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Literary Terms
This is a set of flashcards with some common literary terms.
43
English
10th Grade
04/20/2011

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Term
allusion
Definition
a passing or casual reference
Term
anaphora
Definition
repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive verses, clauses, or sentences
Term
antithesis
Definition
the placing of a sentence or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas, as in “Give me liberty or give me death.”
Term
anthimeria
Definition
use of a word that is normally one part of speech in a situation that requires it to be understood as a different part of speech
Term
allusion
Definition
figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, a place, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, either directly or by implication
Term
anaphora
Definition
an instance of an expression referring to another
Term
antithesis
Definition
the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance
Term
anthimeria
Definition
use of a word as if it were a member of a different word class (part of speech)
Term
apostrophe
Definition
address to an absent or imaginary person
Term
archetype
Definition
original model of a person, ideal example, or a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated
Term
assonance
Definition
the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words
Term
asyndeton
Definition
the omission of conjunctions where they would normally be used
Term
caesura
Definition
a break or pause (usually for sense) in the middle of a verse line
Term
catharsis
Definition
purging of emotional tensions
Term
connotation
Definition
an idea that is implied or suggested
Term
denotation
Definition
the act of indicating or pointing out by name
Term
diction
Definition
the articulation of speech regarded from the point of view of its intelligibility to the audience
Term
dramatic irony
Definition
(theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play
Term
ellipsis
Definition
omission or suppression of parts of words or sentences
Term
epanalepsis
Definition
repetition after intervening words
Term
epistrophe
Definition
repeating words at the clauses' ends
Term
epithet
Definition
descriptive term (word or phrase) accompanying, or occurring in place of, a name, and having entered common usage
Term
extended metaphor
Definition
a metaphor that continues into the sentences that follow
Term
extended simile
Definition
a simile that continues into the sentences that follow
Term
free verse
Definition
unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern
Term
hamartia
Definition
tragic flaw: the character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall
Term
hubris
Definition
overbearing pride or presumption
Term
hyperbole
Definition
extravagant exaggeration
Term
iambic pentameter
Definition
a poetic meter consisting of a line with five feet in each of which the iamb is dominant
Term
imagery
Definition
used in literature to refer to descriptive language that evokes sensory experience
Term
in media res
Definition
literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, not at the beginning
Term
internal rhyme
Definition
a rhyme between words in the same line
Term
litotes
Definition
understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary); "saying `I was not a little upset' when you mean `I was very upset' is an example of litotes"
Term
metonymy
Definition
substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself (as in `they counted heads')
Term
oxymoron
Definition
conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence')
Term
paradox
Definition
(logic) a statement that contradicts itself; "`I always lie' is a paradox because if it is true it must be false"
Term
parallelism
Definition
similarity by virtue of corresponding
Term
polysyndeton
Definition
using several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted (as in `he ran and jumped and laughed for joy')
Term
situational irony
Definition
an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience.
Term
symbolism
Definition
representation of a concept through symbols or underlying meanings of objects or qualities
Term
synecdoche
Definition
substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa
Term
syntax
Definition
the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences
Term
verbal irony
Definition
words are used to suggest the opposite of their usual meaning.
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