English Terms Flashcards
(103 cards)
1
Q
Oxymoron
A
A figure of speech that conjoins contradictory terms
2
Q
Juxtaposition
A
The placement of 2 things close together to present a comparison or contrast
3
Q
Epic
A
A long narrative poem that talks about a hero’s deeds
4
Q
Haiku
A
A Japanese poem that is unrhymed and has 3 lines of 5, 7 & 5 syllables (typically about nature)
5
Q
Pastiche
A
A work that imitates the style of previous work or is made up of pieces from different works
6
Q
Epigraph (vs epigram, epitaph)
A
A motto/quote at the beginning of a piece of writing (vs a short clever saying vs the writing engraved on a tombstone)
7
Q
Allusion
A
A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art
8
Q
Verse (vs prose)
A
Writing arranged with a metrical rhythm (vs typical writing that follows a language’s typical grammatical structures)
9
Q
Analogy
A
A similarity or comparison of 2 different things
10
Q
Open stanza
A
A stanza that finishes in the middle of a thought and continues its idea into the next stanza
11
Q
Imagery (auditory, gustatory, olfactory, tactile, visual)
A
A visual description in a literary work (of sounds, tastes, smells, touch, sights)
12
Q
Free Verse
A
Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme
13
Q
Alliteration
A
The use/repetition of similar sounding words or words that begin with the same letter
14
Q
Pentameter
A
A line of poetry that has 5 stressed syllables
15
Q
Couplet (esp. heroic couplet)
A
2 successive lines of poetry (vs 2 successive lines that contain end rhymes and are written in iambic pentameter - da DUM da DUM)
16
Q
Connotation ( vs denotation)
A
The emotion or feeling that is evoked by a word (vs the dictionary definition of a word’s meaning)
17
Q
Assonance
A
Repetition of vowel sounds that creates rhythm
18
Q
Diction
A
A writer or speaker’s word choice
19
Q
Allegory
A
A story where characters, objects, or actions reveal a hidden meaning
20
Q
Shakespearean (English) sonnet
A
A 14 line poem that consists of 3 quatrains and a heroic rhyming couplet, typically following the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG (typically about love)
21
Q
Pun
A
A humorous play on words
22
Q
Stream of consciousness
A
A writing technique that tries to capture the natural flow of a character’s thought process
23
Q
Metaphor (implied, extended)
A
A figurative comparison that doesn’t explicitly name one of the elements being compared vs a metaphor that goes on for multiple sentences or longer
24
Q
Enjambled lines, stanzas (vs end-stopped)
A
Lines or stanzas that continue ideas to the line/lines that follow (vs a complete thought that appears on a single line followed by punctuation)
25
Hyperbole
An extreme exaggeration
26
Tone (vs mood)
The narrator's attitude about the piece of writing (vs the overall sensation that the reader gets from reading/engaging with the piece)
27
Syntax
The arrangement of words/phrases in a specific order
28
Irony
The use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning
29
Motif
A principal idea or recurring theme
30
Consonance
When 2 words have the same consonant sound following different vowel sounds
31
Onomatopoeia
The use of words to imitate the sound it makes
32
Simile
A comparison of 2 things that uses "like" or "as"
33
Personification (Anthropomorphism)
A figure of speech that attaches human characteristics or feelings to inhumane objects or ideas
34
Limerick
A 5 line poem with a strict rhyme scheme (often humorous)
35
Parody
A work that imitates another in a ridiculous or comedic way
36
Rhyme (end vs internal)
When the words at the end of the lines rhyme (vs when words within a line or verse of a poem rhyme)
37
Meter (ie in writing)
A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that creates rhythm
38
Anaphora
The repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or lines to create a sonic effect (ex: MLK speech - Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia)
39
Archetype
Symbolic patterns that recur within the world of literature itself (ex: birth, death, sibling rivalry, individual vs society)
40
Petrarchan (Italian) sonnets
14 lines broken into an octave and a sestet, some lines rhyme while others don't
41
Closed stanza
A stanza where the meaning closes at the end of the stanza
42
Pathetic fallacy
When the natural environment adopts the emotion of the scene (ex: moon-cold shoulder at night)
43
Stanza (couplet, tercet, quatrain, sestet, octave)
A series of lines arranged together to divide a poem into different sections (2 lines, 3 lines, 4 lines, 6 lines, 8 lines)
44
Conceit (ie in poetry)
An often unconventional, logically complex, or surprising metaphor whose delights are more intellectual than sensual (ex: “What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen!”)
