World Lit Final Lit Terms

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act

Back 1

A major division in a play. Often, individual acts are divided into smaller units ("scenes") that all take place in a specific location. EX: Midsummer night dreams

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allegory

Back 2

-any writing in verse or prose that has a double meaning.
- metaphor in which persons, abstract ideas, or events also stand for something else on the symbolic level.
EX: Dante's Inferno and MidSummer Night Dreams

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alliteration

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The repetition of INITIAL CONSONANT sounds in neighboring words.
-might be seen in cliches

Example:
-sweet smell of success,
- a dime a dozen,
-bigger and better,
- "buckets of big blue berries"
-"She sells seashells by the seashore" .

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allusion

Back 4

A reference to another person, place, event, or another passage of literature, often without explicit identification.

EX: The girl's love of sweets was her Achilles heel," referencing the warrior in Greek mythology, Achilles,
- Utopian discord
- A Pearl Harbor sneak-attack
- All roads lead to Rome (often an idiom)
- A Draconian law
-You must borrow me Gargantua's mouth first. 'Tis a word too great for any mouth of this age's size. --Shakespeare
- If you take his parking place, you can expect World War II all over again.
# Plan ahead: it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.

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assonance

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The REPETITION OF VOWEL SOUNDS in sequence of nearby words (2 or more)
, when the consonant sounds preceding and following these vowels do not agree.

-Thus, strike and grind, hat and man, 'rime' with each other according to the laws of assonance."
- "The monster spoke in a low mellow tone" has assonance in its repetition of the "o" sound.

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blank verse

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Unrhymed lines of TEN SYLLABLES each with accent on every other syllable.

. the most "natural" verse form, close to natural rhythms of English speech,
Used in parts of Midsummer Nights
Theseus and Hippolyta speak in a blank verse, which is unrhymed verse based on the iambic pentameter line.

Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon: but O, methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,
Like to a step-dame or a dowager
Long withering-out a young man's revenue.

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canto

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A sub-division of an epic or narrative poem comparable to a chapter in a novel.

Examples include the divisions in Dante's Divine Comedy

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central and supporting ideas

Back 8

the main ideas and concepts of the book

and its supporting details

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characterization

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how the writers present the characters. Presented through their speech, actions, their description, dialogue, dialect.

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Comedy

Back 10

A type of drama in which there is a problem and , yet it offers the audience a release thru laughter, Happy ending (marriage, good ending) 3 marriages in a midsummer’s night dream

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consonance

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A repeated pattern of consonants with changes in the vowels

EX: linger, longer, languor,rider, reader,raider, and ruder.
- march, lurch
-urn and shorn,
- irk and torque
( you use the same consonant with different vowels)

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couplet or RHYMING COUPLET

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Two rhyming lines of the same length - ex Midsummer Night - the lovers (some times):

Take comfort: he no more shall see my face;
Lysander and myself will fly this place.
Before the time I did Lysander see,
Seem'd Athens as a paradise to me.
O then what graces in my love do dwell,
That he hath turn'd a heaven unto a hell!

Through the forest have I gone;
But Athenian found I none
On whose eyes I might approve
This flower's force in stirring love.

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critical reading

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Careful analysis of an essay's or books structure and logic

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deduction

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when you have a set of information, and base of logic, and you can reach a further conclusion (inference)

EX All men are mortal. Joe is a man. Therefore Joe is mortal.

If the first two statements are true, then the conclusion must be true.

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dialogue

Back 15

The conversation of characters in a literary work.

In fiction, dialogue is typically enclosed within quotation marks.

In plays, characters' speech is preceded by their names.

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dramatic tension

Back 16

Conflict in a story, characters in conflict with each other (dramatic conflict creates, narrative). EX: most of the short stories

EX: fat lady in Dissapearing has tension with her husband

Front 17

effectiveness of the text

Back 17

did the reading make an impact on the reader. Did the reader fully understand the text? -

Writing is effective is the reader has clear understanding of the purpose of your document.
• What is your purpose in writing the document?
• What purpose should the document serve for your reader?
• Is your main point stated early in the document?
• What do you want your reader to do when s/he finishes reading the document?


