climax |
The turning point in a story, at which the end result becomes inevitable, usually where something suddenly goes terribly wrong; the “dramatic high point” of a story. |
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Conflict |
A struggle between opposing forces which is the driving force of a story. |
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Connotation |
A word or picture that brings to mind automatically other associations; it adds another meaning, or Dimension. |
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Consonance |
When consonant sounds at the end of a stressed syllable are repeated |
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Context |
Conditions, including facts, social/historical background, time and place, etc., surrounding a given situation. |
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Creative license |
Exaggeration or alteration of objective facts or reality, for the purpose of enhancing meaning in a fictional context. |
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Dialogue |
Where characters speak to one another; may often be used to substitute for Exposition. |
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Dramatic irony |
Where the audience or reader is aware of something important, of which the characters in the story are not aware. |
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Exposition |
Where an author interrupts a story in order to explain something, usually to provide important background information. |
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Figurative language |
Any use of language where the intended meaning differs from the actual literal meaning of the words themselves. |
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Foil |
A character who is meant to represent characteristics, values, ideas, etc. which are directly and diametrically opposed to those of another character, usually the protagonist. |
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Foreshadowing |
Where future events in a story, or perhaps the outcome, are suggested by the author before they happen. |
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Hyperbole |
A description which exaggerates, usually employing extremes and/or superlatives to convey a positive or negative attribute; “hype.” |
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Iambic pentameter |
A poetic meter wherein each line contains ten syllables, as five repetitions of a two-syllable pattern in which the pronunciation emphasis is on the second syllable. |
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Imagery |
Language which describes something in detail, using words to substitute for and create sensory stimulation, including visual imagery and sound imagery. |
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Irony (a.k.a. Situational irony) |
Where an event occurs which is unexpected, in the sense that it is somehow in absurd or mocking opposition to what would be expected or appropriate. |
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Metaphor |
A direct relationship where one thing or idea substitutes for another. |
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Metonymy |
Is a figure of speech used in rhetoric in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept. |
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Mood |
The atmosphere or emotional condition created by the piece, within the setting. It refers to the general sense or feeling which the reader is supposed to get from the text; it does not, as a literary element, refer to the author's or characters' state of mind. |
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Motif |
A recurring important idea or image. |
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Onomatopoeia |
Where sounds are spelled out as words; or, when words describing sounds actually sound like the sounds they describe. |
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Oxymoron |
A contradiction in terms. |
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Paradox |
Where a situation is created which cannot possibly exist, because different elements of it cancel each other out. |
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Parallelism |
Use of similar or identical language, structures, events or ideas in different parts of a text. |
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Personification (I) |
Where inanimate objects or abstract concepts are seemingly endowed with human self-awareness; where human thoughts, actions, perceptions and emotions are directly attributed to inanimate objects or abstract ideas. |
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Personification (II) |
Where an abstract concept, such as a particular human behavior or a force of nature, is represented as a person. |
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Plot |
Sequence of events in a story. Most literary essay tasks will instruct the writer to “avoid plot summary;” the term is therefore rarely useful for response or critical analysis. |
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Point-of-view |
The identity of the narrative voice; the person or entity through whom the reader experiences the story. |
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Protagonist |
The main character in a story, the one with whom the reader is meant to identify. |
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Pun |
It is an idea or expression which has two meanings implied at the same time. Quite often is used to pass a witty remark or bring about a sarcastic effect. |
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Register |
A variety of a language used for a particular purpose (jargon) or in a particular setting (British English vs American English vs Caribbean English vs Australian English), formal vs Informal. |
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Repetition |
Where a specific word, phrase, or structure is repeated several times, usually in close proximity, to emphasize a particular idea. |
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Rhythm |
The up & down, high & low series of emphases in Speech. |
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Meter |
Meter is regular rhythm, as in poetry or Music. |
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Rhyme |
A word that corresponds with another in sound, esp. end sound |
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Setting |
The time and place where a story occurs. |
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Simile |
An indirect relationship where one thing or idea is described as being similar to another; usually contain the words “like” or “as,” but not always. |
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Speaker |
The “voice” of a poem; not to be confused with the poet him/herself. |
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Structure |
The manner in which the various elements of a story are assembled. |
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Style |
The way in which a work of literature is written. The jargon/words chosen to be used by the author; sentence forms; syntax; tone. |
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Symbolism |
The use of specific objects or images to represent abstract ideas -- must be something tangible or visible, while the idea it refers to must be something abstract or universal. |
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Theme |
The main idea or message conveyed by the piece. |
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Tone |
The apparent emotional state, or “attitude,” of the speaker /narrator/ narrative voice, as conveyed through the language of the piece; refers only to the narrative voice; not to the author or characters. |
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Tragedy |
Where a story ends with a negative or unfortunate outcome which was essentially avoidable, usually caused by a flaw in the central character’s personality. |
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Tragic hero/tragic figure |
A protagonist who comes to a bad end as a result of his own behavior, usually caused by a specific personality disorder or character flaw. |
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Tragic flaw |
The single characteristic (usually negative) or personality disorder which causes the downfall of the protagonist. |
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Verbal irony |
Where the meaning of a specific expression is, or is intended to be, the exact opposite of what the words literally mean. |
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Anaphora |
The deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect. |
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Epiphora |
A stylistic device in which a word or a phrase is repeated at the end of successive clauses. |
