English Lit

Front 1

Legend

Back 1

A non historical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition

Front 2

Limited omniscient point of view

Back 2

Third person omniscient is a point of view where the narrator does not know all the thoughts, actions, and feelings of all characters.

Front 3

Literal language

Back 3

What is said is based exactly in reality without the comparisons used in figurative language.

Front 4

Lyric

Back 4

Any short poem intended mainly to express a state of mind or feeling.

Front 5

Melodrama

Back 5

A drama that has stereotyped characters, exaggerated emotions, and a conflict that pits an all-good hero/heroine against an all-evil villain. The good always win and the evil are always punished.

Front 6

Metaphor

Back 6

A comparison between two things which are essentially dissimilar. The comparison is implied rather than directly stated.

Front 7

Meter

Back 7

Any regular pattern of rhythm based on stressed and unstressed syllables.

Front 8

Monologue

Back 8

An extended speech by one person

Front 9

Mood

Back 9

A literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions. Usually, it is referred to as the atmosphere of a literary piece, as it creates an emotional setting that surrounds the readers.

Front 10

Mystery Story or Whodunit

Back 10

This is a suspense story which contains a crime and a solution by a detective. Good mysteries contain intriguing plots and "red herrings" or false clues or suspects.

Front 11

Myth

Back 11

a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.

Front 12

Narrative

Back 12

This is another word for a story. They have the following elements: plot, conflict, characters, setting, point of view, and theme. They may be fictional or non-fictional, and include novels and (auto) biographies as well as short stories and anecdotes

Front 13

Narrator

Back 13

The person who tells the story.

Front 14

Narration

Back 14

The action or process of narrating a story.

Front 15

Ode

Back 15

A lyric poem of some length, serious in subject and dignified in style

Front 16

Octave

Back 16

A group of eight lines of poetry.

Front 17

Onomatopoeia

Back 17

The use of words which sound like what they mean. Example: Sizzle sounds like steak in a frying pan.

Front 18

Oxymoron

Back 18

Two words placed together which are contridictory yet have truth in them. Example: Jumbo Shrimp, Pretty Ugly.

Front 19

Paradox

Back 19

This is a statement in which there is an apparent contradiction but when carefully considered is actually true.

Front 20

Parody

Back 20

A work designed to ridicule the style and substance of another literary work.

Front 21

Parallelism

Back 21

Is the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning, or meter.

Front 22

Passive Voice

Back 22

A grammatical construction (specifically, a voice) in which the noun that would be the object of an active sentence is the subject. Example: "The ball was thrown by the pitcher."

Front 23

Pastoral

Back 23

A literary work that has to do with shepards and rustic settings. An example is "Sweet Afton" by Robert Burns.

Front 24

Pathos

Back 24

Taken from the Greek root word for suffering or deep feeling. It occurs when the audience experiences the emotions of pity, tenderness, or sorrow.

Front 25

Personal essay

Back 25

It is a short work of autobiographical nonfiction characterized by a sense of intimacy and a conversational manner. It can be based on a personal experience that results in a lesson that you learn.

Front 26

Personification

Back 26

Giving the attributes of a human being to an animal, an object, or an idea. It is really a subtype of metaphor, implying a comparison between two dissimilar things.

Front 27

Persuasive essay

Back 27

Also known as the argument essay, utilizes logic and reason to show that one idea is more legitimate than another idea. It attempts to persuade a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular action.

Front 28

Persuasive technique

Back 28

It is a literary technique that writers use to present their ideas through reason and logic, in order to influence the audience. It may simply use an argument to persuade the readers, or sometimes may persuade readers to perform a certain action.

Front 29

Plot

Back 29

The storyline or organization of incidents in a story.

Front 30

Point of view

Back 30

It is the mode of narration that an author employs to let the reader “hear” and “see” what takes place in a story, poem, or essay.

Front 31

Pro and Con argument

Back 31

An argument which considers both the advantages and disadvantages of a certain topic.

Front 32

Prologue

Back 32

This is an introductory speech preceding the action of a play or scene.

Front 33

Propaganda

Back 33

It is the spreading of rumors, false or correct information, in support of a cause. The word is often used in a negative sense.

Front 34

Protagonist

Back 34

The main character in a story.

Front 35

Proverb

Back 35

It is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that expresses a truth based on common sense or experience. They are often metaphorical. Example: "Don't cry over spilt milk."

Front 36

Purpose

Back 36

It is the main effect the story is meant to achieve. It may include theme, but should not be equated to the story's main idea. Stories may have more than one of these.

Front 37

Pun

Back 37

This is a play on words in which a word or phrase can be taken to mean more than one thing

Front 38

Quatrain

Back 38

A four-line stanza which may be rhymed or unrhymed.

Front 39

Q and A

Back 39

A format for presenting information consisting of a series of questions followed by their answers. It is the part of a meeting or presentation during which someone answers questions from people in attendance.

Front 40

Refrain

Back 40

A phrase or verse repeated regularly.

Front 41

Repetition

Back 41

The repeated use of key words, phrases, stanzas, or sounds in a poem.

