S Flashcards
(48 cards)
sarcasm
The use of irony to mock or convey contempt.
“Oh great, another homework assignment!”
sardonic
Grimly mocking or cynical in tone.
Example: A sardonic remark might mock someone’s failure while pretending to praise it.
satire
A genre that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to expose and criticize.
Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell.
scansion
Analyzing a poem’s meter by marking stressed and unstressed syllables.
Example: Used to identify iambic pentameter.
science fiction
Fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances.
Example: 1984 by George Orwell.
self-fulfilling prophecy
A belief that causes itself to become true.
Example: A character labeled a villain ends up becoming one.
semantic
Related to meaning in language or logic.
Example: Semantic differences between “childish” and “youthful.”
sensory language
Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses.
Example: “The crisp scent of autumn leaves filled the air.”
sesquipedalian
Using long, often obscure or polysyllabic words.
Example: A sesquipedalian speaker might say “utilize” instead of “use.”
sestet
A six-line stanza, often the second part of an Italian sonnet.
Example: Used to resolve the problem introduced in the octave.
sestina
A complex poetic form with six 6-line stanzas and a final 3-line envoy using repeating word endings.
Example: Sestina by Elizabeth Bishop.
setting
The time and place in which a story occurs.
Example: 1920s New York in The Great Gatsby.
short story
A brief fictional narrative with a clear plot and few characters.
Example: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson.
sibliance
Repetition of “s,” “sh,” or “z” sounds in close proximity.
Example: “She sells sea shells by the seashore.”
similie
A comparison using “like” or “as.”
Example: “Her smile was as bright as the sun.”
simple paragraph
A paragraph with one main idea and clear, direct sentences.
Example: Often used in introductory writing or summaries.
situational irony
When the outcome of a situation is the opposite of what’s expected.
Example: A fire station burns down.
slang
Informal language or expressions used by particular groups.
Example: “Lit,” “ghosted,” “salty.”
snark
Sharp, biting, sarcastic wit.
Example: “Nice of you to join us—only an hour late!”
solecism
A grammatical mistake or nonstandard usage.
Example: “I ain’t got none.”
soliloquy
A speech by a character alone on stage, revealing inner thoughts.
Example: “To be or not to be…” – Hamlet.
sonnet
A 14-line poem, often in iambic pentameter with a set rhyme scheme.
Example: Shakespearean or Petrarchan sonnets.
sound devices
Literary techniques that focus on the sound of language.
Examples: Alliteration, rhyme, assonance, onomatopoeia.
speaker
The voice behind a poem or narrative (not always the author).
Example: The speaker in The Raven is a grieving man.
