question

abstract

answer

an abbreviated synopsis of a longer work of scholarship or research

question

adage

answer

a saying/proverb containing a truth based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language

question

allegory

answer

a story in which the narrative/characters carry an underlying symbolic, metaphorical or possibly an ethical meaning

question

alliteration

answer

the repetition of one or more initial consonant in a group of words or lines of poetry or prose. writers use this for ornament or for emphasis

question

allusion

answer

a reference to a person, place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea

question

ambiguity

answer

a vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation

question

anachronism

answer

a person, scene, event, or other element in literature that fails to correspond with the time/era in which the work is set

question

analogy

answer

a comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things

question

annotation

answer

a brief explanation,summary, or evaluation of a text or work of literature

question

antagonist

answer

a character or force in a work of literature that, by opposing the protagonist produces tension or conflict

question

antithesis

answer

a rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by means of a grammatical arrangement of words, clauses, or sentences

question

aphorism

answer

a short, pithy statement of a generally accepted truth or sentiment

question

Apollonian

answer

in contrast to Dionysian, it refers to the most noble, godlike qualities of human nature and behavior

question

apostrophe

answer

a locution that addresses a person/personified thing not present

question

archetype

answer

an abstract or ideal conception of a type; a perfectly typical example; an original model/form

question

assonance

answer

the repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words or lines in poetry and prose

question

ballad

answer

a simple narrative verse that tells a story that is sung or recited; a long narrative poem, usually in very regular meter and rhyme, typically has a naive folksy quality

question

bard

answer

a poet, in olden times, a performer who told heroic stories to musical accompaniment

question

bathos

answer

the use of insincere or overdone sentimentality

question

belle-lettres

answer

the French term for the world of books, criticism, and literature in general

question

bibliography

answer

a list of works cited or otherwise relevant to a subject or other work

question

Bildungsroman

answer

a German word referring to a novel structured as a series of events that take place as the hero travels in quest of a goal

question

blank verse

answer

poetry written in iambic pentameter, the primary meter used in English poetry and the works of Shakespeare and Milton. its lines generally do not rhyme

question

bombast

answer

inflated, pretentious language used for trivial subjects

question

burlesque

answer

a work of literature meant to ridicule a subject; a grotesque imitation; a broad parody and exaggerates it into ridiculousness

question

cacophony

answer

grating, inharmonious sounds

question

caesura

answer

a pause somewhere in the middle of a verse, often (but not always marked by punctuation)

question

canon

answer

the works considered most important in national literature or period; works widely read and studied

question

caricature

answer

a grotesque likeness of striking qualities in persons and things; a portrait that exaggerates a facet of personality

question

carpe diem

answer

"seize the day"

question

catharsis

answer

a cleansing of the spirit brought about by the pity and terror of a dramatic tragedy

question

classic

answer

a highly regarded work of literature or other art form that has withstood the test of time, similar to canon

question

classicism

answer

deriving from the orderly qualities of ancient Greek and Roman culture; implies formality, objectivity, simplicity and restraint

question

climax

answer

the high point, or turning point, of a story/play

question

novel

answer

a tale in which a young protagonist experiences an introduction to adulthood. the character may develop understanding via disillusionment, education, doses of reality, or any other experiences that alter his/her emotional/intellectual maturity. e.g. Invisible Man

question

conceit

answer

a witty or ingenious thought; a diverting or highly fanciful idea, often stated in figurative language; a startling or unusual metaphor, or a metaphor developed and expanded upon several lines

question

anticlimax

answer

this occurs when an action produces far smaller results than one had been led to expect, it is frequently comic in effect

question

antihero

answer

a protagonist who is markedly unheroic: morally weak, cowardly, dishonest, or any number of other unsavory qualities

question

aside

answer

a speech (usually just a short comment) made by an actor to the audience, as though momentarily stepping outside of the action on stage

question

aspect

answer

a trait of characteristic, as in "an aspect of the dew drop"

question

atmosphere

answer

the emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene

question

black humor

answer

this is the use of disturbing themes in comedy. e.g. two tramps comically debating over which should commit suicide first, and whether the branches of a tree will support their weight

question

cadence

answer

the beat or rhythm of poetry in a general sense

question

canto

answer

is a divider in long poems, much like chapters in a novel

question

coinage

answer

a.k.a. neologism, inventing a word

question

colloquialism

answer

this is a word or phrase used in everyday conversational English that isn't a part of accepted "schoolbook" English

question

controlling image

answer

when an image dominates and shapes the entire work

question

metaphysical conceit

answer

a type of conceit that occurs only in metaphysical poetry

question

connotation

answer

the suggest or implied meaning of a word/phrase

question

consonance

answer

the repetition of two or more consonant sounds within a group of words or a line of poetry