Front 42

Research

Back 42

The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.

Front 43

Resolution

Back 43

The solving of all conflicts in the story.

Front 44

Rhetorical question

Back 44

A question asked solely to produce an effect but not to elicit a reply.

Front 45

Rhyme

Back 45

A correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, especially when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry.

Front 46

Rhyme Scheme

Back 46

Any pattern of rhymes in poetry.

Front 47

Rhythm

Back 47

A series of stressed or accented syllables in a group of words, arranged so that the reader expects a similar series to follow.

Front 48

Rising Action

Back 48

Consists of the events preceding the climax. During this stage of the story, background information is given, conflicts are introduced, and suspense is built up - even moments of crisis can occur.

Front 49

Round Character

Back 49

A realistic character having several sides to their nature.

Front 50

Sarcasm

Back 50

It is the opposite of what is meant is stated in order to intentially hurt someone's feelings.

Front 51

Satire

Back 51

The ridicule of an idea, person, or type, sometimes in order to provoke change. Usually mocks human vices or foibles.

Front 52

Sestet

Back 52

A group of six-lines of poetry.

Front 53

Setting

Back 53

The time and place in which a story is place; however, it can also include social statuses, weather, historical period, and details about immediate surroundings. This can be real or fictional, or a combination of both real and fictional elements.

Front 54

Simile

Back 54

A comparison between two things which are essentially dissimilar. The comparison is directly stated through words such as like, as than, similar to, or resembles.

Front 55

Slang

Back 55

Words and phrases of a forceful and novel type used especially in speech but not accepted as part of the standard language.

Front 56

Soliloquy

Back 56

The utterance of a character who talks to them self, and is unaware of any hearers who may be present. Usually used in drama to allow audience insight into a character's innermost feelings, or to give audience essential information.

Front 57

Sonnet

Back 57

A fourteen-line poem following a strict rhyme scheme and meter.

Front 58

Speaker

Back 58

The "voice" which seems to be telling the poem. More like a narrator, it is not the same as the poet.

Front 59

Stanza

Back 59

Essentially a poem paragraph. The division of sections of poetry by spacing.

Front 60

Stream of Conciousness

Back 60

A modern technique for depicting thoughts and feelings of a character in an apparently natural way without a logic or interruption. The author using this deliberately includes important details relevant to plot character and theme.

Front 61

Statistical Evidence

Back 61

Using statistics, numbers and graphs to support an argument.

Front 62

Static Character

Back 62

This is a character who does not change in the course of a story. Often, protagonist who are these type of characters fail to achieve their goals or are defeated by their unwillingness to change or adapt.

Front 63

Stereotype

Back 63

Is a character or object, with generalized traits (characteristics that make the character a group representative rather than an individual). Writers sometimes use these as minor characters. These are usually depicted as negative.

Front 64

Stock/Stereotyped Character

Back 64

Is one which relies heavily on cultural types or names for his or her personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics. In their most general form, these characters are narrowly defined, often by one exaggerated trait.

Front 65

Story within a Story

Back 65

Is a literary device in which one character within a narrative narrates.

Front 66

Style

Back 66

The individual manner in which an author expresses his or her thoughts and feelings in a story.

Front 67

Stylistic Technique

Back 67

Enhhances a piece of writing’s aesthetic, emotional or intellectual appeal.

Front 68

Subjective

Back 68

Based on or influenced by personal feeling, tastes, or opinions.

Front 69

Suspense

Back 69

The feeling of anxiety and uncertainty experienced by the reader about the outcome of events or the protagonist's destiny.

Front 70

Symbol

Back 70

Has two levels of meaning, a literal level and a figurative level. Characters, objects, events, and settings can all be this in that they represent something else beyond themselves.

Front 71

Symbolism

Back 71

Can take many forms including: A figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning. The actions of a character, word, action, or event that have a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story.

Front 72

Theme

Back 72

The central idea of a story. It is the author's idea about life and can be implied or directly stated through the voice of a character or through the narrator. Should not be confused with moral or plot.

Front 73

Suprise Ending

Back 73

Introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome near the end in a work of fiction.

Front 74

Thesis Statement

Back 74

Is usually one sentence that summarizes the main point or claim of an essay, research paper, etc., and is developed, supported, and explained in the text by means of examples and evidence.

Front 75

Thesis

Back 75

A statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.

Front 76

Third Person Point of View

Back 76

Uses pronouns such as he, she, it, and they to describe characters in a story. Has a "God-like"perspective, telling the story "outside" the story.

Front 77

Tone

Back 77

Is the author's attitude toward his / her subject or readers.

Front 78

Tragedy

Back 78

Is a drama that gives the audience and experience of catharsis or cleansing of emotions.

Front 79

Understatement

Back 79

Is saying less than what you mean in the service of truth. It is paradoxical that one can emphasize a truth either by overstating it or by understanding it.

Front 80

Voice

Back 80

The creating, ordering artistic intelligence that we recognize behind any narrator.

Front 81

Wit

Back 81

Intellectually amusing statements.