Question 1

Alliteration

Accepted Answer

A repetition of the inital sounds of several words in a group; Used for poetic effect

Question 2

Carpe Diem

Accepted Answer

A Latin phrase which translated means "Seize (Catch) the day," meaning "Make the most of today." The phrase originated as the title of a poem by the Roman Horace (65 B.C.E. - 8 B.C.E.).

Question 3

Characterization

Accepted Answer

The way an author presents characters (Involves direct/indirect presentation, protagonists, antagonists, antiheroes, personas, round/flat characters, and developing/static characters).

Question 4

Direct Presentation (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

A character is described by the author, the narrator or the other characters.

Question 5

Indirect Presentation (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

A character's traits are revealed by action and speech.

Question 6

Protagonist (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

The main character, who is not necessarily a hero or a heroine.

Question 7

Antagonist (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

The opponent, which may be society, nature, a person, or an aspect of the protagonist.

Question 8

Antihero (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

A recent type that lacks or seems to lack heroic traits.

Question 9

Persona (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

A fictional character. Sometimes the term means the mask or alter-ego of the author; it is often used for first person works and lyric poems, to distinguish the writer of the work from the character of the work.

Question 10

Round Characters (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

Charcters that are three-dimenstional and fully developed.

Question 11

Flat Characters (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

Characters that have only a few traits or only enough traits to fulfill their function in the work.

Question 12

Developing Characters (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

A.K.A. Dynamic Characters or Round Characters

Question 13

Static Characters (Characterization)

Accepted Answer

A.K.A. Flat Characters; Opposite of developing characters

Question 14

Consonance

Accepted Answer

A repetition of the ending sounds of non-rhyming words; Used for poetic effect.

Question 15

Conflict

Accepted Answer

The struggle within the plot between opposing forces; The most important ingredient in fiction.

Question 16

Flashback

Accepted Answer

A reference to an event which took place prior to the beginning of a story or play.

Question 17

Foil

Accepted Answer

A pair of opposing characters whose differences strengthen our impression of each.

Question 18

Situational Irony

Accepted Answer

The result of an action is the reverse of what the actor expected.

Question 19

Dramatic Irony

Accepted Answer

The audience knows something that the characters in the drama do not.

Question 20

Verbal Irony

Accepted Answer

The contrast is between the literal meaning of what is said and what is meant; Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony.

Question 21

Juxtaposition

Accepted Answer

The act of placing two aspects side by side, for comparision. Visual _____________ heightens the difference between two aspects. Writers may also heighten contrasting aspects through _______________.

Question 22

Denotation (Language)

Accepted Answer

The literal meaning of a word; there are no emotions, values, or images associated with this type of meaning.

Question 23

Connotation (Language)

Accepted Answer

The emotions, values, or images associated with a words.The intensity of emotions or the power of the values and images associated with a word varies.

Question 24

Abstract (Language)

Accepted Answer

Refers to things that are intangible, that is, which are perceived not through the senses but by the mind.

Question 25

Concrete (Language)

Accepted Answer

Identifies things perceived through the senses (touch, smell, sight, hearing and taste).

Question 26

Literal (Language)

Accepted Answer

Means exactly what it says.

Question 27

Figurative (Language)

Accepted Answer

A.K.A. Figures of Speeach; Changes the literal meaning, to make a meaning fresh or clearer, to express complexity, to capture a physical or sensory effect, or to extend meaning. There are many types of __________ ________.

Question 28

Simile (Figure of Speech)

Accepted Answer

A comparison of two dissimilar things using "like" or "as."

Question 29

Metaphor (Figure of Speech)

Accepted Answer

A comparison of two dissimilar things which does not use "like" or "as."

Question 30

Personification (Figure of Speech)

Accepted Answer

Treating abstractions or inanimate objects as human, that is, giving them human attributes, powers, or feelings.

Question 31

Hyperbole (Figure of Speech)

Accepted Answer

Exaggeration, often extravagant; it may be used for serious or for comic effect.

Question 32

Apostrophe (Figure of Speech)

Accepted Answer

A direct address to a person, thing, or abstraction.

Question 33

Onomatopoeia (Figure of Speech)

Accepted Answer

A word whose sounds seem to duplicate the sounds they describe.

Question 34

Oxymoron (Figure of Speech)

Accepted Answer

A statement with two parts which seem contradictory.

Question 35

Meter

Accepted Answer

A regular pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in a line or lines of poetry.

Question 36

Iambic Pentameter

Accepted Answer

Includes five iambs (u /) per line.

Question 37

Mood

Accepted Answer

The atmosphere or feeling created by a literary work, partly by a description of the objects or by the style of the descriptions.

Question 38

Paradox

Accepted Answer

A situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but on closer inspection, does not.

Question 39

Plot

Accepted Answer

The structure of a story. Or the sequence in which the author arranges events in a story (Rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, conflict, protagonist, antagonist, flashback, subplot, etc.)