question

couplet

answer

a pair of lines that end in rhyme

question

heroic couplet

answer

two rhyming lines in iambic pentameter are called this

question

denotation

answer

the literal, dictionary definition of a word

question

denouement

answer

the resolution that occurs at the end of a play or work or fiction

question

deus ex machina

answer

in literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem

question

Dionysian

answer

as distinguished from Apollonian, the word refers to sensual, pleasure seeking impulses

question

diction

answer

the choice of words in oral and written discourse

question

syntax

answer

the ordering and structuring of the words in a sentence

question

dirge

answer

a song for the dead, its tone is typically slow, heavy, and melancholy

question

dissonance

answer

the grating of incompatible sounds

question

doggerel

answer

crude, simplistic verse, often in sing-song rhyme

question

dramatic irony

answer

when the audience knows something that the characters in the drama do not

question

dramatic monologue

answer

when a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience

question

elegy

answer

a poem or prose selection that laments or meditates on the passing/death of something/someone of value

question

elements

answer

the basic techniques of each genre of literature. IN SHORT STORY: characters, irony, theme, symbol, plot, setting. IN POETRY: figurative language, symbol, imagery, rhythm, rhyme. IN DRAMA: conflict, characters, climax, conclusion, exposition, rising action, falling action, props. IN NONFICTION: argument, evidence, reason, appeals, fallacies, thesis.

question

ellipsis

answer

three periods (...) indicating the omission of words in a thought or quotation

question

empathy

answer

a feeling of association or identification with an object/person

question

end stopped

answer

a term that describes a line of poetry that ends with a natural pause often indicated by a mark of punctuation

question

enjambment

answer

the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line or couplet of a poem to the next with no pause

question

epic

answer

an extended narrative poem that tells of the adventures and exploits of a hero that is generally larger than life and is often considered a legendary figure

question

mock epic

answer

a parody form that deals with mundane events and ironically treats them as worthy of epic poetry

question

epitaph

answer

lines that commemorate the dead at their burial place. usually a line or handful of lines, often serious or religious, but sometimes witty and even irreverent

question

epigram

answer

a concise but ingenious, witty and thoughtful statement

question

euphony

answer

when sounds blend harmoniously; pleasing, harmonious sounds

question

epithet

answer

an adjective or phrase that expresses a striking quality of a person or thing

question

eponymous

answer

a term for the title character of a work of literature

question

euphemism

answer

a mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term

question

exegesis

answer

a detailed analysis or interpretation of a work of literature

question

expose

answer

a piece of writing that reveals weaknesses, faults, frailties, or other short comings

question

explicit

answer

to say or write something directly and clearly

question

explication

answer

the interpretation/analysis of a text

question

extended metaphor

answer

a series of comparisons between two unlike objects that occur over a number of lines

question

fable

answer

a short tale often featuring nonhuman character that act as people whose actions enable the author to make observations or draw useful lessons about human behavior. i.e Orwell's "Animal Farm"

question

falling action

answer

the action in a play or story that occurs after the climax and that leads to the conclusion and often to the resolution of the conflict

question

fantasy

answer

a story containing unreal, imaginary features

question

farce

answer

a comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness, although it may have a serious, scornful purpose

question

figurative language

answer

in contrast to literal language, this implies meanings. It includes devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification, etc.

question

foil

answer

a secondary character whose purpose is to highlight the characteristics of a main character, usually by contrast

question

first person narrative

answer

a narrative told by a character involved in the story, using first-person pronouns such as "I" and "we"

question

flashback

answer

a return to an earlier time in a story or play in order to clarify present actions or circumstances i.e. Invisible Man

question

foreshadowing

answer

an event or statement in a narrative that suggests, in miniature, a larger event that comes later

question

foot

answer

the basic rhythmic unit of a line in poetry. it is formed by a combination of two or three syllables, either stressed or unstressed

question

frame

answer

a structure that provides premise or setting for a narrative

question

free verse

answer

a kind of poetry without rhymed lines, rhythm or fixed metrical feet

question

genre

answer

a term used to describe literary forms, such as novel, play, and essay

question

Gothic novel

answer

a novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terror pervades the action. i.e. "Frankenstein"

question

harangue

answer

a forceful sermon, lecture, or tirade

question

hubris

answer

the excessive pride/ambition that leads to the main character's downfall

question

hyperbole

answer

exaggeration/deliberate overstatement

question

humanism

answer

a belief that emphasizes faith and optimism in human potential and creativity

question

implicit

answer

to say or write something that suggests and implies but never says it directly or clearly

question

in medias res

answer

Latin for "in the midst of things"; a narrative that starts not at the beginning of events but at some other critical point

