Glossary #2

Question 1

Definition - When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story.

Answer 1

Foreshadowing

Question 2

Example - If a character mentions that they have a bad feeling about going to a party, you may expect something bad to happen at the party, due to this device.

Answer 2

Foreshadowing

Question 3

Impact - Gives the reader a hint and insight into what may happen in the future.

Answer 3

Foreshadowing

Question 4

Definition - The major category into which a literary work fits.

Answer 4

Genre

Question 5

Definition - Writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear, and/or death. Also refers to an architectural style of the Middle Ages, often seen in cathedrals of this period.

Answer 5

Gothic

Question 6

Example - Edgar Allen Poe’s works

Answer 6

Gothic

Question 7

Definition - Word or words that create a picture in the reader’s mind. Usually, this involves the five senses.

Answer 7

Imagery

Question 8

Example - Her eyes were shimmering like golden stars.

Answer 8

Imagery

Question 9

Impact - Enhances description with sensory details, immersing and engaging readers.

Answer 9

Imagery

Question 10

Definition - A long, emotionally violent, attack using strong, abusive language.

Answer 10

Invective

Question 11

Example - “You sniveling, cowardly cur! You’re nothing but a spineless worm, afraid to stand up for yourself!”

Answer 11

Invective

Question 12

Impact - This language creates an intense feeling of anger in writing.

Answer 12

Invective

Question 13

Definition - When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.

Answer 13

Irony

Question 14

Definition - When you say something and mean the opposite/something different.

Answer 14

Verbal Irony

Question 15

Example - If your gym teacher wants you to run a mile in eight minutes or faster, but calls it a “walk in the park” it would be…

Answer 15

Verbal Irony

Question 16

Impact - This device can add sarcasm and bitterness to your tone.

Answer 16

Verbal Irony

Question 17

Definition - When the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the character doesn’t and would be surprised to find out.

Answer 17

Dramatic Irony

Question 18

Example - In many horror movies, we (the audience) know who the killer is, but the victim-to-be has no idea who is doing the slaying.

Answer 18

Dramatic Irony

Question 19

Impact - This device creates suspense and tension, as well as engages the reader.

Answer 19

Dramatic Irony

Question 20

Definition - Found in the plot (or storyline) of a book, story, or movie: the outcome is the opposite of what is expected.

Answer 20

Situational Irony

Question 21

Example - A fire station burns down in a story.

Answer 21

Situational Irony

Question 22

Impact - This can bring humor and an element of surprise to writing.

Answer 22

Situational Irony

Question 23

Definition - Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison.

Answer 23

Juxtaposition

Question 24

Example - The average day of a typical American paired with that of someone in the third world to make a point of social commentary

Answer 24

Juxtaposition

Question 25

Impact - Allows for clarity in ideas and expresses a point through contrast.

Answer 25

Juxtaposition

Question 26

Definition - The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction). (reader's feelings)

Answer 26

Mood

Question 27

Definition - A recurring idea in a piece of literature.

Answer 27

Motif

Question 28

Example - In To Kill a Mockingbird, the idea that “you never really understand another person until you consider things from his or her point of view”

Answer 28

Motif

Question 29

Impact - Allows for a specific point or value to be emphasized, resonating with the audience.

Answer 29

Motif

Question 30

Definition - When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox

Answer 30

Oxymoron

Question 31

Example - “jumbo shrimp.”

Answer 31

Oxymoron

Question 32

Impact - This device adds complexity and irony/humor to writing.

Answer 32

Oxymoron

Question 33

Definition - The speed or tempo of an author’s writing.

Answer 33

Pacing

Question 34

Example - "The car screeched around the corner, tires squealing. Rain lashed against the windshield, blurring the already fading light. He slammed on the brakes, his heart hammering against his ribs. A figure emerged from the shadows, a glint of metal in their hand." (fast-____)

Answer 34

Pacing

Question 35

Impact - This device can change the mood of the writing, as well as build suspense and emotion through varying tempos.

Answer 35

Pacing

Question 36

Definition - A seemingly contradictory situation that is actually true.

Answer 36

Paradox

Question 37

Example - "The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know."

Answer 37

Paradox

Question 38

Impact - Highlights challenging assumptions and the complexities of human experience.

Answer 38

Paradox

Question 39

Definition - Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.

Answer 39

Parallelism

Question 40

Example - “Cinderella swept the floor, dusted the mantle, and beat the rugs.”

Answer 40

Parallelism

Question 41

Impact - Adds emphasis, organization, or sometimes pacing to writing.

Answer 41

Parallelism

Question 42

Definition - Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row.

Answer 42

Anaphora

Question 43

Example - “I came, I saw, I conquered.”

Answer 43

Anaphora

Question 44

Impact - Brings coherence through deliberate beginning repetition.

Answer 44

Anaphora

Question 45

Definition - When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed.

Answer 45

Chiasmus

Question 46

Example - “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Answer 46

Chiasmus

Question 47

Impact - Creates balance and rhythm and deepens an idea through contrast.

Answer 47

Chiasmus

Question 48

Definition - Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure.

Answer 48

Antithesis

Question 49

Example - “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”

Answer 49

Antithesis

Question 50

Impact - Adds clarity and enhances artistic effect in writing through contrast.

Answer 50

Antithesis

Question 51

Definition - When a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, and the meaning of the first word must change for each of the other words it governs or modifies.

Answer 51

Zeugma (Syllepsis)

Question 52

Example - “The butler killed the lights, and then the mistress."

Answer 52

Zeugma (Syllepsis)

Question 53

Impact - This device adds conciseness and unexpected connections and possibly creates humor.

Answer 53

Zeugma (Syllepsis)

Question 54

Definition - Used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence. It is almost considered an aside...a whisper, and should be used sparingly for effect, rather than repeatedly.

Answer 54

Parenthetical Idea

Question 55

Example - "The dog, a scruffy terrier mix (who always seemed to be muddy), greeted me with enthusiastic barks."

Answer 55

Parenthetical Idea

Question 56

Impact - Adds detail, context, and clarity, and makes a connection and interaction with readers through creating asides.

Answer 56

Parenthetical Idea

Question 57

Definition - An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases from an original and pokes fun at it.

Answer 57

Parody

Question 58

Example - "It was the best of dogs, it was the worst of dogs, it was the age of fetching, it was the age of chewing..." (referencing Charles Dickens's work)

Answer 58

Parody

Question 59

Definition - The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story.

Answer 59

Persona