Sat Ii Literature Vocab

Front 1

blank verse

Back 1

unrhymed verse, esp. the unrhymed iambic pentameter most frequently used in English dramatic, epic, and reflective verse.

Front 2

couplet

Back 2

a pair of successive lines of verse, esp. a pair that rhyme and are of the same length.

Front 3

heroic couplet

Back 3

a stanza consisting of two rhyming lines in iambic pentameter, esp. one forming a rhetorical unit and written in an elevated style, as, Know then thyself, presume not God to scan/The proper study of Mankind is Man.

Front 4

sonnet

Back 4

a poem, properly expressive of a single, complete thought, idea, or sentiment, of 14 lines, usually in iambic pentameter, with rhymes arranged according to one of certain definite schemes, being in the strict or Italian form divided into a major group of 8 lines (the octave) followed by a minor group of 6 lines (the sestet), and in a common English form into 3 quatrains followed by a couplet.

Front 5

allegory

Back 5

a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.

Front 6

anastrophe

Back 6

inversion of the usual order of words

Front 7

anthropomorphism

Back 7

Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena

Front 8

antihero(ine)

Back 8

a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose, and the like.

Front 9

ballad

Back 9

A narrative poem, often of folk origin and intended to be sung, consisting of simple stanzas and usually having a refrain.

Front 10

concrete poetry

Back 10

poetry in which effects are created by the physical arrangement of words in patterns or forms rather than by the use of traditional language structure

Front 11

dénouement

Back 11

the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel

Front 12

elegy

Back 12

a mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, esp. a funeral song or a lament for the dead

Front 13

exciting force

Back 13

moment that follows introduction

Front 14

lyric mode

Back 14

poems meant to be sung, based on an image or groups of images, don't tell stories, meant to explore a subject

Front 15

meter

Back 15

poetic measure; arrangement of words in regularly measured, patterned, or rhythmic lines or verses

Front 16

ode

Back 16

a lyric poem typically of elaborate or irregular metrical form and expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion

Front 17

pastoral

Back 17

a poem, play, or the like, dealing with the life of shepherds, commonly in a conventional or artificial manner, or with simple rural life generally; a bucolic

Front 18

soliloquy

Back 18

an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or herself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any hearers present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts)

Front 19

sprung rhythm

Back 19

a poetic rhythm characterized by the use of strongly accented syllables, often in juxtaposition, accompanied by an indefinite number of unaccented syllables in each foot, of which the accented syllable is the essential component

Front 20

surrealism

Back 20

a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century, stressing the subconscious or nonrational significance of imagery arrived at by automatism or the exploitation of chance effects, unexpected juxtapositions, etc.

Front 21

theater of the absurd

Back 21

theater in which standard or naturalistic conventions of plot, characterization, and thematic structure are ignored or distorted in order to convey the irrational or fictive nature of reality and the essential isolation of humanity in a meaningless world

Front 22

epigram

Back 22

any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed

Front 23

epithet

Back 23

any word or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual or attributed quality: “Richard the Lion-Hearted” is an epithet of Richard I.

Front 24

euphony

Back 24

agreeableness of sound; pleasing effect to the ear, esp. a pleasant sounding or harmonious combination or succession of words

Front 25

stream-of-consciousness

Back 25

the flow of thoughts that people experience

Front 26

narrative mode

Back 26

narrative in poem

Front 27

poetic license

Back 27

poet departs from usual use of rhyme, diction, syntax, etc.

Front 28

sequence patterns

Back 28

chronological, climactic, deductive, inductive, problem-solving, spatial, topical, mixed