Also, books that have a CLEAR moral message EX: Dissapearing

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epilogue

Back 18

The concluding section of a poem or literary work designed to bring closure

-sometimes it's part of the scene, and sometimes the authors or actors speak direclty to the audience

In MidSummer Night's Dreams at the end Puck gives the following epilogue "Listen

If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber’d here
While these visions did appear...."

(some consider the whole 5th act and epilogue)

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extended simile

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a simile where you make more links and comparisons.

- Dante was a master of this.Dante’s simile grows into a separate narrative moment within the poem.
The most common one is when he talks about Homer - Dante doesn't really use "as" or "like". He uses it in Canto XXiV (lines 1-15)
In that part of the young year when the sun
begins to warm its locks beneath Aquarius
and nights grow shorter, equaling the days,
when hoarfrost mimes the image of his white
sister upon the ground - but not for long,
because the pen he uses is not sharp
the farmer who is short of fodder rises
and looks and sees the fields all white, at which
he slaps his thigh, turns back into the house,
and here and there complains like some poor wretch
who doesn't know what can be done, and then
goes out again and gathers up new hope
on seeing that the world has changed its face
in so few hours, and he takes his staff
and hurries out his flock of sheep to pasture.

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figurative language

Back 20

A form of language use in which writers and speakers convey something other than the literal meaning of their words.Examples include hyperbole or exaggeration, metaphors

EX: Dante -Fraud, which is a canker to every conscience,
may be practiced by a man on those who trust him,
and on those who have reposed no confidence. (Compares fraud to Canker diseased - metaphor)

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foreshadow

Back 21

when the author hints about what is going to happen late on in the book or story - EX:

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frame story

Back 22

is a narrative technique whereby an introductory main story is composed, at least in part, for the purpose of setting the stage for a fictive narrative or organizing a set of shorter stories, each of which is a story within a story.

The frame story leads readers from the first story into the smaller one within it. Ex Midsummer Night - the story of the wedding leads to the story of the lovers and the story of the play

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hyperbaton

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a change in the usual arrangement of words, often inverted word order

EX: About suffering, they were never wrong, the old masters (instead of "The Old masters were never worng about suffering"

From his seat on the bench he saw the girl content-content with the promise that she could ride on the train again next week.

That is a story amazing.

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hyperbole

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An exaggerated statement used for effect and not to be taken literally

EX:: "We have packed a million things for our vacation"

Dante's ex: , Dante uses Hyperbole to describe the
landscape of the plunge into the first round of circle seven:

1 The scene that opens from the edge of the pit
2 was mountainous, and such a desolation
3 that every eye would shun the sight of it

not every single person on earth would “shun the sight”
of the first descent into circle seven of Hell. Some people might find this
huge monstrosity interesting and fascinating. So
“every eye would shun the sight of it” is the exaggerated point

Front 25

iambic pentameter

Back 25

An iambic pentameter is a line of five feet (a foot is two syllables), = 10 syllables,
in which the emphasis falls on the first syllable of the foot (every other syllable has an accent)

For example, see the opening lines of the play:

Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon: but O, methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes! She lingers my desires,
Like to a step-dame or a dowager
Long withering-out a young man's revenue.

"Four níghts/will quíck/ly dréam/ awáy/ the tíme."

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imagery (sensory detail)

Back 26

when writers use a lot of descriptive language to create an image in the readers head that will create an image Ex: Dante at the end with Satan
Satan is described as having three horrendous faces, a sickly green one, a red one, and a black one. His wings are like a bats in texture, but exponentially larger. In his mouth he eternally chews three sinners while drooling bloody froth and pus. The icy lake Satan is trapped in is polluted with gore and saliva. His size is that of a towering monster; he is big enough for Dante and Virgil to climb his back and escape hell

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in media res

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in the middle of things.It usually describes a narrative that begins, not at the beginning of a story, but somewhere in the middle — usually at some crucial point in the action.

