English literary terms Flashcards
(188 cards)
1
Q
abjection
A
the horror of confronting “corporeal reality”, a breakdown in the distinction of Self vs Other (ex: the movie Alien, looking at a corpse)
2
Q
accomodation
A
trying to put the ineffable attributes of God into graspable terms (“God is light”)
3
Q
aestheticism
A
reverence for beauty; movement that held beautiful form is to be valued more than instructive content (art for art’s sake)
4
Q
affective fallacy
A
the error of judging a literary work by its emotional effect upon readers or a confusion between the work itself and its results
5
Q
agitprop
A
political (originally communist) propaganda, especially in art or literature
6
Q
agon
A
a contest or struggle (between characters or authors)
7
Q
American Renaissance
A
mid 19th century flourishing of literature and philosophy (Emerson, Melville, Hawthorne, Whitman, Dickinson, Poe)
8
Q
anagogic
A
having a spiritual meaning or a sense referring to the heavenly life
9
Q
aphorism
A
a concise statement of a truth or principle
10
Q
assonance
A
repetition of vowel sounds
11
Q
ballad stanza
A
4-line stanza, iambic meter, 1st/3rd unrhymed lines = four feet, 2nd/4th rhyming lines = three feet (I put my hat upon my head/and walked into the strand/and there I met another man/whose hat was in his hand)
12
Q
bathos
A
insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity (unsuccessful attempt at pathos)
13
Q
Bildungsroman
A
a coming of age story
14
Q
burlesque
A
a work of literature meant to ridicule a subject; a grotesque imitation
15
Q
chiasmus
kai ‘æz məs
A
a reversal in the order of words or sounds in an otherwise parallel structure (AB structure transformed into BA: “He labors without complaining and without bragging rests”)
16
Q
chronotope
A
the interconnectedness of time and space in a work of literature
17
Q
conceit
A
A fanciful expression, usually extended metaphor / surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects
18
Q
discordia concors/entantiosis
A
discordant harmony: opposite terms juxtaposed so that the contrast between them is striking
19
Q
ekphrasis (adj: ekphrastic)
A
a literary description of or commentary on a visual work of art
20
Q
metonymy
A
A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it (ex: “a bunch of hard hats” = construction workers)
21
Q
mimesis
A
imitation, in the sense of making a representation, an image, or a model
22
Q
pathetic fallacy
A
the attribution of human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals
23
Q
pathos
A
an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion
24
Q
picaresque
A
an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero
25
reification
thinking of or treating something abstract as a physical thing
26
stichomythia
short (1 or 1/2-line) exchanges between characters in a play, with parallelism and contrast
27
synecdoche
sɪ 'nek dək i
the use of a part to stand for the whole ("fifty sails" = "50 ships)
28
zeugma
'zu:g mə
a figure of speech in which a single word applies to two others
29
analepsis
flashback
30
prolepsis
look into the future
31
internal focalization
events seen from inside the story (with restricted or multiple focalization, depending on the number of viewpoints)
32
external focalization
events seen from the POV of someone outside the story
33
extradiegetic narrator
remains superior to the story they tell, and their story constitutes the major narrative perspective
34
intradiegetic narrator
