Complete List of Terms and Definitions for Literary Terms 18

Terms Definitions
Syntax word order
Allusion to reference
antithesis opposition; contrast:
das Gespräch a conversation
protagonist the main character
assonance resemblance of sounds.
Exemplification an illustration or example
Persuasion The act of persuading
resolution a resolve or determination
hyperbole obvious and intentional exaggeration.
caricature points out flaws with humor
Flat Character A one dimensional character.
octave a group of eight lines
Paradox a statement that contradicts itself
adage a familiar proverb, wise saying
Drama literature meant to be performed
Parable Brief, allegorical narrative that teaches a moral; moral themes are explicit & can be interpreted in many ways
fact something that actually exists; reality; truth:
Imagery mental pictures experienced by the reader
Colloquial Informal diction that reflects casual, conversational language
unctuous (adj.) excessively smooth or smug; trying too hard to give an impression of earnestness, sincerity, or piety; fatty, oily; pliable
Audience the intended reader of a piece
Explication writing that presents a detailed analysis or thoughtful interpretation of a subject.
archetype a character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth
ex:
the noble savage - queequeg
wise old man - yoda
Ode a poem praise of something divine
metaphor figure of speech using implied comparison or substitution of one thing for another
consonance the repetition of consonants (or consonant patterns) especially at the ends of words
Diary Writers personal day-to-day account of his or her experiences and impressions
biography a story told from someone else
Novel has a longer, more complicated plot
couplets of rhymed iambic pentameter Heroic Couplet
Classicism Literature (and other arts) movements of ancient Greece and Rome, using strict forms, accenting reason, and characterized by restraint. Opposite of Romanticism.
text with meaning besides literal, often with symbols allegory
foreshadowing to show or indicate beforehand; prefigure:
iambic a satirical poem in this meter.
Euphemism Euphemism is the substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener
direct characterization the author directly states a character's traits Ex: 'Curly was quick and mean' (Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck)
dynamic character A character that changes significantly throughout the story [they are different at the end than they were in the beginning
Characterization the various literary means by which characters are presented.
Examples- HIMMH "Dr. Peebles was only an animal doctor, but had a calming way of talking like any doctor" (67).
simile a similarity between two objects or ideas, using like or as (and sometimes than)
Die Geschichte findet statt... The story takes place...
Paraphrase -- communicating the same idea
using different words. "re- wording"
METER A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that gives a line of poetry a predictable rhythm.
Pathos a writer or speaker's attempt to inspire an emotional reaction in an audience--usually a deep feeling of suffering, but sometimes joy, pride, anger, humor, patriotism, or any of a dozen other emotions.
Analogy a similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them
enjambment continuation of a sentence without a pause between the line or stanza
allegory a representation of an abstract or spiritual meeting through concrete or material forms, figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another
epitaph an instription on a tombstone or burial place
ambiguity Allows for two or more simultaneous interpretations of a word, phrase, action or situation.
catharsis the release of emotions by the audience at the end of a tragedy
Tall tales Tales of spirits or the super-natural
dialogue words a character speaks in a drama
Parallelism The use of identical or equivalent syntactic constructions in corresponding clauses or phrases
diction A writer’s choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language, which combine to help create meaning.
Define: fable Brief story that frequently includes animal characters and a moral.
Fabliau Short, metrical tale told by minstrels in twelfth and thirteenth centuries, often spicy and satiric.
the basic rhythmne structure of the poem METER
EPIGRAPH a quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme.
asyndeton the omission of conjunctions, as in "He has provided the poor with jobs, with opportunity, with self-respect."
ethos the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society
anecdote a short account of a particular incident or event of an interesting or amusing nature, often biographical.
fantasy A fantasy is a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life. Examples of fantasy include stories that involve supernatural elements, stories that resemble fairy tales, stories that deal with imaginary places and creatures, and
Lyric Short poems, often written in the 'I' form, where the poet expresses his or her feelings
exhortation something said or written in order to urge somebody strongly to do something; the giving or earnest advice or encouragement
Personification A figure of speech that endows ideas, abstractions, or inanimate objects with human form.
bibliography a list of works cited or otherwise relevant to a subject or other work
falling action the falling action (or resolution) is characterized by diminishing tensions and the resolution of the plot's conflicts and complications
Epigraph- the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme.
critique a critical examination of a work of art to determine how it measures up to established standards
flashback (retrospect) a scene relived in a character's memory
tone a way of wording or expressing things that expresses an attitude; may be angry, matter-of-fact, pedantic, ironic, etc.
non sequitur an inference or conclusion that does not follow logically from the facts or premises
metonomy A term from the Greek meaning " changed label" or substitute name"
figurative language language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, ect.)
synecdoche using one part of an object to represent the entire object
chronological order the order of events that are happening
Round Character is fully developed as an individual, complex as real people are
anaphora The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs. One of the devices of repetition, in which the same phrase is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines.