Ex: Dante is already in Hell (but we don't know why)

wedding taking place in Midsummer Night Dreams

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line

Back 28

a row of words

Front 29

links to prior learning

Back 29

connections of the book with other things in our present lives

Front 30

literal language

Back 30

Literal language refers to words that do not deviate from their meaning in the dictionary

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Masque

Back 31

'dumb shows,' in the old days whose chief attraction consisted in splendid costumes and decorations, in music and dances, and which were only gradually furnished with dialogue.

the object of masques was to celebrate marriages in high life and similar occasions,

EX; the play in Midsummer Night Dreams

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Melpomene

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"Muse of Tragedy" In Greek mythology, She was the muse of tragedy, despite her joyous singing. She is often represented with a tragic mask.

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metaphor

Back 33

A comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as", usually using the verb "to be". Shakespeare employs a wide range of metaphor in his sonnets and his plays,

EX:"Fraud, which is a canker to every conscience, - Dante

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morality

Back 34

moral conduct that dictates right and wrong

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narrative

Back 35

writing that tells a story

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narrative tension

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suspense in the story, and curiosity (which the reader feels).

narrative tension is what keeps the reader reading, because they're wondering what's going to happen next.

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personification

Back 37

When you talk about something that is not human as if it were by giving it a human quality.
EX: The Sun smiles at earth.

The wind stood up and gave a shout.
He whistled on his fingers and
Kicked the withered leaves about
And thumped the branches with his hand
And said he'd kill and kill and kill,
And so he will and so he will.

# The ship began to creak and protest as it struggled against the rising sea.
# We bought this house instead of the one on Maple because this one is more friendly.
# This coffee is strong enough to get up and walk away.

Front 38

plot

Back 38

The sequence of events in a literary work. The arrangement of events in a story is called the _______.

Front 39

poetic depth

Back 39

when a written work has a lot of figurative language a real deep meaning. EX: Dante

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point of view

Back 40

The "person" in which a story is told. The choice of point of view determines the type and amount of information the author reveals. There are three main types of narrators: First person, Third person Omniscient, and Third person limited. Could also have 2nd person

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prologue

Back 41

the introduction of a story
is a preface to the story, setting up the story, giving background information and other miscellaneous information.

-used by Greeks

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prose

Back 42

writing that resembles everyday speech.

Prose generally lacks the formal structure of meter or rhyme which is typical of poetry; instead it is composed of full sentences, usually divided into paragraphs.

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rhetorical situation

Back 43

the context (setting) in which you are writing in - the audience you are writing to

You need to gear your writing to your topic/situation/audience.

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rhythm

Back 44

a series of sounds that form a pattern

musical quality produced by the repetition of stressed and unstressed syllables

Front 45

scene

Back 45

stage in the story that has unity of time, place, actions. (same time and place)

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second person familiar

Back 46

the use of thou / thee/ thy / thine

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setting

Back 47

the time and place an action occurs

Front 48

simile

Back 48

A figure of speech involving a comparison between unlike things using "like", "as", or "as though". An example: "My love is like a red, red rose." "He is as quick as a cat"

Front 49

soliloquy

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A speech in a play that is meant to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on the stage. If there are no other characters present, the soliloquy represents the character thinking aloud.

Front 50

stanza

Back 50

A division or unit of a poem that is repeated in the same form--either with similar or identical patterns or rhyme and meter, or with variations from one stanza to another. (the equivalent of a paragraph in a poem)

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story cycle

Back 51

"a collection of short stories that go together to have a bigger meaning - but each story must be able to stand on its own too

Ex - in Bigfoot -he tells us the story of when his trailer washed away in a flood - to point to his dementia

in Midsummer Nite - story of the wedding, play and lovers

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story within a story

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EX: Midsummer Nights - there is a play within the play (at the wedding) -"ox and donkey" "fisherman and jinee", more of a connection in terms of theme or idea.

Front 53

tenor

Back 53

Tenor

The tenor in a metaphor is the original subject.

If I say 'you are a dog', then you are the tenor.

If I say 'It's a dog day', then the tenor is the day.

Front 54

terza rima

Back 54

Dante's poetic form, the terza rima,

Terza rima utilizes three-line stanzas,
which combine iambic meter with a propulsive rhyme scheme.
- Within each stanza, the first and third lines rhyme, the middle line having a different end sound; the end sound of this middle line then rhymes with the first and third lines of the next stanza.