tells a story which is imbedded in the main story
35
autodiegetic narrator
first-person narrator who tells their own story
36
heterodiegetic narrator
omniscient narrator, not a participant in the story
37
homodiegetic narrator
narrator who is also a participant in the story
38
euphony
a sequence of sounds which is pleasant to the ear
39
cacophony/dissonance
unpleasant sounds
40
asyntactic pun
a pun in which one of the meanings is grammatically incorrect in the context
41
plosives
p/b (bilabial), t/d (apico-alveolar), k/g (dorso-velar)
42
sibilants
tʃ, dʒ, s/z, ʃ/ʒ
43
fricatives
f/v (labio-dental), θ/ð (apico-dental), s/z (apico-alveolar), ʃ/ʒ (dorso-palatal), h (glottal)
44
antanaclass
a form of polysemy: first one meaning, then another (Ex: To England I'll steal, and there I'll steal)
45
asteismus
æs ti 'ɪz məs
a form of polysemy: two speakers using the same word in different ways ("who's on first")
46
equivoque
'ek wə voʊk
a form of polysemy: one word that can have two meanings ("I live by the church")
47
paronomasia
a pun based on homonymy (similar-sounding words)
48
amphibology
statements which can be understood in two very different ways (double syntax)
49
aphaeresis/aphesis
ə 'fer ə sɪs
omission at the beginning of a word (twixt/betwixt)
50
syncope
'sɪŋk ə pi
omission in the middle of a word (ev'ry)
51
apocope
ə 'pɑ:k əp i
omission at the end of a word (broke/broken)
52
prothesis/prosthesis
'prɑ:θ ə sɪs
addition at the beginning of a word (a-moaning)
53
epenthesis
ə 'pɪnθ əs ɪs
addition in the middle of a word (visitating/visiting)
54
paragoge/proparalepsis
per ə 'goʊdʒ i
addition at the end of a word (dearie/dear)
55
diaeresis
daɪ 'er ə sɪs
making 1 syllables into 2
56
synaeresis
sə 'nɪr əs ɪs
making 2 syllables into 1
57
neologism
ni 'ɑ:l ə dʒɪz əm
a newly-created word (that is accepted into circulation)
58
parataxis (paratactic style)
sentences linked only by juxtaposition (veni, vidi, vici)
59
hypotaxis (hypotactic style)
sentences linked by subordination or coordination
60
isocolon/homeoptoton
a succession of clauses of equal length and structure
61
antithesis
æn 'tɪθ əs ɪs
contrasting words/ideas balanced against each other in parallel structures ("If we try, we might succeed, if we do not try, we will not succeed")
62
apostrophe
an address to a specific group, person, or personified abstraction
63
antanagoge
æn ,tæn ə 'goʊdʒ i
stating something unfavorable but immediately balancing it by something favorable
64
anaphora/epanaphora
ə 'næf ərə
repetition in verse:
X......
X......
Or repetition of a word/phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
65
epistrophe
ə 'pɪs trə fi
repetition in verse:
......X
......X
Or repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses
66
symploce
sɪm 'ploʊ si
repetition in verse:
X......Y
X......Y
67
anadiplosis
repetition in verse:
......X
X......
68
antimetabole / antimetathesis
repetition in verse:
XY......YX
69
epanalepsis
ep ən ə 'lep sɪs
repetition in verse:
X......X
70
epizeuxis
ep ə 'zu:ks əs
repetition in verse:
...X, X, X, X....
71
diacope
daɪ 'æk ə pi
repetition in verse:
X.....X....X...
72
antistrophe
ænˈtɪs trə fi
repetition of the same word/phrase at the end of successive clauses ("And in the night he did nothing but weep Philoclea, sigh Philoclea, cry out Philoclea")
73
epanodos
ɪˈpæn əˌdɑ:s
a general statement which is then developed by developing each of its parts (He is rich and greedy. Rich because...greedy because...)
