English language and literary terms Flashcards

Question

What is diction?

Answer 1

The choice or use of words in oral and written discourse, forming a central literary element.

Answer 2

Formal, informal, colloquial, and slang.

Answer 3

A sudden, powerful, and spiritual realization.

Answer 4

The use of a mild, delicate, or vague word for one thought to be coarse or unpleasant. ## Footnote Example: Saying 'passed away' instead of 'died.'

Answer 5

A form of language in which writers and speakers mean something other than the literal meaning of their words.

Answer 6

An interruption of a story's chronology to describe an incident that occurred prior to the main time frame of the action.

Answer 7

A character whose traits are the opposite of another character, highlighting their strengths or weaknesses.

Answer 8

Implication by the author of events to come later in a literary work.

Answer 9

An exaggeration for the sake of emphasis that is not to be taken literally. ## Footnote Example: I am hungry enough to eat a horse.

Answer 10

A phrase or expression that means something different from what the words actually say. ## Footnote Example: 'Piece of cake' means it is extremely easy.

Answer 11

The use of vivid, concrete sensory details.

Answer 12

Latin for 'in the middle of things,' starting a narrative in the middle of the action.

Answer 13

The contrast between what appears to be on the surface and what actually is.

Answer 14

Occurs when someone says one thing and means something else. ## Footnote Example: 'It is easy to stop smoking. I’ve done it many times.'

Answer 15

Occurs when the opposite of what is expected happens. ## Footnote Example: A deep sea diver drowning in a bathtub.

Answer 16

Occurs when an audience or reader knows crucial information that the characters do not.

Answer 17

Specialized or technical language of a trade or profession. ## Footnote Example: Terms like crash, blog, text, tweet.

Answer 18

A figure of speech involving an implied comparison between two unlike things. ## Footnote Example: 'All the world's a stage.'

Answer 19

A metaphor that does not make a logical comparison. ## Footnote Example: 'The President is a lame duck who is running out of gas.'

Answer 20

A tiny world within the macrocosm, often representing ideas present in the larger world.

Answer 21

The atmosphere or predominant emotion in a literary work.

Answer 22

A central theme or idea that is repeated in a work.

Answer 23

A story that is not told in chronological order.

Answer 24

Words which imitate sounds. ## Footnote Examples: bang, pop, snap.

Answer 25

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory ideas. ## Footnote Example: jumbo shrimp.

Answer 26

A statement or situation that seems contradictory but makes sense when examined. ## Footnote Example: 'It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.'

Answer 27

The use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts. ## Footnote Example: 'Jane likes reading, writing, and skiing.'

Answer 28

Similarities between elements (themes, symbols, characters) in a narrative.

Answer 29

The quality of a work that evokes high emotion in the reader or audience.

Answer 30

Any significant recurrences within a literary work.

Answer 31

The mask which covers the direct voice of the author.

Answer 32

The giving of human characteristics to something non-human. ## Footnote Example: whispering trees.

Answer 33

The progression of events in a literary work.

Answer 34

Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Answer 35

The perspective from which the author conveys the story to the reader.

Answer 36

The narrator tells the story from their point of view using 'I.'

Answer 37

The narration is outside the characters, revealing only one character’s thoughts.

Answer 38

An all-knowing narrator knows every character’s thoughts and feelings.

Answer 39

The normal pattern of speech and writing, any writing other than poetry.

Answer 40

The main character in a literary work, who may or may not be heroic.

Answer 41

A play on words or humorous use of a word emphasizing a different meaning. ## Footnote Example: 'Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man.'

Answer 42

The use of verbal irony in which a person appears to praise something but is actually insulting it. ## Footnote Example: 'Look at that coordination.'

Answer 43

The environment in which a story unfolds, including time, place, atmosphere, and social climate.

Answer 44

A direct comparison of one thing with another, announced by 'like' or 'as.' ## Footnote Example: 'She is as pretty as a picture.'

Answer 45

The poised anticipation of the reader or audience regarding the outcome of events.

Answer 46

Something concrete that signifies something abstract, such as a concept or idea.

Answer 47

The arrangement of words to form phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Answer 48

The main idea of a literary work.

Answer 49

The writer's or speaker's implied attitude toward the subject, characters, and audience.

Answer 50

A narrative writing in which the protagonist suffers disaster after a significant struggle.

Answer 51

A weakness or limitation of character resulting in the fall of the tragic hero. ## Footnote Example: Julius Caesar's ambition.

Answer 52

A theme that applies to any time period and any group of people.

Answer 53

An author’s distinctive literary style and general attitude toward the world.

English language and literary terms Flashcards

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