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Definition
Used for poetic effect, a repetition of the initial sounds of several words in a group. The
following line from Robert Frost's poem "Acquainted with the Night provides us with
an example of alliteration,": I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet." The
repetition of the s sound creates a sense of quiet, reinforcing the meaning of the line |
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Definition
A story illustrating an idea or a moral principle in which objects take on symbolic
meanings. In Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy," Dante, symbolizing mankind, is taken
by Virgil the poet on a journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise in order to teach
him the nature of sin and its punishments, and the way to salvation |
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| A reference in one literary work to a character or theme found in another literary work |
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A statement which can contain two or more meanings. For example, when the oracle at
Delphi told Croesus that if he waged war on Cyrus he would destroy a great empire,
Croesus thought the oracle meant his enemy's empire. In fact, the empire Croesus
destroyed by going to war was his own |
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| A person or force which opposes the protagonist in a literary work |
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| Addressing someone or something not present |
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| Close juxtaposition of similar sounds, usually vowel sound |
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| Overall aesthetic effect; a dominant mood or emotional effect |
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| pause in a line of poetry, usually designated by a punctuation mar |
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| Purification or purgation of the emotions through use of traged |
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Definition
Harsh, displeasing sound; produced by combination of words that require a staccato
delivery. Used well, it can vitalize the content of imagery |
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| A person represented in a story |
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| A trite (stereotyped) phrase |
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| Moment of highest tension in a sto |
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| Opposition of persons or forces |
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| Associated or secondary meaning of a word |
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| Repetition of constant sounds usually in middle or end of words |
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| An established technique, practice, or device in literature or theater |
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| Dictionary definition of a word |
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| Final outcome, unraveling of the of the plot following the cli ma x |
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Definition
(literally "god out of a machine") describes an unexpected, artificial, or improbable
character, device, or event introduced suddenly in a work of fiction or drama to resolve
a situation or untangle a plot (e.g. the rope that binds the hero's hands is luckily chewed
off by a rat, or an angel suddenly appearing to solve problems). |
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| Conversation between two people |
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Definition
A division of a whole--nothing can belong simultaneously to both parts, and everything
must belong to one part or the other. They are often contrasting and spoken of as
"opposites." |
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Definition
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Definition
figure of speech similar to the pun, in which a spoken phrase can be understood in either
of two ways, |
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| The audience knows more about a story than the characters on stage |
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Definition
one who changes significantly during the course of the story. Changes considered to
qualify a character as dynamic include changes in insight or understanding, changes in
commitment, and changes in values. |
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Definition
| in poetry, marked by a grammatical pause at the end of a line |
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| Continuation of a line or sentence beyond the end of a line of verse |
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Definition
ma nifestation of insight or revelation gained when one suddenly understands the
essence of a (generally commonplace) object, gesture, statement, situation, moment, or
mentality, when one “gets it, ” or recognizes the commonplace for what it really is
beneath the surface and perceives its inner workings, its nature. |
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Definition
Pleasing sound, accomplished through use of vowel sounds in words of serene imagery.
Used well, it can create a sense of peace and harmony |
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Definition
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| Events that occur after climax on way to denouement |
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| Any writing that is not true, created by imagination |
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Opposed to literal language, it’s often used and crafted for emphasis, freshness of
expression, or clarity. |
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Definition
Technique that interrupts chronological order of text to by interjecting events or scenes
or earlier occurrences |
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Definition
| A character that does not change during the course of a story |
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Definition
A character presented as a contrast to a second character so as to point out and/or
highlight some aspect of the second character |
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| Hinting at events that may occur later in a work |
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| A distinctive category of literary composition |
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Mythological or legendary figure—often of divine descent—who is endowed with great
strength or ability |
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Definition
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| Language that appeals to the senses |
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Definition
| Explanation of events, actions, or statements by the exploration of inner relationships |
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Definition
Use of words to express something other than, and especially opposite, of the literal
meaning. |
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Definition
Placement of two opposing ideas, characters, objects nearly side by side for heightened
effect |
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Definition
a figure of speech that associates two distinct things; the representation of one thing by
another. The image used to represent something else is the vehicle; the thing
represented is called the tenor. Eg: The child is a mouse: child is tenor and mouse is
vehicle. |
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Definition
| the feeling we get when we read a work. Generally synonymous with atmosphere |
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Term
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Definition
a unifying element in an artistic work, especially any recurrent image, symbol, theme,
character type, subject, or narrative detail. Ex: colors such as green and white in The
Great Gatsby, storm and stress (late 18
th
-century German literary movement whose
adherents emphasized inspiration, emotion, passion, and individualism) in Frankenstein,
the trickster in Native American tales. |
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Definition
| story. Either fictional or true, verse or prose. |
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Definition
the speaker through whom the author tells the story, often (not always) a character in the
work. |
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Definition
| all knowing – inner thoughts and emotions of characters. |
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Definition
| words that sound like what they mean: hiss, suck, spurt, sizzle. |
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Definition
statement that seems self-contradictory or nonsensical on the surface but that, upon
closer examination, may be seen to contain an underlying truth. |
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Definition
grammatical similar construction. Using it invites readers to compare and contrast the
parallel elements. |
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Term
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Definition
| arrangement and interrelation of events in a narrative. |
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| vantage point from which a narrative is told. First, third omniscient, third limited. |
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| Main character of a story, usually good |
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Definition
| used for emphasis of authorial point/theme. |
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Definition
| culmination of plot. (drama/fiction) |
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| The point in a story when the protagonist’s fortunes turn in an unexpected direction |
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Definition
| art of persuasion through speaking and writing. |
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Definition
| Refers to plot structure: events that contribute to the climax of the work |
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Definition
more complex than flat or stock characters, and often display the inconsistencies and
internal conflicts found in most real people. |
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Term
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Definition
physical and social context in which the action of a story occurs. The major elements of
setting are the time, the place, and the social environment that frames the characters.
