apl literary terms Flashcards
(134 cards)
1
Q
act
A
drama pr play smaller actions or scenes
2
Q
allegory
A
people things actions/ idea has strong moral/ lesson
3
Q
alliteration
A
repetition of consonants (tongue twisters)
4
Q
allusion
A
well-known characters/ events in history (indirect/ brief references)
5
Q
analogy
A
comparison of obj. alike in certain respects will be alike in others ways too
6
Q
anecdote
A
interesting incident/ event to entertain/ make a point
7
Q
antagonist
A
works against main character/ protagonist
8
Q
aside
A
actors speech directed to audience not heard by other actors on stage
9
Q
assonance
A
repetition of vowels sounds in poetry
10
Q
audience
A
group of readers/ views writer addresses when deciding on subj.
11
Q
author
A
writer of a text
12
Q
authors purpose
A
their reason for creating a work
13
Q
autobiography
A
person telling & writing the story of their life
14
Q
ballad
A
poem tells story meant to be sung or recited
15
Q
biography
A
story of person’s life written by someone else
16
Q
blank verse
A
unrhymed iambic pentameter
17
Q
caesura
A
pause/ sudden break in line of poetry
18
Q
cause and effect
A
2 related events. first to happen is the cause one that follows is the event
19
Q
character
A
person responsible for thoughts & actions in literature
20
Q
caricature
A
exaggerated imitation of persons physical appearance in comic or absurd way
21
Q
foil
A
character who serves as contrast or conflict to other character
22
Q
hero/ heroine
A
characters actions inspiring/noble main character of story
23
Q
main characters
A
central to the plot of story dynamic and round
24
Q
minor characters
A
less important interacts with main characters helping to move plot static and flat
25
protagonist
novel story play or poem he or she may be the hero of a work
26
characterization
all the techniques that writers use to create characters
27
character trait
personality not a physical description of a character
28
direct characterization
comments about a character nature states a characters traits
29
dynamic characters
changes throughout the story
30
flat character
little character is provided
31
indirect characterization
not directly stated character traits reader draws conclusions that are provided
32
round character
fully described several character traits background information
33
static character
does not change or will change very little in a story
34
chorus
see reform
35
chronological order
order in which events happen in time
36
clarifying
reader process of pausing occasionally reading to quickly review what they understands able to draw conclusions as to what is suggested
37
cliche
figurative language overused expressions or sayings no longer considered original
38
climax
see plot
39
comedy
dramatic work light and often humorous in tone ends happy with peaceful resolution of main conflict
40
comparison
process of identifying similarities
41
concrete poetry
type of poetry that uses physical or visual form to present its message
42
conflict
tension or problem in a story a struggle between opposing forces
43
central conflict
dominant or most important conflict in the story
44
external conflict
problem or struggle exists between main character and an outside force person vs. person person vs. nature person vs. society
45
internal conflict
problem or struggle takes place in main characters person vs. self
46
connecting
readers process of relating content of literary work to his or her own knowledge and experience
47
connotation
idea and feeling associated with a word as opposed to its dictionary meaning `
48
consonance
repetition of consonant sounds anywhere within a line of poetry alliteration is a type of consonance
49
context clues
hints or suggestions that may surround unfamiliar words or phrases
50
contrast
process of pointing out differences between things
51
couplet`
rhymed pair of lines in a poem one of William Shakespeare s trademarks was to end it in a sonnet
52
denotation
opposite of connotation i it is exact dictionary meaning of a word
53
denouement
see plot
54
dialect
form of language that is spoken in particular place or by a particular group of people
55
dialogue
conversation between characters in drama or narrative in most works of literature
56
drama
also known as a play meant to be performed by actors before an audience written form is called the script
57
drawing conclusions
combining several pieces of information to make an inference
58
dramatic monologue
when a character reveals his/her innermost thoughts and feelings
59
elegy
defined as a song/ poem expresses sorrow/ lamentation usually from one wio has died
60
enjambment
in poetry an incomplete syntax at the end of a line meaning running over into next line w/o terminal punctuation ex.: Shakespeare
61
epigram
shor poem/ verse that seeks to ridicule a thought/ event witticism/ sarcasm
62
external conflict
see plot
63
fable
a brief that teaches a lesson about human nature often features animals as characters
64
fact and opinion
fact is a statement that can be proven opinion is contrast a statement that reflects writers or speakers belief cannot be supported by proof or evidence
65
falling action
see plot
66
fantasy
work of literature that contains at least one fantastic or unreal event
67
foil
see character
68
folklore
traditions customs and stories passed down a culture various types are: legends myths folktales and fables
69
folktale
simple story passed down from generations by word of mouth and told primarily to entertain rather explain/ teach a lesson
70
foot
unit of meter within a line of poetry
71
foreshadowing
writer provides clues or hints that suggest/ predict future events in a story
72
free verse
poetry w/o regular patterns of rhyme and rhythm of ordinary speech
73
generalization
broad statement about entire group
74
genre
