Literary Terms--Prose and Drama

AP English Literature with Fluhme at Thomas Jefferson High School

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By: Alyssa Frankenfield
Created: 2011-09-16
Size: 76 flashcards
Views: 19

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ad misericordiam

an appeal to the audience's sympathy; an attempt to persuade another, using a hard-luck story rather than logic or reason

"Oh, Mom, everyone in my class is going to the party. Do you want me to be left out?"

alliteration

the repetition of accented consonant sounds at the beginning of words that are close to each other, usually to create and effect, rhythm, or emphasis

allusion

a reference in literature or in art to previous literature, history, mythology, pop culture/current events, or the Bible

ambiguity

quality of being intentionally unclear; interpreted in more than one way

anachronism

an element in a story that is out of its time frame; someitmes used to create a humorous or jarring effect

analogy

clarifies or explains an unfamiliar concept or object, or one that cannot be put into words, by comparing it with one which is familiar

the island in lord of the flies before the boys arrived is analogous to the garden of eden

anecdote

a short and often personal story used to emphasize a point, to develop a character or a theme, or to inject humor

antagonist

a character who functions as a resisting force to the goals of the protagonist

tybalt from romeo and juliet

anticlimax

an often disappointing, sudden end to an intense situation

antihero

a protagonist who carries the action of the literary piece but does not embody the classic characteristics of courage, strength, and nobility

antithesis

a concept that is directly opposed to a previously presented idea

aphorism

a terse statement that expresses a general truth or moral principle; sometimes considered a folk proverb

early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise

apotheosis

elevating someone to the level of a god

many people in pittsburgh revere mario lemeux

archetype

a character, situation , or symbol that is familiar to people from all cultures because it occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion, or folklore

dove of peace

aside

a short speech or remark made by an actor to the audience rather than to the other characters, who do not hear him or her. Shakespeare's characters often share their thoughts with the audience in this way

attitude

the author's feelings towards the topic he or she is writing about (tone)

catharsis

an emotional cleansing or feeling of relief

crying at the end of gone with the wind

chiasmus

the opposite of parallel construction; inverting the second of two phrases that would otherwise be parallel in form

i like the idea, its execution, i dont

colloquial

of or relating to slang or regional dialect, used in familiar everyday conversation...informal style that reflects the way people spoke in a distinct time/place

comic relief

humor that provides a release of tension and breaks up a more serious episode

nurse in romeo and juliet

connotation

associations a word calls to mind

light, fire, mother, father, rose, home

conventional character

a character with traits that are expected or traditional

mrs. bennett in pride and prejudice is conventional and wants her daughters to be married

denotation

dictionary or literal meaning of a word or phrase

thin=not fat

denouement

the outcome or clarification at the end of a story or play; the winding down from climax to ending

scarlet letter...denouement after Dimmesdale's death

deus es machina

when the gods intervene at a story's end to resolve a seemingly impossible conflict; refers to an unlikely or improbable coincidence; a copout ending

sleeping beauty, prince kisses princess and awakens her from slumber

medea murders children and is whisked away by a chariot of the gods

diction

the deliberate choice of a style of language for a desired effect or tone; words chosen to achieve a particular effect that is formal, informal, or colloquial

didactic

author's primary purpose is to instruct, teach, or moralize

aesop's fables end with moral lessons

distortion

an exaggeration or stretching of the truth to achieve a desired effect

gregor wakes up as an insect in the metamorphosis

epigraph

a brief quotation found at the beginning of a literary work, reflective of a theme

toni morrison's beloved opens with "sixty million and more" about slavery

achebe's things fall apart follows lines of yeat's poem

epiphany

a sudden flash of insight

jocasta's realization that her husband is her son in oedipus rex

epistolary novel

a novel in letter form written by one or more of the characters; novelist can use this technique to present varying first-person points of view and does not need a narrator

the color purple

essay

a short composition on a single topic expressing the view or interpretation of the writer on that topic

a modest proposal

euphemism

substitution of an inoffensive word or phrase for another that would be harsh, offensive, or embarrassing

he passed on rather than he died

farce

a kind of comedy that depends on exaggerated or improbably situations, physical disorders, and sexual innuendo to amuse the audience

the taming of the shrew, charley's aunt, bullets over broadway

figurative language

uses figures of speech; appeals to one's senses

ode to spring

first person

the great gatsby: narrator is nick carraway

flashback

interruption of a narrative by the introduction of an earlier event or by an image of a past experience