74
epanorthosis
ep ə nɔ:r ˈθoʊ sɪs
form which rephrases what one has just begun to say
75
metanoia
met ə ˈnɔ:ɪ ə
qualifies a statement by recalling it (or part of it) and expressing it in a better, milder, or stronger way (Fido was the friendliest of all St. Bernards, nay of all dogs)
76
distinctio
explicit reference to a particular meaning or to the various meanings of a word, in order to remove or prevent ambiguity
77
quaesitio
repetition of questions
78
tautology/pleonasm
ˈpli əˌnæz əm
needless repetition
79
polyptoton
ˌpɑ ləp ˈtoʊ tɑn
repetition of words which have the same root (Fierce to their skill, and to their fierceness valient)
80
asyndeton
ə ˈsɪn dɪ tɑn
presenting words or sentences in a series, without the conjunctions that would normally link them
81
polysyndeton
,pɑli ˈsɪn dɪ tɑn
adding conjunctions between each word, phrase, or clause
82
sententia
quoting a maxim or wise saying
83
exemplum
citing an example or illustrative story
84
catachresis
ˌkæt ə ˈkri sɪs
an extravagant, implied metaphor using words in an alien or unusual way ("I will speak daggers to her")
85
solecism
ˈsoʊ lə sɪz əm
the misuse of genders, tenses, etc
86
malapropism
ˈmæl ə prɑp ɪz əm
confusing a word with another word
87
metathesis
mə ˈtæθ ə sɪs
when the transposition of letters/sounds changes over the years
88
anthimeria/enallage
æn θɪ ˈmɪr iə
the use of one part of speech (or tense, gender, number) for another ("The thunder would not peace at my bidding")
89
aposiopesis
æp ə saɪ ə ˈpi sɪs
a sentence left incomplete
90
anacoluthon
æn ə kə ˈlu: θɑn
beginning a sentence with one grammatical structure and ending it with another ("Be careful with these guns because improperly used they can--well, I've warned you")
91
ellipsis
the omission of one or more words whose meaning can be easily guessed
92
nominal sentence
emphasizes an idea by expressing it in a string of generally synonymous phrases or statements
93
anastrophe
əˈnæs trə fi
change of the usual word order ("this is the forest primeval")
94
hysteron proteron
ˈhɪs tə rɑn ˈprɑt̬ ər ɑn
inversion of logical or chronological sequence of two actions
95
hypallage
haɪ ˈpæl ə dʒi
an epithet unexpectedly associated to a noun; changing the application of words (I see a voice)
96
parenthesis
pə ˈren θə siz
a word, phrase, or whole sentence inserted as an aside in the middle of another sentence
97
hiatus
haɪ ˈeɪ təs
a gap in the reasoning of an argument
98
reductio ad absurdum
proving the absurdity of an idea by pushing it to its extreme logical conclusion
99
auxesis
ɑg ˈzi sɪs
a progression (gradatio) towards increasing meaning and intensity
100
hypophora
haɪ 'pɑ: fə rə
raising one or more questions and then answering them
101
invective
accumulation of insulting epithets
102
apophasis
ə ˈpɑ:f ə sɪs
stating something while pretending to pass it over ("If you were not my father, I would say you were perverse")
103
litotes
laɪ ˈtoʊ t̬iz
denial of the contrary ("this is not unreasonable")
104
accismus
æk ˈsɪz məs
hypocritical denial or refusal ("I couldn't possibly..." when refusing sth you actually do want)
105
antonomasia
,æn tə nə ˈmeɪ ʒə
using an adjective/noun instead of a proper name, or a proper name instead of an adjective/noun ("The Bard" = Shakespeare / "a Don Juan" = a seducer)
106
synesthesia
ˌsɪn əs ˈθi ʒə
describing a sensation in terms of another sensation
107
prosopopoeia
proʊ soʊ pə ˈpi ə
personification of inanimate/supernatural objects
108
syllepsis
sɪ ˈlep sɪs
a zeugma in which the governing word applies differently to each of the two referent words ("our teeth and ambitions are bared")
109
internal rhyme
a word inside a line rhymes with another word in the same line
110
the rhyme scheme
the pattern of rhyme
111
a heroic couplet
two end-stopped iambic pentameter lines rhymed aa, bb, cc
112
tercet
a 3-line stanza
113
triplet
a tercet in which all three lines rhyme
114
terza rhyme
a three-line stanza rhymed aba, bcb, cdc
115
quatrain
ˈkwɑ: treɪn
a 4-line stanza
116
envelope rhyme
ABBA rhyme scheme
117
cross rhyme
ABAB rhyme scheme
118
heroic/elegiac stanza
el ɪ ˈdʒaɪ ək
four end-stopped lines of iambic pentameter
119
sesta rhyme
six lines = quatrain + couplet, ABABCC
120
rime royal
7 lines in iambic pentameter: ABABBCC
121
ottava rima
oʊ ˈtɑ və
8 lines, iambic pentamer: ABABABCC