Define: Epic a long, narrative poem depicting the adventures of a hero.
folk tales a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, esp. one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people.
comedy a play, movie, etc., of light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.
Dennotation Literal meaning of a word (D as in Dictionary)
scapegoat a person or group who bears the blame for another
onomatopoeia the use of words that by their sound suggest their meaning
Verbal Irony words that are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant
periodic sentence a complex sentence in which the main clause comes last and is preceded by the subordinate clause
irony when a reader is aware of a reality that differs from a character's perception of reality.
Hyperbole (ex) I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse.
Science fiction Is a fiction based on realor imagined scientific developments.
Character Person or animal who appears in a work of fiction.
Local Color The use of language and details that are commmon in a certain region of the country
verse in poetry, one of the lines of a poem
Internal rhyme A line of poetry that rhymes in the middle and end of the line
rhetorical device a technique an author uses to convey a meaning, evoke an emotional response or to persuade a reader
the vantage point from which a story is told. POINT OF VIEW
Point of View The way a story gets told and who tells it.
romanticism romantic spirit or tendency.
Mimesis describes an interesting and common effect: the use of words that suggest movement, shape, size, texture (smooth, rough, soft)
Theme central ideas or issues, often abstract, explored or illustrated in a text - can also refer to an argument raised or pursued in the text, like a thesis
fiction the class of literature comprising works of imaginative narration, esp. in prose form.
motif a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., esp. in a literary, artistic, or musical work.
stereotype a simplified conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group
Metre the organisationg of lines of verse into regular patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables to achieve a rhythmic effect
Mood refers to people, describes a person's (a character's or the narrator's) frame of mind or state of feeling - may also indicate the emotional response the author hopes to evoke in the mind of the reader
Style the distinctive traits in an author's work, the 'how' of writing - concerns theme, diction (emotional, abstract, poetic), sentence structure, imagery, sound, etc.
Idyll/idyllic refers to innocent simple life in idealised rural setting
Epigram a concise, pointed, witty statement - epigrammatic' style in prose or poetry
Enjambement the opposite of end-stopped line, the sense flows over from one line to another, perhaps even to the next stanza - can reflect a build-up of emotion or create dramatic effect
Sonnet a fourteen-line rhyming poem often in iambic pentameter - rhyme schemes and organisation of lines vary, depending on the type of sonnet, but often set out as a block of 8 lines (octave) or 6 lines (sestet)
Atmosphere often confused with 'mood', it refers specifically to place, a setting, or surroundings
Ambivalence where the writer's attitude to, e.g., a character or event is not clear-cut, but may seem to hold at least two responses
moral of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical:
naturalism a manner or technique of treating subject matter that presents, through volume of detail, a deterministic view of human life and actions.
epiphany a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
novella a fictional prose narrative that is longer and more complex than a short story; a short novel.
resume a brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience, as that prepared by an applicant for a job.
sequence the following of one thing after another; succession.
connotation the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning:
symbol something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material object representing something, often something immaterial; emblem, token, or sign.
folktale a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, esp. one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people.
journal a daily record, as of occurrences, experiences, or observations:
Pastiche a literary work composed in the style of a well-known author
Soliloquy a speech by a character alone on stage, thinking aloud, revealing thoughts and emotions, or communicating directly with the audience - tool for revealing psychological complexity
Setting context in which a work of literature takes place: geographical, social, historical, generalised, conventional, symbolic etc.
Dramatic irony tool especially in drama, used for tragic or comic purposes - where a character(s) is/are unaware of somethign that the audience/reader and possibly other characters on stage are away of
Concrete refers to objects or aspects that may be percieved by the senses
Free verse verse written without any fixed or traditional structure in metre or rhyme - very flexible because it follows the speech rhythms of the language
Monologue speech, usually of some length, by a single speaker - a 'dramatic monologue' has a listener present and reveals the character of the speaker in a striking way
Grain a reader can go acceptingly along wih assumptions and values in a text, or go 'against the grain', resisting and questioning values and assumptions in that text - also apply to other situations...
short story a piece of prose fiction, usually under 10,000 words.
climax the highest or most intense point in the development or resolution of something; culmination:
autobiography a history of a person's life written or told by that person.
Stanza blocks of lines into which a poem is organised - in traditional forms of poetry each stanza follows a scheme governing metre, lines and rhymes
End-stopped line a line of poetry where the meaning pauses or stops at the end of the line - a statement or idea can stand out clearly, and provide a pause for reflection
Plot the events of a narrative in the order the author has chosen to present them - chronology may be distorted for particular effects, as in flashbacks or flash forwards; e.g. a novel may begin with the ending of the story
Quatrain stanza or group of four lines that can have different rhyme schemes
Denouement how the ending of of a novel or play turns out, how the plot is unravelled or revealed - literally, from the French, 'unknotting'