question

idyll

answer

a lyric poem or passage that describes a kind of ideal life or place

question

image

answer

a word or phrase representing that which can be seen, touched, tasted, smelled or felt

question

inversion

answer

switching customary order of elements in a sentence or phrase. when done badly it can give a stilted, artificial look-at-me-I'm-poetry feel to the verse. type of syntax

question

irony

answer

a mode of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated, often implying ridicule or light sarcasm

question

invective

answer

a direct verbal assault; a denunciation. i.e. Candide

question

kenning

answer

a device employed in Anglo-Saxon poetry in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions/qualities, as in "ring-giver" for king and "wale-road" for ocean

question

lament

answer

a poem of sadness or grief over the death of a loved one or over some other intense loss

question

lampoon

answer

a satire

question

light verse

answer

a variety of poetry meant to entertain or amuse, butt sometimes with a satirical thrust

question

loose sentence

answer

a sentence that is complete before its end. follows customary word order of English sentences i.e. subject-verb-object

question

periodic sentence

answer

a sentence not grammatically complete until it has reached its final phrase; sentence that departs from the usual word order of English sentences by expressing its main thought only at the end

question

lyric

answer

personal, reflective poetry that reveals the speaker's thoughts and feelings about the subject; the word is used to describe tone, it refers to a sweet, emotional melodiousness

question

melodrama

answer

a form of cheesy theater in which the hero is very, very good, the villain mean and rotten, and the heroine oh-so-pure.

question

litotes

answer

a form of understatement in which the negative of the contrary is used to achieve emphasis or intensity

question

maxim

answer

a saying or proverb expressing common wisdom or truth

question

metaphor

answer

a figure of speech that compares unlike objects

question

metaphysical poetry

answer

the work of poets, particularly those of 17th c., that uses elaborate conceits, is highly intellectual, and expresses the complexities of love and life

question

meter

answer

the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables found in poetry

question

metonymy

answer

a figure of speech that uses the name of one thing to represent something else with which it is associated. e.g. "The White House says..."

question

mode

answer

the general form, pattern, and manner of expression of a work of literature

question

montage

answer

a quick succession of images/impressions used to express an idea

question

mood

answer

the emotional tone in a work of literature

question

nemesis

answer

the protagonist's archenemy or supreme and persistent difficulty

question

objectivity

answer

this treatment of a subject matter is an impersonal/outside view of events

question

subjectivity

answer

this treatment of a subject matter uses the interior/personal view of a single observer and is typically colored with that observer's emotional responses

question

onomatopoeia

answer

words that sound like what they mean

question

moral

answer

a brief and often simplistic lesson that a reader may infer from a work of literature

question

motif

answer

a phrase, idea, event that through repetition serves to unify or convey a theme in a work of literature.

question

muse

answer

one of the ancient Greek goddesses presiding over the arts. the imaginary source of inspiration for an artist or writer

question

myth

answer

an imaginary story that has become accepted part of the cultural or religious tradition of a group/society. often used to explain natural phenomena.

question

narrative

answer

a form of verse or prose that tells a story

question

naturalism

answer

a term often used as a synonym for "realism"; also a view of experiences that is generally characterized as bleak and pessimistic

question

non sequitur

answer

a statement or idea that fails to follow logically from the one before

question

novel of manners

answer

a novel focusing on and describing the social customs and habits of a particular social group

question

ode

answer

a lyric poem usually marked by serious, respectful and exalted feelings toward the subject.

question

omniscient narrator

answer

a narrator with unlimited awareness, understanding, and insight of characters, setting, background, and all other elements of the story

question

oxymoron

answer

a phrase composed of opposites; a contradiction. juxtaposition of contradictory element to create a paradoxical effect

question

opposition

answer

one of the most useful concepts in analyzing literature. it means that you have a pair of elements that contrast sharply.

question

ottava rima

answer

an eight-line rhyming stanza of a poem

question

parable

answer

like a fable or an allegory, it's a story that instructs; a story consisting of events from which a moral or spiritual truth may be derived

question

paradox

answer

a statement that seems self-contradictory yet true

question

parallelism

answer

repeated syntactical similarities used for effect

question

parody

answer

an imitation of a work meant to ridicule its style and subject

question

paraphrase

answer

a version of a text put into simpler, everyday, words

question

pastoral

answer

a work of literature dealing with rural life

question

pathetic fallacy

answer

faulty reasoning that inappropriately ascribes human feelings to nature or nonhuman objects

question

pathos

answer

that element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow

question

pentameter

answer

a verse with five poetic feet per line

question

persona

answer

the role/facade that a character assumes or depicts to a reader, viewer, or the world at large; the narrator in a non-first-person novel

question

personification

answer

giving an inanimate object human like qualities or form

question

plot

answer

the interrelationship among the events in a story, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution

question

picaresque novel

answer

an episodic novel about a roguelike wanderer who lives off his wits. e.g. "Don Quixote", "Moll Flanders"

question

plaint

answer

a poem or speech expressing sorrow

question

point of view

answer

the perspective from which the action of a novel in presented.