122
Spenserian stanza
8 lines, iambic pentameter + concluding Alexandrine: ABABBCBCC
123
Alexandrine
a line of verse with 6 iambs with a caesura after the third iamb
124
prosody
the patterns of rhythm and sound used in poetry
125
metre
the regular rhythmic pattern of poetry
126
end-stopped line
a line that ends with a natural speech pause, usually marked by punctuation
127
enjambment
the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line
128
caesura
sɪ 'zʊr ə
a strong pause within a line of verse
129
masculine line
a line that ends on a stressed syllable
130
feminine line
a line that ends on an unstressed syllable
131
masculine caesura
a pause after a stressed syllable
132
feminine caesura
a pause after an unstressed syllable
133
alliterative metre
4 stresses in each line with a varying number of syllables; stress emphasized by sound repetition
134
accentual-syllabic metre
stresses and syllables are counted and fixed into regular patterns
135
syllabic/quantitative metre
the number and length of syllables (rather than stress) is counted
136
a foot
a unit of verse containing stressed and unstressed syllables
137
substitution
when of the usual feet is replaced by a foot with a different stress pattern
138
inversion
when an irregular foot reverses the usual stress pattern
139
outride
a foot containing an extra unstressed syllable
140
catalectic line
a line of poetry missing an unstressed syllable
141
hypercatalectic line
a line of poetry with an extra unstressed syllable
142
acephalous line
when the unstressed syllabe in the first foot is missing
143
falling metre
lines containing feet that end on an unstressed syllable
144
rising metre
lines containing feet that end on a stressed syllable
145
synaloepha/elision
the ending vowel sound of one word is contracted with the beginning vowel sound of the next word
146
iamb
U /
147
trochee
ˈtroʊ ki
/ U
148
anapest
ˈæn ə pest
UU/
149
dactyl
/UU
150
spondee
//
151
pyrrhic
UU
152
amphibrach
ˈæm fə bræk
U/U
153
monometer
mə ˈnɑ:m ɪ t̬ər
1 foot/line
154
dimeter
dɪm ɪ t̬ər
2 feet/line
155
trimeter
ˈtrɪm ɪ t̬ər
3 feet/line
156
tetrameter
te ˈtræm ɪ t̬ər
4 feet/line
157
pentameter
pen ˈtæm ɪ t̬ər
5 feet/line
158
hexameter
hek ˈsæm ɪ t̬ər
6 feet/line
159
heptameter
hep ˈtæm ɪ t̬ər
7 feet/line
160
octameter
ɑ:k ˈtæm ɪ t̬ər
8 feet/line
161
lyric poem
poem in which a single speaker expresses thought and emotion
162
ballad
a story/narrative in poetic form
163
blazon
a poem celebrating parts of the beloved's body through metaphor
164
aubade
a love poem which heralds the dawn
165
epithalamion
ˌep ə θə ˈleɪ mi ən
a poem written in celebration of marriage
166
elegy
a poem of lamentation
167
pastoral
conventional, classically-influenced poetry idealizing rural life
168
vers de société
light verse written for and about society
169
ode
a formal lyric poem addressed to a person, object, or abstract concept
170
Pindaric ode
pɪn ˈdær ɪk
a ceremonious poem = strophe/antistrophe (w/same metre)/epode (different metre)
171
Horatian ode
an ode in which each stanza follows the same metrical pattern
172
epigram
a short poem that expresses a pointed or ingenuous thought
173
epitaph
a poem inscribed on a tomb
174
dramatic monologue
a poem in the form of a speech/narrative by imagined person who inadvertently reveals aspects of their character while describing a situation/series of events
175
blank verse
unrhymed iambic pentameter
176
sonnet
a 14-line poem of rhyming iambic pentameter
177
sestet
6-line stanza
178
octave
8-line stanza
179
volta
the turning point in a sonnet
180
villanelle
19 line poem, two rhymes and two refrains
181
concrete/pattern poem
a poem arranged so that the shape it occupies on the page reflects its content
182
acrostic
a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word or words
183
verse drama
a dramatic narrative written in verse, read rather than performed
184
free verse
poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme
185
diegesis
ˌdaɪ ə ˈdʒi sɪs
the story is told (rather than shown or enacted)
186
diegetic
part of the fictional world
187
metadiegetic/hypodiegetic narrator
a story with a narrator (either part of the story or not)
188
hendiadys
hen ˈdaɪ ə dɪs
A figure of speech where two ideas are combined into a single image ("in the gross and scope of my opinion")