Question 40

Point of View

Accepted Answer

The perspective from which the story is told.

Question 41

First Person (Point of View)

Accepted Answer

"I"

Question 42

Omniscient Narrator (Point of View)

Accepted Answer

The __________ ________ knows everything, may reveal the motivations, thoughts and feelings of the characters, and gives the reading information.

Question 43

Limited Omniscient Narrator (Point of View)

Accepted Answer

With the _______ __________ ________, the material is presented from the point of view of a character (Only knows the thoughts of ONE character), in third person.

Question 44

Objective (Point of View)

Accepted Answer

This point of view presents the action and the characters' speech without comment or emotion. The reader has to interpret them and uncover their meaning.

Question 45

Symbol

Accepted Answer

In general terms, anything that stands for something else.

Question 46

Tone

Accepted Answer

The writer's attitude toward the material and/or readers.

Question 47

Theme

Accepted Answer

Overall themes are universal categories explored in a work; Also includes thematic statements, motifs and recurring themes.

Question 48

Thematic Statement (Theme)

Accepted Answer

A commentary on a theme, usually compressed into a single sentence. It states the wisdom the reader gains from the resolution of the conflict. The title is the first indication of theme.

Question 49

Motif or Recurring Theme (Theme)

Accepted Answer

An important and continuously occurring theme or idea in a work of literature.