45
Dissonance (vs harmony)
A disruption of harmonic sounds or rhythms/a harsh collection of sounds (dissonance can make harmony within a piece of artwork)
46
Euphony (vs cacophony)
The musicality of poetry, often evoking positive emotions in the readers and contributing to the overall mood or atmosphere of a poem (vs harsh sounds creating repetition and combination of consonants within a group of words)
47
Metaphor (dead; mixed)
A figure of speech which has lost the original imagery of its meaning by extensive, repetitive, and popular usage (vs the use of two or more incongruous metaphors)
48
Paradox
A self-contradictory phrase or concept (significance is that it illuminates a truth)
49
Apostrophe*
An address to a dead or absent person, or personification as if he or she were present
50
Blank verse
A poetic form that uses a specific meter but no rhyme
51
Caesura
A stop or pause in a metrical line, often marked by punctuation or by a grammatical boundary, such as a phrase or clause
52
Anti-Petrarchan conceit
A literary device that challenges the conventional romanticized portrayal of love and beauty. It adds depth and complexity to the depiction of relationships
53
Petrarchan conceit
A comparison between one’s mistress to some physical object (popular with renaissance writers)
54
Refrain*
A phrase or line repeated at intervals within a poem, especially at the end of a stanza
55
Synaesthesia
A literary device where one sense is described using terms from another. This blending of sensory experiences creates vivid and imaginative descriptions
56
Trope
Something that describes a common theme or device (ex: love triangles, the triumph of good over evil)
57
Ballad
A narrative poem composed of quatrains that tells a story, often in a straightforward and rhythmic manner
58
Elegy
A mournful or plaintive poem that reflects on themes of loss, grief, and sorrow. They are common at funerals
59
Hymn
A type of poem that is written in praise, honor, or worship of a person, deity, or event. They are often spoken/sang at religious ceremonies
60
Ode
A formal poem that addresses and celebrates someone or something (known for their expressive and lyrical quality)
61
Lyric*
A short, highly musical verse that expresses the personal emotions and thoughts of a single speaker. They focus on capturing a specific moment rather than telling a story at its entirety
62
Pastoral
A literary work that idealizes rural life and landscapes. They typically contrast the innocence of the countryside with the corruption of urban life
63
Prose (ie prose poem)
A piece of writing that is composed in prose rather than verse. It challenges traditional boundaries between genres, offering a unique way to engage the readers
64
Antithesis
A technique that conveys two opposing concepts in a sentence (ex: go big or go home)
65
Asyndeton
The omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence (ex: reduce, reuse, recycle)
66
Euphemism
A mild alternative used to refer to something more harsh or unpleasant (saying passed away instead of died)
67
Euphuism
An artificial and elaborate way of writing or speaking (style of the Elizabethan period)
68
Idyll
A short poem or prose that describes a peaceful scene or a long narrative poem that tells a story about heroic deeds or extraordinary events
69
Litotes
A rhetorical device that uses understatement to convey meaning (expresses the negative of its contrary)
70
Meiosis*
Another term for litotes
71
Metonymy
A type of figurative language where an object or concept is referred to by something closely associated with it (ex: the crown refers to the British royal family)
72
Paratactic Sentence
A literary technique that uses short and simple sentences without conjunctions
73
Syntactic Permutation
The arrangement of words or phrases in a sentence to create different syntactic structure while retaining the original meaning (the cat sat on the mat --> on the mat sat the cat)
74
Anastrophe
A literary device where the typical word order in a sentence is inverted or rearranged (powerful you have become vs you have become powerful)
