English Literature: Critical language – Flashcards
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Allegorical
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A poem,story or picture that reveals a deeper meaning (Symbol)
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Ambiguous
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Not having one obvious meaning
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Archaism
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A thing that is very old fashioned especially a word or style of language or art.
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Allusion
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An indirect or passing reference
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Appropriate
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suitable in the circumstances
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Ambivalent
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having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone (Unsure)
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Alliterate
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use words beginning with the same sound or letter.
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Analogy
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A comparison between one thing and another (similarity)
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Argument
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An exchange of diverging or opposite view (quarrel)
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Brief
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Short Duration (quick)
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Balanced
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elements are equal
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Bathos
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an effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous
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Background
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the part of a scene that is behind a main figure
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Catharsis
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the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.
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Cliche
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a phrase or opinion that is overused
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Catastrophic
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causing sudden great damage or suffering.
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Colloquial
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used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal
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Contemporary
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ocuring at the same time
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Classical
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relating to ancient Greek or Latin literature, art, or culture.
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Context
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circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea,
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Crisis
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a time of intense difficulty or danger.
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Caricature
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picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic effect
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Coincidence
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circumstances without apparent causal connection.
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compressed
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make smaller
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Concise
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giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words
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Consistent
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acting or done in the same way over time
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Comic
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cause laughter.
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Characteristic
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feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place, or thing
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Climax
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the most intense, exciting, or important point of something
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Catalogue
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creating a long list for poetic or rhetorical effect
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Creative
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involving the use of the imagination or original ideas
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Chronological
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following the order in which they occurred
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Contradictory
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mutually opposed
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didactic
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intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction
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Dramatic Irony
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using language that normally signifies the opposite
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Dialogue
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conversation between two or more people
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Digression
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.authors employ to create a temporary departure from the main subject of the narrative to focus on apparently unrelated topics
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Dialect
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The language used by the people of a specific area, class, district or any other group of people.
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Economical
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using no more of something than is necessary.
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Epic
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a long poem narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the past history of a nation.
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Exposition
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introduce background information about events, settings, characters etc.
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Euphemistic
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refers to polite, indirect expressions which replace words and phrases considered harsh and impolite or which suggest something unpleasant.
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Evocative
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call out; when you want to describe something that reminds you of something else.
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Episode
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a usually brief unit of action in a dramatic or literary work
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emotive
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describes words and phrases meant to evoke an emotional response to a subject
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Extravagant (Adj)
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being excessive or overdone.
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Effective
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something that produces a desired or expected effect
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Elegiac
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a poem or song in the form of elegiac couplets, written in honor of someone deceased.
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Elegant
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excellent; fine; superior
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Epilogue
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a concluding part added to a literary work, as a novel.
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Futuristic
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of or relating to the future:
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Fantastic
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extraordinarily good
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Farcical
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humor of the type displayed in such works
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Fanciful
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the artistic ability of creating unreal or whimsical imagery, decorative detail, etc., as in poetry or drawing.
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Figurative
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abounding in or fond of figures of speech:
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Flashback
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an event or scene so inserted.
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Heroic
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characteristic of a hero
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Hubris
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excessive pride or self-confidence
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Historical
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pertaining to history or past events
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Humorous
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funny;comical
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Imagery
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formation of mental images
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Incident
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individual occurrence or event.
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Innuendo
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a hint, typically a suggestive or disparaging one.
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Disparaging
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expressing the opinion that something is of little worth
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Irony
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the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning:
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Inflated
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unduly increased in level: (inflated pride)
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Inconsistent
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self contradictory
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Involved
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committed or engaged
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Limited
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restricted or circumscribed
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Logical
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reasonable
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Literal
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true to fact; not exaggerated;
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Learned
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well-informed:
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Monotonous
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lacking in variety
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Metaphorical
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to represent something else; emblem; symbol.
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Melodramatic
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exaggerated and emotional or sentimental
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Metaphysical
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highly abstract, imaginary
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Mysterious
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full of, characterized by, or involving mystery:
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Moral
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concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical:
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Modernist
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a person relating to present and recent time
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Monologue
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a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker
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Narrative
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A story
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naturalistic
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treatment of forms, colors, space, etc., as they appear or might appear in nature.
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obscure
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not clear
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paradox
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a self-contradictory and false proposition.
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Parody
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satirical imitation
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Pathos
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music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity, or of sympathetic and kindly sorrow or compassion.
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Plausible
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believable
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Prologue
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an introductory scene
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Pretentious
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making an exaggerated outward show
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Prosaic
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dull
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Punning
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a play on words
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soliloquy
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a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts
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sub-plot
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underplot
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succinct
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expressed in few words
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Topical
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pertaining to or dealing with matters of current or local interest
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Wit
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speech or writing showing such perception and expression. (joking)
