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English Exam
Literary Terms
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Alliteration: | repetition of consonant sounds, especially at the beginnings of words (free, form, phantom) |
| Allusion | brief reference to a person, event or thing that the writer assumes the reader will recognize. |
| Antagonist | a character or force that opposes (literally, "wrestles") the main character. |
| Atmosphere | the emotional tone (for instance, joy or horror) in a work, often established by the setting. |
| Audience | gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance |
| Ballad | short narrative poem,especially1that's sung/rcitd,often stnza-4 lines,w/8,6,8,6syllables,w/2nd&4thLines rhyming.Pplr ballad:nrrtve song-ben trnsmttd orlly by(used2Bcalled)"the flk";ltrary ballad:conscus imtaton(w/out music)such wrk,oftn w/ cmplx symblsm. |
| Character | imaginary person represented in a work of fiction. |
| Cliché | type of figurative language containing an overused expression or a saying that is no longer considered original. |
| Climax | turning point,point of max.interest&highest tension in plot of a story/play/film.Usually occurs 2wards end of story after reader understood conflict&become emotionally involved with characters.@ climax,conflict resolved&the outcome of plot Bcomes clear. |
| Colloquial | refers to a type of informal diction that reflects casual, conversational language and often includes slang expressions. |
| Conflict: | a struggle between opposing forces which is the driving force of a story. The three main types of conflict are: man versus man, man versus nature and man versus himself. |
| Connotation | words are associated with feelings and emotions. Poems derive their richness of meaning through the connotative power of words. |
| Contrast | often used by writers to define or clarify a certain idea or value judgment. Used to contrast character |
| Denotation | exact meaning of a word, without the feelings or suggestions that the word may imply. It is the opposite of “connotation” in that it is the “dictionary” meaning of a word, without attached feelings or associations |
| Description | any careful detailing of a person, place, thing, or event. Description is one of the for major forms of discourse. Descriptions re-create sensory impressions: sights, sounds, smells, textures, tastes |
| Dynamic Character | one who changes by the end of the story, learning something that changes him or her in a permanent way |
| Figurative Language | language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or fresh insights into an idea or a subject. The most common figures of speech are simile, metaphor, and alliteration |
| Flat character | a one-dimensional character (for instance, the figure who is only and always the jealous husband, or the flirtatious wife) as opposed to a round or many-sided character |
| Foreshadowing | suggestions of what is to come |
| Free Verse | poetry in lines of irregular length that are usually unrhymed.(173-74) |
| Hyperbole | deliberate exaggeration in order to emphasize a fact or a feeling. It can be used to create either a comic or serious effect but, in spite of the exaggeration, there is nearly always some truth expressed in the hyperbole |
| Imagery | technique by which writer appeals so sensory experience through description.2 communicate effectively,poets refer2 those sensory experiences which most readers have in common. These can be more specifically identified as metaphors/similes/personification. |
| Irony | refers to a situation or to a usage of words in which there is a discrepancy between expectation and actuality. |
| Lyric | short poem which expresses a powerful emotion or sentiment |
| Metaphor | involves a comparison between two essentially unlike elements. NOT using "like" or "as" but "is" |
| Mood | the atmosphere of a poem or short story |
| Onomatopoeia | figure of speech in which a word used closely resembles the sound to which it refers. "Snap, Crackle, Pop" |
| Personification | is a specialized form of metaphor in which human characteristics are attributed to things or ideas. "The hills watched me as i dug" |
| Point of View | the perspective from which a story is told. First Person; Third Person; Omniscient |
| First-Person Narrative | Using "I". We get to read what the narrator is really thinking |
| Limited Omniscient Narrative (third-person narrative) | Following one person, using "He" "She" but only getting into the main characters (or just one character's) head |
| Omniscient Narrative | reveals the minds of several or all characters, knowing and telling all from an all-seeing, God-like perspective “outside” the story. |
| Protagonist | main character of story . While some protagonists may be heroes or heroines, more typically they are like people we meet in real life:they have a mixture of characteristics, some of which maybe weaknesses |
| Refrain | repeated phrase, line, or group of lines in a poem, especially in a ballad |
| Rhyme | can occur in various forms&it's sometimes important to analysis of poetry to consider the kinds of rhymes used by the poetry reader to a better appreciation of the tone and purpose of the work. Rhyme create rhythm, and rhythm projects emotion and attitude |
| Rhythm | in poetry, a pattern of stressed and unstressed sounds |
| Simile | is a comparison between two essentially unlike things using the words "like" or "as" |
| Sonnet | is a 14 line lyric poem.English/Shakespearean sonnet divided into4distinct parts:3quatrains&concluding rhyming couplet.Rhyme scheme:abab cdcd efef gg.Normally3quatrains offer3separate examples of/statements on,a theme.The couplet suggests conclusion |
| Speaker | the voice used by an author to tell a story or speak a poem. The speaker is often a created identity, and should not automatically be equated with the author’s self. See also narrator, persona, point of view |
| Stanza | refers to a grouping of lines, set off by a space that usually has a set pattern of meter and rhyme. See also line, meter, rhyme |
| Symbolism | use of a concrete object to represent an abstract idea or concept. Many symbols have become so much a part of our cultural traditions that they are immediately identifiable. (red rose/love;dove/peace;a hawk/war;black cat/bad luck;rabbit's foot/ good luck) |
| Theme | the central idea of the story, usually implied rather than directly stated. Theme should not be confused with moral or plot. It cannot e stated in one word, but rather in a theme statement. (I.E.: Loyalty to country often inspires heroic self-sacrifices.) |
| Tone: | the attitude of the author toward the subject he is writing about. It is the style or manner of a piece of work, an inflection of the mood of the piece. |
| Tragedy | a literary and particularly a dramatic presentation of serious actions in which the chief character has a disastrous fate |
| Understatement | occurs when we say less than what we actually mean, or use less force than the context requires. We hope that our audience will make up the difference through the workings of their imaginations. |
Created by:
jlarose
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