Setting can be used to evoke a mood or atmosphere that will prepare the reader for what
is to come, as in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story "Young Goodman Brown."
Sometimes, writers choose a particular setting because of traditional associations with
that setting that are closely related to the action of a story. For example, stories filled
with adventure or romance often take place in exotic locales. |
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Term
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Definition
| turning point, usually in a poem, that marks a change in emotion, attitude, subject, etc |
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Term
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Definition
there is an incongruity between what is expected to happen and what actually happens
due to forces beyond human comprehension or control. |
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Definition
| Literary character who remains unchanged throughout a story |
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Term
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Definition
| organization of parts as dominated by general character of the whole |
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Term
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Definition
The distinctive and unique manner in which a writer arranges words to achieve
particular effects. Style essentially combines the idea to be expressed with the
individuality of the author. These arrangements include individual word choices as well
as matters such as the length of sentences, their structure, tone, and use of irony. See
also diction, irony, tone. |
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Definition
| An underlying, often distinct theme in a piece of writing or conversation |
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Definition
| An object that represents itself and something else |
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Term
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Definition
psychological process whereby one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective
experience of another. sight of ants might make you feel itchy. In literature,
specifically, the practice of associating two or more different senses in the same image.
To speak of coal as red hot, The hard and braying light, etc. |
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Term
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Definition
A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (as hand for sailor), the whole
for a part (as the law for police officer), the specific for the general (as cutthroat for
assassin), the general for the specific (as thief for pickpocket), or the material for the
thing made from it (as steel for sword). |
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Term
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Definition
Arrangement – ordering, grouping, and placement- of words within a sentence. A
component of grammar, not a synonym for grammar. One of 2 components of diction
(other being vocabulary). Unusual syntax and vocab. often differentiates poetic diction
from that of prose. (I rode across the meadow/Across the meadow rode I /Rode I across
the sea of grass vs. I rode across the meadow”) |
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Term
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Definition
The interrelation between the two types of meaning in a poem (extension – concrete,
denotative meaning – vs. intension – abstract, metaphorical meaning). Either signifies
oppositions that give a poem stability or wholeness or to refer to poems that have
densely interrelated components. |
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Term
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Definition
The central meaning or dominant idea in a literary work. A theme provides a unifying
point around which the plot, characters, setting, point of view, symbols, and other
elements of a work are organized. It is important not to mistake the theme for the actual
subject of the work; the theme refers to the abstract concept that is made concrete
through the images, characterization, and action of the text. In nonfiction, however, the
theme generally refers to the main topic of the discourse. |
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Term
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Definition
The author’s implicit attitude toward the reader or the people, places, and events in a
work as revealed by the elements of the author’s style. Tone may be characterized as
serious or ironic, sad or happy, private or public, angry or affectionate, bitter or
nostalgic, or any other attitudes and feelings that human beings experience. See also
style. |
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Term
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Definition
A story that presents courageous individuals who confront powerful forces within or
outside themselves with a dignity that reveals the breadth and depth of the human spirit
in the face of failure, defeat, and even death |
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Term
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Definition
three types: unity of action (all action of drama must occur within one
continuous plot without extraneous subplots), unity of time (all action must occur within
24 hours, or one whole day), and unity of place (all action of work must occur in one
place or city). |
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Definition
figure of speech that occurs when a person says one thing but means the opposite.
Sarcasm is a strong form of verbal irony that is calculated to hurt someone through, for
example, false praise. |
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Definition
| the quality of believability or “realness” of a work of literature. |
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Definition
the authorial presence that pervades a literary work, lying behind or beyond such things
as imagery, character, plot, or theme. |
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