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Gen Lit Terms
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| abstract | a sever abridgment which makes a brief summary of the principle ideas or arguments advanced in a much larger work |
| alliteration | the repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words or within words, particularly in accented syllables |
| ambiguity | the expression of an idea in language that gives more than one meaning and leaves uncertainty as to the intended significance of a statement |
| analogy | a comparison being made between two objects, situations, or ideas that are somewhat alike, but unlike in most respects |
| antagonist | the character in a literary work who opposes the main character |
| apostrophe | a figure of speech in which an absent person, an abstract concept or an inanimate object is directly addressed |
| archetype | an image, story pattern, or character type the recurs frequently in literature and evokes strong, often unconscious, associations in the reader |
| atmosphere | the prevailing tone or mood in a literary work, particularly when established by setting or landscape |
| characterization | the methods used to develop the personalities of the beings in literature |
| compare | to examine the similarities in things |
| conflict | the struggle between two opposing forces in a literary work |
| connotation | the emotional associations surrounding a word |
| contrast | to examine the differences in things |
| denotation | the strict, literal meaning of a word |
| dialect | a distinct variation of a language, spoken by members of an identifiable regional group,nation or social class |
| dialogue | the conversation between two or more characters in a literary work |
| diction | the author's choice of words and phrases in a literary work |
| epoch | the beginning of a distinctive period in the history of anything |
| euphemism | a gentle expression for a harsh or unpleasant reality |
| excerpt | a short passage taken from a larger work |
| fantasy | a work that takes place in an unreal world, concerns incredible characters, or employs fictional scientific principles |
| flashback | a device by which a writer of a fiction or drama presents scenes or incidents that occurred prior to the opening scene of the work |
| foible | a weakness or failing |
| folklore | the customs, legends, songs, and tales of a people |
| foreshadow | a hint given to the reader of what is to come |
| genre | the distinct type or category into which literary works are often grouped according to the form or technique or sometimes subject |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech in which conscious exaggeration is used |
| idiom | a use of words, a grammatical construction particular to a given language; an expression which cannot be translated literally into a second language. |
| imagery | the sensory detail that provide vividness a literary work and tend to arouse emotions or feelings in a reader that abstract language does not |
| innuendo | an insinuation or indirect suggestion, often with harmful connotations |
| invective | harsh, abusive language directed against a cause or person |
| irony | a contrast between what appears to be and what real isjargon |
| laureate | one especially singled out because of some distinctive achievement |
| lyric poetry | subjective verse that expresses some basic emotions or state of mind, usually creating a single impression, and is highly personal |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that makes a comparison without using like or as |
| meter | the repetition of sound patterns that creates a rhythm in poetry |
| metonymy | a figure of speech in which a specific word naming an object is substituted for another word with which it is closely associated |
| mixed metaphor | incorrectly combining two or more well-known metaphors |
| monologue | a composition, oral or written, presenting the discourse of only one person |
| mood | the overall atmosphere or prevailing emotion in a literary work |
| narration | to recount a series of events |
| nom de plume | a fictitious name adopted by a writer for professional use or to disguise his true identity |
| novel | a long work of narrative fiction dealing with characters, situations, settings that imitate real life |
| novella | a story that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novel |
| oxymoron | the use of two contradictory terms for sharp emphasis |
| parallel syntax | an arrangement of parts of a sentence, paragraph, or other unit of a composition in which one element of equal importance to another is similarly phrased and developed |
| personification | . the representation of abstractions, ideas, animals, or inanimate object as human beings by endowing them with human qualities |
| plagiarism | literary theft |
| plot | the series of related events in a literary work |
| poem | a composition in verse, especially one that is highly developed and imaginative |
| poet laureate | official court poet |
| point of view | the vantage point from which an author presents the action and characters of his story |
| protagonist | the leading character in a literary work |
| redundancy | the use of superfluous words |
| repetition | reiterating a word or phrase, or the same idea for emphasis |
| rhetoric | presentation of facts or ideas is clear, convincing, and attractive language |
| rhyme scheme | any pattern of similar sounds at the end of poetic lines |
| setting | the literal time, place and atmosphere of a literary work |
| simile | a figure of speech involving a comparison using of like or as |
| stream of consciousness | the recording of a character's flow of thought; the telling of a tale |
| symbolism | something relatively concrete that signifies something relatively abstract |
| synecdoche | a figure of speech in which the part stands for the whole or the whole stands for the part |
| syntax | sentence structure |
| theme | the underlying meaning in a literary work |
| thesis | an attitude or position on a problem taken by the writer or speaker with the purpose of proving or supporting it |
| tone | the author's attitude, either stated or implied, towards his subject and toward the audience |
Created by:
swimmingninja42
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