type/ category of literature four main genres are: fiction nonfiction poetry and drama
75
haiku
traditional form of Japanese poetry usually dealing with nature has three lines and describes a single moment feeling/ thing 1st & 3rd contain 5 syllables & 2nd has 7 syllables
76
heroic couplet/ closed couplet
consisting of successive rhyming lines contain a complete thought
77
historical fiction
expalins pat time period may contain references to actual people & events of the past
78
horror fiction
mysterious & often supernatural events to create sense of terror
79
humor
provide laughter? amusement writer creates through exaggeration sarcasm amusing descriptions irony and witty dialogue
80
hyperbole
figure of speech truth id exaggerated
81
polysndeton
use of coordinating conjunction "and" is overly used as means of stressing a sort of urgency
82
idiom
phrase or expression means something different from what the words actually say "over his head" means he is confused
83
imagery
words & phrases appeal to the senses writers use to help readers imagine how things look feel smell sound and taste
84
inference
logical guess based on the text
85
antithesis
emphasizes the idea of contrast by parallel structures of contrasted phrase or clauses opposites patience is bitter but has a sweet fruit. ex. speech is silver but silver is gold
86
anachronism
against time chron- time
87
anadiplosis
"when i give i give myself" refers to repeating a phrase from of alliteration to begin another idea
88
anagram
form of word play rearranging of words dormitory-dirty room
89
interview
meeting in which one person asks another about personal matters professional matters or both
90
irony
contrast between whats expected and what actually happens/ exists more involved with characters and plot
91
verbal irony
speaker means something totally diff. than what he/she is saying often the opposite of what's said is true
92
dramatic irony
occurs when facts are not known to the characters in a work of lit. but by audience
93
cosmic irony
unknown force brings about dire & dreadful events
94
irony of situation
diff. between whats expected to happen & the way the events actually work out
95
legend
story handed down from the past about a specific person usually someone from heroic accomplishments
96
limerick
short humorous 5 lines rhyme scheme aabba two rhyming couplets 5th lines rhyme 1st couplet sing-song rhyme
97
literal meaning
actual meaning of word or phrase
98
lyric
song-like poem written to express feelings or emotions of a single speaker
99
main idea
most important point writer wishes to express
100
memoir
type of autobiography about authors personal experiences but not entire life
101
metaphor
figurative language comparison made between 2 things essentially unalike may have 1 quality in commontsuch as:like or as
102
meter
regular pattern of accented & unaccented syllables poems have rhythm not all have regular meter each is a unit (x/u) the metrical foot is basic unit of meter most common stressed & unstressed syllables
103
monometer
1 foot per line
104
dimeter
2 feet per line
105
trimeter
3 feet per line
106
tetrameter
4 feet per line
107
pentameter
5 feet per line
108
hexameter
6 feet per line
109
heptameter
7 feet per line
110
octameter
8 eet per line
111
metonymy
metaphorical substitution of 1 word/ phrase for another related word/ phrase
112
mode
atmosphere feeling being conveyed created through plot cahracter authors purpose
113
moral
lesson a story teaches often stted at the end of a fable
114
motif
recurring obj. concept structure in work of lit. may be 2 contrasting elements such as good/evil allows one to see main points & themes that author is trying to express in order to interpret work more accurately
115
motivation
reason why a charc. acts feels or thinks in a certain way
116
myth
stories passed on from generation to generation & are of unknown authorship
117
narrative
any writing that tells a story novels & short stories are placed into categories of first & third person based on who is tellin gthe story & from what perspective
118
narrative poetry
tells a story come from many froms & styles complex & simple short/ long as long as it tells a story contains charac. settings & plots
119
narrator
one who tells a story the speaker or "voice" not usually same person as author
120
unreliable narrator
one who gives his/ her own understanding of a story instead of explanation & interpretation
121
nonfiction
writing that represents & explains ideas/ tells about real people, objects, places/ events ex. autobiographies
122
novel
work of fiction longer & more complex than a short story developed in great detail
123
ode
lyric poem lenght usually of serious/ meditative nature & having an elevated style formal structure
124
onomatopoeia
use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning ex. buzz, bang, hiss
125
oral history
stories of people's lives related by worth of mouth factual material & personal reactions
126
oxymoron
form of figurative language combining contrdictory words/ ideas ex. jumbo shrimp
127
paradox
statement that seems to contradict itself but is nevertheless true
128
parallelism
similar grammatical constructions to express ideas that are related/ equal in importance ex. the sun rises, the sun sets
129
paraphrasing
restatement of text by readers in their own words/ another form
130
parody
literary/ artistic work imitates the characteristic style of an authors work for comic wffect. ridicule
131
personification
figure of speech where animals ideas or inanimate obj. are given human characteristics
132
persuasion
writing meant to sway reader's feelings, beliefs/ actions normally appeals to both the mnd & emotions of readers
133
plot
the sequence of related events that make up a story
134
plot
the sequence of related events that make up a story
