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Terms Flashcards

(84 cards)

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1
Q

caesura

A

a break or pause in a line of poetry

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2
Q

canto

A

a section or division of a poem

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3
Q

climax

A

the decisive point of greatest intensity when outcome is revealed

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4
Q

comedy

A

a work where protagonist resolves conflict

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5
Q

comedy of manners

A

specific comedy dealing with violation of society’s conventions, also called drawing room comedy

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6
Q

conflict

A

a clash, the struggle around which the plot revolves

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7
Q

consonance

A

repitition of consonant sounds in poetry

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8
Q

dactyl

A

poetic foot consisting of two stressed, followed by two unstressed

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9
Q

elegy

A

formal poem mourning death of someone

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10
Q

eulogy

A

sermon at the time of death

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11
Q

elizabethan sonnet

A

sonnet of three quatrains and a couplet, quatrains state problem and couplets resolve it

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12
Q

epigram

A

a brief witty pointed comment

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13
Q

epitaph

A

a short poem at the time of death

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14
Q

essay

A

piece of non-fiction that expresses point of view

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15
Q

formal essay

A

impersonal and seeks to instruct or persuade

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16
Q

informal essay

A

relaxed and conversational and can deal with any topic, including something trivial

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17
Q

fable

A

a tale which uses animals with human characteristics to convey moral truth

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18
Q

falling action (denouement)

A

resolution following climax

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19
Q

figurative language

A

language that departs from the strictly literal to achieve affect

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20
Q

figure of speech

A

a device that permits the author to say one thing, and mean something else

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21
Q

heroic couple

A

two rhymed lines of iambic pentameter

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22
Q

hexameter

A

a verse line consisting of six feet

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23
Q

hyperbole

A

a exaggeration or overstation of fact, used for a serious or humorous effect

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24
Q

iamb

A

unstressed, stressed

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25
iambic pentameter
most common verse line, five feet
26
interlocking rhyme
rhyme scheme, unrhymed line in one stanza signals the rhymed line in the next
26
internal rhyme
rhyme that occurs within the line
27
irony
attitude in way of writing that shows discrepancy between fake and real
28
verbal irony
says one thing, means something else
29
dramatic irony
audience knows something character doesn't
30
irony of situation
discrepency between purpose and result
31
italian sonnet
sonnet of octave and sestet, octave asks question and sestet resolves it
32
kenning
extended metaphor
33
masque
theatrical entertainment, 16th century with songs, dances, colorful spectacles, lyrical poetry
34
metaphor
figure of speech comparing two unlike words without comparative words
35
metaphysical conceit
metaphor that is extended because the two things are startlingly different
36
meter
regular pattern of rhythm
37
mock epic
work where something trivial is treated like an epic humorously
38
allegory
a tale in verse or prose in which characters represent abstract ideas or moral qualities
39
alliteration
repitition of initial consonant sounds in a line
40
allusion
reference to history, bible, art, or literature
41
analogy
comparison between two objects to show similarities
42
anapest
poetic foot of two unstressed followed by one stressed
43
antagonist
person opposing the protagonist, creates conflict
44
appositive
noun or pronoun that explains a noun or a pronoun
45
antithesis
the balancing of two contrasting thoughts, words, or phrases
46
apostrophe
a poetic device in which an author directly addresses a person, place, or thing as if it was present
47
aside
speech intended only for audience
48
assonance
repitition of vowel sounds in a line of poetry
49
autobiography
an account of a person's life written by that person
50
ballad
a poem that tells a story, four lines, second and fourth rhyme
51
folk ballad
unknown author
52
biography
a written account of another person's life
53
blank verse
unrhymed iambic pentameter
54
ode
a serious dignified lyric poem written for a special occasion in honor of a particular person, place, or abstract idea
55
onomatopoeia
the use of a word who's sound suggests it's meaning
56
oxymoron
a figure of speech that depends on a paradoxical contrast between two startlingly different things
57
paradox
a statement that is true in fact, although it seems to contradict itself
58
parrallelism
repetition of phrases that are similar in structure or meaning
59
personification
a figure of speech in which something non-human is given human characteristics
60
protagonist
central character who faces the conflict
61
psalm
a sacred song or lyric
62
octave
first eight lines of a sonnet
63
quatrain
a poetic stanza of four lines
64
refrain
a phrase repeated at intervals especially at the end of a poem
65
satire
writing that ridicules weaknesses and wrongdoings of individuals, seeks to change the reader's mind through the force of laughter
66
sestet
six lines of a poem
67
simile
figure of speech in which two unlike things are compared through the use of a comparative word
68
soliloquy
a speech in a work in which a character alone onstage reveals his innermost thoughts and conflicts as if he were thinking aloud
69
sonnet
a poem of 14 lines in iambic pentameter
70
spring rythm
a variable poetic meter in which a stressed syllable is combined with any number of unstressed syllables
71
stream of consciousness
style of writing that imitiates the character's thoughts as if they were thinking aloud
72
style
word choice, arrangement of words, relationship of the sentences to one another
73
symbol
a word that is used to stand for an idea
74
symbolism
a philosophy applied to literature in which the author avoids direct statements working through symbols which suggest the meaning and establish the mood
75
syntax
way in which words are put to form constituents or phrases
76
terzarina
verse form consisting of three line stanzas, the middle line rhymes with the first and third of the next rhyme, interlocking rhyme
77
tetrameter
poetic line of four feet
78
tragedy
protagonist doesn't solve his problem
79
contemporary tragedy
protagonist falls lower and learns nothing
80
classic tragedy
protagonist learns and grows
81
trimeter
metrical line of three feet
82
trochee
poetic foot of stressed and unstressed
83
villanelle
intricately patterned poem, three line stanzas except for last (four lines), first and third line form refrain that is repeated and ends poem, whole poem has two lines

AP Lit (3 decks)

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