75
Chiasmus
A rhetorical device where two or more clauses are structured in a way where the second clause is a reversal of the first (never let a fool kiss you or a kiss fool you)
76
Diacope
A rhetorical device that involves the repetition of a word or phrase with one or more intervening word (often used to emphasize a specific idea or emotion)
77
Epanalepsis
A rhetorical device where the same word or phrase is repeated at both the beginning and the end of a clause or sentence (the king is dead, long live the king)
78
Epithet
A descriptive term or phrase that is used to characterize a person, place, or thing (often highlights a particular quality or attribute)
79
Metaphysical conceit
A type of extended metaphor that makes a surprising or unusual comparison between something physical and something abstract (comparing lovers to a pair of compasses)
80
Hyperbaton
A rhetorical device that involves the rearrangement of the usual word order in a sentence for emphasis or poetic effect (creates a more dramatic, memorable, or impactful statement)
81
Polysyndeton
A rhetorical device that involves the deliberate use of multiple conjunctions between clauses or phrases when they could be omitted (adds a sense of rhythm, build up, or intensity to the passage)
82
Polyptoton
A rhetorical device that involves the repetition of a root word in different forms within a sentence (can serve to highlight a particular theme or idea)
83
Scansion (anapest, dactyl, spondee, trochee)
The breaking up of verses of a poem to discover the stressed and unstressed syllables (2 unstressed then 1 stressed, 1 stressed then 2 unstressed, 2 stressed syllables, 1 stressed then one unstressed)
84
Strophic form ( v stichic)
Stanzaic form, has distinct stanzas (vs contains only one stanza)
85
Synecdoche
A figure of speech where part of something is used to represent the whole, or the whole is used to represent a part (allows for a more vivid or impactful expression)
86
Teleutons
The final words of the lines in a poem (the words that are recycled throughout pantoums)
87
Volta
A shift or turn in thought and emotion in a poem
88
Zeugma
A figure of speech where a single word applies to more than one noun (blends different ideas together, creating a surprising and sometimes humorous effect)
89
Aubade
A type of poem that is typically about the arrival of dawn and the separation of lovers (ex: The Sun Rising)
90
Blazon (v contrablazon)
Type of poem that articulates, in detail, all the things you love about something (inventory of all the lovely things about something) (v Inventory of all the bad or ugly aspects about something)
91
Bucolic
Refers to the pastoral or rural life (typically highlights simplicity and charm)
92
Burlesque
A work intended to cause laughter through exaggeration and parody
93
Complaint
A type of poem that expresses sorrow or grief (often talks about love or unfulfilled desires)
94
Confessional Poetry
A style of poetry that focuses on the poet's personal life and emotions
95
Doggerel
A term used to describe poetry that is irregular in rhythm (often considered simple and lacking quality)
96
Eclogue
A type of pastoral poem that features a dialogue between shepherds or other rural characters
97
Ekphrastic
Poetry about a piece of art (explores emotions or feelings evoked)
98
Folk Ballad
A type of narrative poem that tells a story, often passed down orally through generations (known for being straightforward)
99
Lament*
A type of poetry that expresses grief, sorrow, or mourning (emotionally intense)
100
Pantoum
Contains quatrains, half of each stanza feeds into the next stanza, continually outgrows itself, echoing effect and mutation, often times naturally cycles back to the beginning (My Brother at 3AM)
101
Sestina
A medieval form of poetry that is written in primarily sestets, using teleutons throughout
102
Villanelle
A poetic form that consist of 19 lines and has a specific structure and rhyme scheme
103
Valediction
A farewell or parting statement often used at the end of a letter or speech (often encapsulates final thoughts)
