Untitled Deck Flashcards
(45 cards)
What is diction?
A writer’s choice of words
What is syntax?
The pattern of the word order in a sentence or phrase
What is connotation?
The emotional response evoked by a word
What is denotation?
The objective dictionary definition of a word
What is figurative language?
Language that uses figures of speech, or expressions that are not literally true but express some truth beyond the literal level. Types include hyperbole, metaphor, personification, simile, and understatement
What is imagery?
Words or phrases that create pictures, or images, in the reader’s mind
What is theme?
The main idea or message of a story, poem, novel, or play, often expressed as a general statement about life
What is an antagonist?
A person or a force in society or nature that opposes the protagonist, or central character, in a story or drama
What is a character?
An individual in a literary work. Types include: Round Character - shows varied and sometimes contradictory traits; Flat Character - shows only one personality trait; Dynamic Character - undergoes a change during the story; Static Character - remains the same throughout the story.
What are characterization techniques?
The techniques employed by writers to develop characters. Direct Characterization is when the author clearly tells the reader what we need to know about a character. Indirect Characterization includes: 1) Narrator’s description of a character’s physical appearance or personal traits 2) Character’s thoughts 3) Character’s actions 4) Character’s speech 5) Other characters’ thoughts, comments, and actions
What is conflict?
A struggle between two opposing forces or characters. Internal conflict takes place within the mind of a character; External conflict takes place between the character and something else. Types include Person vs. Person, Person vs. Society, Person vs. Nature, Person vs. Technology, Person vs. Self.
What is a flashback?
An interruption in the chronological order of a narrative to describe an event that happened earlier
What is foreshadowing?
An author’s use of hints or clues to prepare readers for events that will happen later in a story
What is irony?
The contrast between appearance and actuality, or between expectation and reality. Types include: Situational irony - something happens that is entirely different than what is expected; Verbal irony - writer/character says one thing, but means something entirely different; Dramatic irony - reader or audience understands meanings that one or more characters do not.
What is mood?
The emotional quality of a literary work, comprised of choices of language, subject matter, setting, tone, and sound devices like rhyme and rhythm
What is tone?
The attitude that a writer takes toward his or her subject. Examples include bitter, angry, comic, objective, casual, passionate, etc.
What is point of view?
The vantage point from which a narrative is told. Types include: First-Person - told by one of the characters in his/her own words; Third-Person Omniscient - narrator is not in the story, can describe and comment on all characters; Third-Person Limited - narrator is not a character in the story, tells the story from the viewpoint of only one character.
What is a protagonist?
The central character in a literary work, around whom the main conflict revolves
What is setting?
The time and place in which events in a literary work occur
What is a symbol?
Any person, animal, place, object, or event that exists on a literal level within a work but also represents something on a figurative level
What is an epic hero?
1) of high rank 2) represents the values of his society 3) fatal flaw 4) supernatural forces 5) large scale (travels a lot) 6) told in a formal/grand style 7) they win
What is a stereotyped epithet?
Nicknames based on important identifiable qualities, such as gray-eyed Athena, wily Odysseus, earth shaker
What is an epic simile?
Long comparisons of actions and processes, usually derived from nature
What is an invocation to the muse?
Prayers to the muse to inspire a good story and provide guidance in storytelling (poet is asking for assistance in telling a story that is larger than life)