tim o'brien's in the lake of the woods

flat character

a simple, one dimensional character who remains the same, and about whom little or nothing is revealed throughout the course of the work; may serve as symbols of types of people

tom buchanan in the great gatsby, mrs micawber in david copperfield, mme ratignolle in the awakening

foil

a character whose contrasting personal characteristics draws attention to, enhance or contrast with those of the main character; emphasizes certain aspects of another character

tybalt and romeo

foreshadowing

foreshadowing hints at what is to come

rosebush in the scarlet letter/picture of david and bathsheba in dimmesdale's bedroom

genre

category into which a piece of writing can be classified

poem, drama

hubris

excessive pride; in greek tragedy, usually is a tragic flaw

protagonist of oedipus rex

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration

"a greenhouse arrived from gatsby's"

metamorphosis

a radical change in a character, either physical or emotional

the metamorphosis, dr jekyll and mr hyde

metaphor

comparison not using like or as

life's but a walking shadow

metonymy

figure of speech that replaces the name of something with a word or phrase closely associated with it

the white house instead of the president, suits instead of supervisors, brass instead of military officers

myth

story usually with supernatural significance that explains the origins of gods, heroes, or natural phenomena

demeter and persephone explains the seasons

onomatopoeia

words that imitate sounds

meow, clip-clap, whirr, clang, pop, bang

oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines two contradictory words, placed side by side

bitter sweet, wise fool, living death

feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health

still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!

parable

a short story illustrating a moral or religious lesson

the good samaritan and the tale of the prodigal son

paradox

a statement or situation that at first seems impossible or oxymoronic, but which solves itself and reveals meaning

fair is foul and foul is fair

the child is the father of the man

my only love sprung from my only hate

parallelism

the repeated use of the same grammatical structure in a sentence or a series of sentences

i came i saw i conquered

parody

a comical imitation of a serious piece with the intent of ridiculing the author or his work

the rape of the lock parodies the epic poem

pastoral

a poem, play, or story that celebrates and idealizes the simple life of shepherd and shepherdesses; portrays rural life in a idyllic or idealistic way

the passionate shepherd to his love and lycidas

pathos

appeal to the reader's emotions

deaths of romeo and juliet/death of desdemona

periodic sentence

sentence that delivers its point at the end

at the piano she practiced her scales

personification

the attribution of human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object

daffodils tossing their heads in a sprightly dance

point of view

perspective of the speaker or narrator in a literary work

first person, third person, third person omniscient

protagonist

the main or principal character in a work; often the hero or heroine

hamlet, macbeth, oediupus, tom sawyer

pun

humorous play on words that have several meanings or words that sound the same

you will find me a grave man

rhetorical question

a question with an obvious answer, no response is expected

were it not madness to deny to live because we're sure to die?

satire

the use of humor to ridicule and expose the shortcomings and failures of society

saturday night live

shift

in writing, a movement from one thought or idea to another; a change

tennyson's ulysses

simile

comparison using like or as

o, my love is like a red, red rose

soliloquy

a character's speech to the audience, in which emotions and ideas are revealed; alone on stage

macbeth's famous "is this dagger I see before me?"

stock character

a stereotypical character; a type; audience expects character to have certain characteristics

wicked stepmother, dizzy blonde, absent-minded professor

stream of consciousness

a form of writing which replicates the way the human mind words; ideas are presented in random order, thoughts are often unfinished

morrison's beloved

structure

particular way in which parts of a written work are combined

structure of a sonnet is 14 lines

style

the way a writer uses language; takes into account word choice, diction, figures of speech; the writer's "voice"

simple/straightforward, poetic/imagery, abstract

synechdoche

one part represents the entire object

all hands on deck; lend me your ears

syntax

the way in which words, phrases, and sentences are ordered and connected

mark twain=ungrammatical

theme

central idea of a literary work

death of a salesman=emptiness of the american dream

tone

author's attitude toward the subject; often sets the mood

tongue in cheek

expressing a thought in a way that appears to be sincere, but its actually joking

how do you like this new cowgirl outfit? -I think I'll wear it to my job interview tomorrow

tragic flaw

traditionally, defect in a hero or heroine that leads to downfall

othello's jealousy

transition/segue

the means to get from one portion of a poem or story to another

transitional phrases like the next day, thereafter

section breaks help segue the reader to a different place or time in the work

About this deck

By: Alyssa Frankenfield
Created: 2011-09-16
Size: 76 flashcards
Views: 19

About StudyBlue

“Simply amazing. The flash cards are smooth, there are many different types of studying tools, and there is a great search engine. I praise you on the awesomeness.”
Dennis