The rhyme scheme thus runs aba bcb cdc ded efe, and so forth.writing terza rima stanzas, which depend so heavily on available rhymes, proves punishingly difficult in English. To circumvent this difficulty, most translators of The Divine Comedy sidestep the terza rima form, choosing to translate either in prose or unrhymed blank verse.

Front 55

Thalia

Back 55

muse of Comedy

Front 56

the five narrative modes

Back 56

1)description - describes things, places, people
2 ) dialogue - presents the speech of characters
3) thought/feelings - presents what characters are thinking or feeling
4) action - presents what is happening
5) expository - provides background information on the story so it can be understood.

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tragedy

Back 57

A type of drama in which the characters (specially the hero) have some kind of catastrophe or suffering -

Ex: Dissapearing - she wants to die at the end

Front 58

types of reasoning, evidence, and technique

Back 58

"ways to prove your points about the book: EX: page #, line# when so and so said this… or when this happened…

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unique

Back 59

something that is not ordinary or common -

- a writing that not many people can relate to

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unity of place, time, action

Back 60

- every scene has these, unlimited by these

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universal

Back 61

something big that affects everyone

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vehicle

Back 62

part of the mataphor that the subject (tenor) is compared to-

ie My heart is a withering rose (rose is the vehicle) - in Midsummer Nights comparing Helena to a rose

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vulgate

Back 63

The Vulgate is an early Fifth Century version of the Bible in Latin,

It inspired Dante in writing the the "Devine Comedy"

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Antagonist

Back 64

Is the main villain, the character against the protagonist.

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Character

Back 65

An imaginary person that inhabits a literary work. Literary characters may be major or minor, static (unchanging) or dynamic (capable of change). In Shakespeare's Othello, Desdemona is a major character, but one who is static, like the minor character Bianca. Othello is a major character who is dynamic, exhibiting an ability to change.

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COUPLET

Back 66

Two lines--the second line immediately following the first--of the same metrical length that end in a rhyme to form a complete unit. (Two rhyming lines with the same number of feet)

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Diction

Back 67

The selection of words in a literary work. A work's diction forms one of its centrally important literary elements, as writers use words to convey action, reveal character, imply attitudes, identify themes, and suggest values. We can speak of the diction particular to a character, as in Iago's and Desdemona's very different ways of speaking in Othello. We can also refer to a poet's diction as represented over the body of his or her work, as in Donne's or Hughes's diction.

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free verse

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Poetry that does not have a regular pattern or rhyme scheme.

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Irony

Back 69

A contrast or discrepancy between what is said and what is meant or between what happens and what is expected to happen in life and in literature. In verbal irony, characters say the opposite of what they mean. In irony of circumstance or situation, the opposite of what is expected occurs. In dramatic irony, a character speaks in ignorance of a situation or event known to the audience or to the other characters. Flannery O'Connor's short stories employ all these forms of irony, as does Poe's "Cask of Amontillado."

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motif

Back 70

A motif is a detail within the story that repeats itself throughout the work.

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Personification

Back 71

Giving human characteristics to animals or objects.

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Protagonist

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The main character of a literary work--Hamlet and Othello in the plays named after them, Gregor Samsa in Kafka's Metamorphosis, Paul in Lawrence's "Rocking-Horse Winner."

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Suspense

Back 73

A feeling of uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work. Writers create suspense by raising questions in the minds of their readers.

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Symbol

Back 74

An object or action in a literary work that means more than itself, that stands for something beyond itself. The glass unicorn in The Glass Menagerie, the rocking horse in "The Rocking-Horse Winner," the road in Frost's "The Road Not Taken"--all are symbols in this sense.

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Theme

Back 75

A central message or insight in to life revealed through a literary work

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Tone

Back 76

The implied attitude of a writer toward the subject and characters of a work, as, for example, Flannery O'Connor's ironic tone in her "Good Country People." See Irony.

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Understatement

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A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker says less than what he or she means; the opposite of exaggeration. The last line of Frost's "Birches" illustrates this literary device: "One could do worse than be a swinger of birches."