World Literature Mid-Term Review

Front 1

Alliteration

Back 1

the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. Example – “How craven so to strike me stricken so”. (China [Poetry])

Front 2

Allusion

Back 2

an implied or indirect reference in literature to a familiar person, place, or event. Example – The Sphinx in Oedipus the King. (Greece)

Front 3

Assonance

Back 3

the repetition of a vowel sound within non-rhyming words. Example – “The sinking moon floods the rafters of my room”. (China [Poetry])

Front 4

Characterization

Back 4

techniques writers use to develop characters. A writer may:
- describe a character’s physical appearance
- present the character’s actions, words, thoughts, or feelings
- present other characters’ reactions to the character
- make direct comments about the character
(Greece)

Front 5

General Setting

Back 5

refers to the time and place in which a story is told. Time refers to the year and also the historical period. This refers to the overall work of literature. (China [Novel])

Front 6

Imagery

Back 6

word and phrases that re-create a vivid sensory experience for the reader. Images are visual, but may also include small, hearing, taste, and touch. (China [Poetry])

Front 7

Immediate Setting

Back 7

the time and place of specific events within a work of literature. (China [Novel])

Front 8

Irony

Back 8

the humorous and scornful use of words to express the opposite of what one really means; what is said or written is not what is really meant. There are three types of irony:
- Verbal – the contrast between what is said and what is meant. Most sarcastic comments are examples of verbal irony.
- Dramatic – the contrast between what the character thinks to be true and what the readers know to be true.
- Situational – the contrast between what happens and what was expected.
(Greece)

Front 9

Metaphor

Back 9

a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are basically unlike, but have something in common. Unlike a simile, a metaphor does not contain the words like or as. (China [Poetry])

Front 10

Mood

Back 10

the feeling, or atmosphere, that a writer creates for the reader. The writer’s use of connotation, imagery, and figurative language, as well as sound and rhythm, help to develop it. (China [Poetry])

Front 11

Point of View

Back 11

the perspective from which an author tells a story. There are three different types:
- First Person – the narrator is a participant in the action and is often the protagonist. The reader only sees what the protagonist sees.
- Second Person – indicates the writer is the speaker or narrator.
- Third Person – usually a nameless narrator who can be identified as the author.
- Third Person Omniscient – a godlike narrator; he or she can enter the characters’ minds and know everything that is going on – past, present and future.
(China [Novel])

Front 12

Rhyme

Back 12

when the sounds of words accented vowels and all succeeding sounds are identical. (China [Poetry])

Front 13

Rhyme Scheme

Back 13

the pattern of end rhymes in a poem. The pattern is charted by assigning a letter of the alphabet, beginning with letter a, to each line. Lines that rhyme are given the same letter. (China [Poetry])

Front 14

Rhythm

Back 14

refers to the pattern or beat of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. (China [Poetry])

Front 15

Simile

Back 15

a figure of speech that compares two things that are basically unlike, yet have something in common. Unlike a metaphor, which implies or suggests a comparison, a simile states it by means of the words like or as. (China [Poetry])

Front 16

Style

Back 16

the particular way in which a piece of literature is written. Style is not what is said, instead it is how it is said. (Middle East)

Front 17

Tone

Back 17

an expression of a writer’s attitude toward a subject. It reflects the writer’s feelings and should not shape the reader’s emotions. (China [Poetry])

Front 18

Tragic Hero

Back 18

a hero who has the potential for greatness, but is doomed to fail. He is trapped in a situation where he cannot win. They are born into nobility, responsible for their own fate, endowed with a tragic flaw, and domed to make a serious error in judgment. Eventually, he faces a tragic death with honor. Example – Oedipus. (Greece)

Front 19

Tragic Flaw

Back 19

refers to the personality trait of a tragic hero that leads to the hero’s downfall. A character with a tragic flaw is in need of some kind of attitude adjustment. Example – Oedipus. (Greece)

Front 20

Visualization

Back 20

occurs when the reader forms a mental image or picture of what he or she read. It appeals to the five senses. (China [Poetry])

Front 21

Anecdotes

Back 21

A brief story that focuses on a single revealing event, sometimes taken from the life of a real person. The event is meant to illustrate a particular truth or teaching. (China)

Front 22

Didactic Literature

Back 22

Literature that instructs its readers. Writers use it to teach lessons about how to live a moral life. Writers communicate their views about what is right and wrong by focusing on qualities such as honesty, courage, wisdom, and kindness. Sometimes they state their ideas directly; at other times, they present their teachings through examples. These teachings are expressed in various forms, including maxims, anecdotes, and parables. (China)

Front 23

Flashback

Back 23

An interruption of the chronological sequence of an event of earlier occurrence. It allows the reader to present past events during current events, in order to provide background for the current narration. (Middle East)

Front 24

Flashforward

Back 24

An interjected scene that takes the narrative forward in time from the current point in the story. They are often used to represent events expected, projected, or imagined to occur in the future. (Middle East)

Front 25

Maxim

Back 25

Short, concise statement that expresses a general truth or rule of conduct. Maxims condense important ideas into memorable language that gets the reader’s attention. Some maxims are phrased in a particularly pointed way. Because of their clever but simple structure they are easy to recall and memorize. (China)

Front 26

Parable

Back 26

A brief story that is meant to teach a lesson or illustrate a moral truth. A parable is more than a simple story, however. Each detail of the parable corresponds to some aspect of the problem or moral dilemma it deals with. (China)

Front 27

Paradox

Back 27

A statement that seems to contradict itself, but actually reveals some element of truth. Example: “The Tao never does anything, yet through it all things are done.” (China)

Front 28

Parallelism

Back 28

The use of similar grammatical constructions to express ideas that are related or equal in importance. The parallel elements may be words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs. (Middle East)

Front 29

Symbolism

Back 29

A person, place, object, or activity that represents something beyond itself. Certain symbols are commonly used in literature and others acquire their meanings within the context of the works in which they occur. (Greece)