English Sem. Exam

English Mid-Terms! Good Luck! =D ~Mary

Literary Term	Definition / Description	Example
Alliteration	A repetition of the inital sounds of several words in a group; Used for poetic effect	- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. - Dunkin' Donuts - Mary Maloney - Dead as a door nail
Carpe Diem	A Latin phrase which translated means "Seize (Catch) the day," meaning "Make the most of today." The phrase originated as the title of a poem by the Roman Horace (65 B.C.E. - 8 B.C.E.).	- Theme of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" - Robert Herrick: "Gather ye rose-buds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying: And this same flower that smiles today, To-morrow will be dying."
Characterization	The way an author presents characters (Involves direct/indirect presentation, protagonists, antagonists, antiheroes, personas, round/flat characters, and developing/static characters).
Direct Presentation (Characterization)	A character is described by the author, the narrator or the other characters.	"She was pretty and smart. She was my wife." - Directly describing her, without the audience having to infer or guess.
Indirect Presentation (Characterization)	A character's traits are revealed by action and speech.	After she entered the classroom, she noticed plenty of people who seemed very friendly, but instead of making new friends, she took a seat in a lonely corner. - You have to infer that she is shy.
Protagonist (Characterization)	The main character, who is not necessarily a hero or a heroine.	Peyton Fahrquhar, Madam Loisel, Tessie Hutchinson, Jim, Della, Buddy, Normal Lewis, etc.
Antagonist (Characterization)	The opponent, which may be society, nature, a person, or an aspect of the protagonist.	Voldemort, a twister, having too much pride, etc.
Antihero (Characterization)	A recent type that lacks or seems to lack heroic traits.	Gollum (Lord of the Rings), Grinch, Severus Snape, etc. (Still a bit shaky about this term...)
Persona (Characterization)	A fictional character. Sometimes the term means the mask or alter-ego of the author; it is often used for first person works and lyric poems, to distinguish the writer of the work from the character of the work.	(Still a bit shaky about this term...)
Round Characters (Characterization)	Charcters that are three-dimenstional and fully developed.	Bilbo Baggins, Jeremy "Jem" Finch, Harry Potter, etc.
Flat Characters (Characterization)	Characters that have only a few traits or only enough traits to fulfill their function in the work.	White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland), Mr. Collins (Pride and Prejudice), etc.
Developing Characters (Characterization)	A.K.A. Dynamic Characters or Round Characters
Static Characters (Characterization)	A.K.A. Flat Characters; Opposite of developing characters
Consonance	A repetition of the ending sounds of non-rhyming words; Used for poetic effect.	Think and Thank, Blink and Blank, Sit and Sat, Rover and River, etc.
Conflict	The struggle within the plot between opposing forces; The most important ingredient in fiction.	Person VS. Person Person VS. Nature Person VS. Society Me VS. Myself
Flashback	A reference to an event which took place prior to the beginning of a story or play.	- While about to die or while dying, a person may remember their past memories. - An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Foil	A pair of opposing characters whose differences strengthen our impression of each.	Nurse and Juliet; Mercutio and Benvolio; Mrs. White and Herbert; Norma Lewis and Arthur Lewis
Situational Irony	The result of an action is the reverse of what the actor expected.	Macbeth murders his king hoping that in becoming king he will achieve great happiness. Actually, Macbeth never knows another moment of peace, and finally is beheaded for his murderous act.
Dramatic Irony	The audience knows something that the characters in the drama do not.	In the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, the audience is told that Romeo and Juliet are going to die in the end, but as the story progresses, none of the other characters know that.
Verbal Irony	The contrast is between the literal meaning of what is said and what is meant; Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony.	A person steps in big puddle of water by mistake, and his/her friend smiles kindly, starts to help his friend up and remarks, "Well now, don't you have all the luck!"
Juxtaposition	The act of placing two aspects side by side, for comparision. Visual _____________ heightens the difference between two aspects. Writers may also heighten contrasting aspects through _______________.	Humongous objects placed next to tiny objects; Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."
Denotation (Language)	The literal meaning of a word; there are no emotions, values, or images associated with this type of meaning.	Mother: a female animal who has borne one or more children
Connotation (Language)	The emotions, values, or images associated with a words.The intensity of emotions or the power of the values and images associated with a word varies.	Mother: loving, self-sacrificing, always there for you, understanding
Abstract (Language)	Refers to things that are intangible, that is, which are perceived not through the senses but by the mind.	Truth, love, education, hate, etc.
Concrete (Language)	Identifies things perceived through the senses (touch, smell, sight, hearing and taste).	Soft, stench, red, loud bitter, etc.
Literal (Language)	Means exactly what it says.	"A rose is a physical flower."
Figurative (Language)	A.K.A. Figures of Speeach; Changes the literal meaning, to make a meaning fresh or clearer, to express complexity, to capture a physical or sensory effect, or to extend meaning. There are many types of __________ ________.	The man had the personality of a moonlit night.
Simile (Figure of Speech)	A comparison of two dissimilar things using "like" or "as."	His reflexes were as swift as a Cheetah; The desert was like a never-ending sea
Metaphor (Figure of Speech)	A comparison of two dissimilar things which does not use "like" or "as."	Her passion was a vermilion rose; They were the candles who shone bright on the correct path
Personification (Figure of Speech)	Treating abstractions or inanimate objects as human, that is, giving them human attributes, powers, or feelings.	Time flew; Nature wept; The wind whispered many truths to me;
Hyperbole (Figure of Speech)	Exaggeration, often extravagant; it may be used for serious or for comic effect.	I've told you a million times; I have a ton of homework; That cost a billion dollars
Apostrophe (Figure of Speech)	A direct address to a person, thing, or abstraction.	"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky." (Jane Taylor, "The Star," 1806)
Onomatopoeia (Figure of Speech)	A word whose sounds seem to duplicate the sounds they describe.	Hiss, buzz, bang, murmur, meow, growl
Oxymoron (Figure of Speech)	A statement with two parts which seem contradictory.	William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet": " Why then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O heavy lightness, serious vanity; Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health!"
Meter	A regular pattern of unstressed and stressed syllables in a line or lines of poetry.
Iambic Pentameter	Includes five iambs (u /) per line.	William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet": "Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny..."
Mood	The atmosphere or feeling created by a literary work, partly by a description of the objects or by the style of the descriptions.	Horror, mystery, holiness, childlike simplicity, etc.
Paradox	A situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but on closer inspection, does not.	John Donne's "Holy Sonnet 14": " That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me..."
Plot	The structure of a story. Or the sequence in which the author arranges events in a story (Rising action, climax, falling action, resolution, conflict, protagonist, antagonist, flashback, subplot, etc.)
Point of View	The perspective from which the story is told.
First Person (Point of View)	"I"	After I woke up, I ate my scrumptious breakfast. - http://youtu.be/sOVMM60Sm2c
Omniscient Narrator (Point of View)	The __________ ________ knows everything, may reveal the motivations, thoughts and feelings of the characters, and gives the reading information.	Lily loved Bob, and Bob loved Lily, but neither one knew that they would both be physically separated in a matter of days. - http://youtu.be/sOVMM60Sm2c
Limited Omniscient Narrator (Point of View)	With the _______ __________ ________, the material is presented from the point of view of a character (Only knows the thoughts of ONE character), in third person.	- Bob laughed hollowly. "You're joking," he said, wondering how he would ever get over this. - Lily shook her head slowly. Her heart was breaking at having to tell him this news. - http://youtu.be/sOVMM60Sm2c
Objective (Point of View)	This point of view presents the action and the characters' speech without comment or emotion. The reader has to interpret them and uncover their meaning.	Lily shook her head slowly. Her fingers were busy shredding her tear-stained napkin.
Symbol	In general terms, anything that stands for something else.	Flags (Nations); Cross (Christianity); Queen Mab; etc.
Tone	The writer's attitude toward the material and/or readers.	Playful, formal, intimate, angry, serious, ironic, outraged, baffled, tender, serene, depressed, etc.
Theme	Overall themes are universal categories explored in a work; Also includes thematic statements, motifs and recurring themes.	Greed, Love, Hate, Ambition, etc.
Thematic Statement (Theme)	A commentary on a theme, usually compressed into a single sentence. It states the wisdom the reader gains from the resolution of the conflict. The title is the first indication of theme.	"You cannot avoid your faith."
Motif or Recurring Theme (Theme)	An important and continuously occurring theme or idea in a work of literature.	Light/Dark Imagery; Opposite Points of View;

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