Literary Terms 21-40 Flashcards
(20 cards)
Dactyl
A foot of poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables
Denotation
The literal or dictionary meaning of a word
Denouement
The conclusion or typing up of loose ends in a literary work; the resolution of the conflict and plot
Deus ex machina
A Greek invention, literally the “god from the machine” who appears at the last moment and resolves the loose ends of a play. Today, the term refers to anyone, usually of some stature, who untangles, resolves, or reveals the key to the plot of a work.
Diction
The author’s choice of words
Dramatic monologue
A type of poem that presents a conversation between a speaker and an implied listener
Elegy
A poem that laments the dead or a loss
Enjambment
A technique in poetry that involves the running on of a line or stanza. It enables the poem to move on and to develop coherence as well as directing the reader with regard to form and meaning
Epic
A lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero
Epigram
A brief witty poem
Euphony
The pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work
Exposition
Background information presented in a literary work
Fable
A simple, symbolic story, usually employing animals as characters
Figurative language
The body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one. It’s includes metaphors, simile, symbol, motif, hyperbole, etc.
Flashback
A device that enables a writer to refer past thoughts, events, episodes
Foot
A metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line; iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, and spondee
Foreshadowing
Hints of future events in a literary work
Form
The shape or structure of a literary work
Free verse
Poetry without a defined form, meter or rhyme scheme
Hyperbole
Extreme exaggeration
