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lit terms
keaton's lit terms
80
English
12th Grade
01/04/2011

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Term
allegory
Definition
objects and characters in the story represent a second level of meaning besides the surface story.
Term
alliteration
Definition
the repitition of sounds in nearby words, usually involving the first consonant sounds.
Term
allusion
Definition
the referene to a famous literary, mythological, biblical or historical figure or event
Term
anachronism
Definition
something placed in an inappropriate perios of time
Term
antagonist
Definition
the force opposing the main character in a story
Term
archetype
Definition
a basic model on which copies are based. An archetype represents the most typical and essential characteristics shared by a classof things
Term
assonance
Definition
repitition of similar vowel sounds, especially in poetry
Term
ballad stanza
Definition
a quatrain of alternating tetrameter and trimeter, rhyming abcb or abab
Term
character
Definition
a person in a story
Term
consistent character
Definition
is one whose continuing actions conform to what the author has already revealed about him/her
Term
static character
Definition
does not change in the course of a story
Term
dynamic character
Definition
changes; he/she is affected by the events in the story
Term
flat character
Definition
is one who is represented as having only a single "side" or trait, and whose behaviour is therefore predictable
Term
round character
Definition
seems as many-sided, and therefore as believable, as a person in real life
Term
stock character
Definition
is the familiar, stereotyped figure who appears regularly in literature, such as the wicked landlord,etc
Term
cliche
Definition
an over-used, tired expression
Term
climax
Definition
the point of great intensity, interest, or suspense in a story
Term
conflict
Definition
the struggle between two opposing forces of characters. it may be external or internal.
Term
consonance
Definition
the repitition of the same consonant sound within the words
Term
denouement
Definition
the final unravelling of the plot following a major climax, in which mysteries are cleared up, misunderstanding are set straight
Term
dialogue
Definition
spoken words exchanged between two or more characters in a story
Term
dissonance
Definition
the arrangement of cacophonous sounds in words, or rhythmical patternsfor effect
Term
epic
Definition
a long narrative poem telling about the deeds of a great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which its originated
Term
epilogue
Definition
a short addition or conclusion at the end of literary work
Term
essay
Definition
a short composition that deals with a subject in a limited way and expresses a particular point of view
Term
fiction
Definition
a general term for an imaginative work, usually in prose
Term
figure of speech
Definition
a word or expression which is not meant to be taken literally and which is characteristic of a particular community or society
Term
foil
Definition
a character whose behaviour, attitude, or opinions contrasts with those of the protagonist. this helps us understand the main character better.
Term
foreshadowing
Definition
any indication of something that may happen later in the story
Term
free verse
Definition
poetry which has no regular pattern of rhyme, meter, or line length
Term
genre
Definition
a particular kind of category of literature
Term
haiku
Definition
is a japanese lyric form which presents a vivid picture and presents the poet's impression, often with suggestions of spiritual insight
Term
hyperbole
Definition
an exaggeration not intended to deceive
Term
image
Definition
words that help the reader picture or sense what is being described by using one of the senses
Term
irony
Definition
essentially a difference or contrast
Term
situational irony
Definition
a differece between what happens and what is expected to happen
Term
dramatic irony
Definition
the difference between what the audience knows and that a character knows to be true
Term
lyric
Definition
a poem, usually a short one, that expresses a speaker's personal thoughts or feeling
Term
metaphor
Definition
the comparison of two unlike things without using like or as
Term
mood
Definition
the dominant attitude or tone which runs through an entire piece of literature
Term
myth
Definition
a story, often about immortals and sometimes connected with religious rituals, that is intended to give meaning to the mysteries of the world
Term
narrative poem
Definition
a poem that tells a story
Term
narrator
Definition
the person who tells the story
Term
onomatopoeia
Definition
a word whose sounds suggest its meaning
Term
oxymoron
Definition
a phrase consisting of contradictory terms
Term
paradox
Definition
a statement that at first appears contradictor, but which, on closer examination proves to contain truth
Term
paraphase
Definition
to restate the meaning of a passage in your own words
Term
parody
Definition
a literary work, usually a poem, making fun of a serious poem while copying its style
Term
personification
Definition
giving non-human things human characteristics
Term
plot
Definition
the events as they happen in the story
Term
point of view
Definition
the vantage point, from which a story is seen or told
Term
second person
Definition
narrator address the reader directly
Term
third person
Definition
the story is being tld by someone who is not necessarily a character in the story
Term
first person
Definition
the story is told by one of the characters in his or her words
Term
prologue
Definition
an opening section of a longer work, usually intended to introduce some significant background info to the audience
Term
protagonist
Definition
the main character in the story
Term
repetition
Definition
where a specific, phrase, or structure is repeated several times, usually in close proximity, to emphasive a particular idea
Term
rhyme
Definition
the placing of words with similar end sounds reasonably closer together to emphasive the similarity of their sounds.
Term
rhyme scheme
Definition
the pattern of rhyme within a stanza or poem, usually shown by marking each similar sound with the same letter of the alphabet
Term
rhythm
Definition
a pattern of stressed and unstressed sounds in a poem
Term
sarcasm
Definition
a scornful, taunting manner of speech that uses verbal irony to achieve its purpose
Term
setting
Definition
the time and place in which a story takes place
Term
simile
Definition
the comparison of two unlike objects using like or as
Term
sonnet
Definition
a lyrical poem consisting of fourteen lines in iambic pentameter
Term
stanza
Definition
a grouping of several lines of a poem, usually separated from the next stanza
Term
stereotype
Definition
a conventional mental image, especially a biased, generalized image of the characteristics of an ethnic or social group
Term
style
Definition
a manner of expression in writing or speaking, which, when analyzed often distinguishes one writer's work from another
Term
suspense
Definition
the quality of a story that makes the reader uncertain about the outcome
Term
symbol
Definition
something chosen to stand for or represent something else
Term
theme
Definition
the main idea of the story, often expresses as an insight about life in general or about human behaviour
Term
tone
Definition
the attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject
Term
understatement
Definition
presenting something as less important than it really is
Term
apostrophe
Definition
a figure of speech consisting of words addressing an inanimate object, abstract ideas, idea, or person were alive
Term
ballad
Definition
a fairly short, simple poem which tells a story
Term
blank verse
Definition
unrhymed iambic pentameter
Term
concrete poem
Definition
a poem written in a special shape that usually suggests the poem's subject
Term
euphony
Definition
pleasing, mellifluous sounds usually produced by vowels rather than consonants though "liquid" consonants
Term
figurative language
Definition
language which can be understood on at least two levels
Term
quatrain
Definition
a stanza of four lines, rhymed or unrhymed
Term
couplet
Definition
two consecutive lines of property that rhyme
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