question

omniscient narrator

answer

3rd person narrator who sees like God into each character's mind and understands all the action going on.

question

limited omniscient narrator

answer

3rd person narrator who generally reports only what one character (usually the main) sees, and who only reports the thoughts of that one privileged character.

question

objective narrator

answer

3rd person narr. who only reports on what would be visible to a camera, doesn't know what the character is thinking unless the character speaks of it.

question

first person narrator

answer

this is a narrator who is a character in the story and tells the tale from his/her POV. when the narrator is crazy, a liar, very young, or for some reason not entirely credible, the narrator is "unreliable"

question

prosody

answer

the grammar of meter and rhythm in poetry

question

protagonist

answer

the main character in a work of literature

question

prelude

answer

an introductory poem to a longer work of verse

question

pun

answer

the usually humorous use of a word in such a way to suggest two or more meanings

question

pseudonym

answer

also called "pen name", a false name or alias used by writers. i.e Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) George Orwell (Eric Blair)

question

quatrian

answer

a four-line poem or a four-line unit of a longer poem

question

refrain

answer

a line or set of lines repeated several times over the course of a poem

question

requiem

answer

a song of prayer for the dead

question

realism

answer

the depiction of people, things, and events as they really are without idealization or exaggeration for effect

question

rhetoric

answer

the language of a work and its style; words, often highly emotional, used to convince or sway an audience

question

rhetorical question

answer

a question that suggests an answer. in theory, the effect is that it causes the listener to feel they have come up with the answer themselves

question

rhapsody

answer

an intensely passionate verse or section of verse, usually of love or praise

question

rhyme

answer

the repetition of similar sounds at regular intervals, used mostly in poetry

question

rhyme scheme

answer

the patterns of rhymes within a given poem i.e. abba

question

rhythm

answer

the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that make up a line of poetry. similar to meter

question

romance

answer

an extended narrative about improbable events and extraordinary people in exotic places

question

sarcasm

answer

a sharp, caustic expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt

question

satire

answer

a literary style used to poke fun at, attack or ridicule an idea, vice, or foible, often for the purpose of inducing change. great subjects for this include hypocrisy, vanity and greed, especially if those characteristics have become institutionalized in society

question

simile

answer

figurative comparison using the words "like" or "as"

question

setting

answer

the total environment for the action in a novel/play. it includes time, place, historical milieu, and social, political and even spiritual circumstances

question

sentimental

answer

a term that describes characters' excessive emotional response to experience; also nauseatingly nostalgic and mawkish

question

sentiment

answer

a synonym for "view" or "feeling"; also refined and tender emotion in literature

question

scansion

answer

the act of determining the meter of a poetic line.

question

sonnet

answer

a popular form of verse consisting of fourteen lines and a prescribed rhyme scheme. two types: Shakespearean and Petrarchan

question

soliloquy

answer

a speech spoken by a character alone on stage. meant to convey the impression that the audience is listening to the character's THOUGHTS. unlike an aside, it is not meant to imply that the actor acknowledges the audience's presence

question

stanza

answer

a group of lines in verse, roughly analogous in function to the paragraph in prose; a group of two or more lines in poetry combined according to subject matter, rhyme, or some other plan

question

stream of consciousness

answer

a style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind, e.g. Ernest Hemingway

question

stock characters

answer

standard or cliched character types: the drunk, the miser, the foolish girl, etc.

question

suggest

answer

to imply, infer indicate. goes along with the concept of implicit

question

style

answer

the manner in which an author uses and arranges words, shapes ideas, forms sentences and creates a structure to convey ideas

question

subplot

answer

a subordinate or minor collection of events in a novel or play, usually connected to the main plot

question

subtext

answer

the implied meaning that underlies the main meaning of a work of literature

question

summary

answer

a simple retelling of what you've just read. what you DON'T want to do in the Open Essay section :)

question

symbolism

answer

a device in literature where an object represents an idea

question

synecdoche

answer

a figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole or the whole signifies the part

question

theme

answer

the main idea or meaning, often an abstract idea upon which a work of literature is built

question

thesis

answer

the main position of an argument. the central contention that will be supported

question

tone

answer

the author's attitude toward the subject being written about. it's the characteristic emotion that pervades a work or part of a work

question

tragic flaw

answer

in a tragedy, this is the weakness of a character in an otherwise good individual that ultimately leads to his demise

question

tragedy

answer

a form of literature in which the hero is destroyed by some character flaw and a set of forces that cause the hero considerable anguish, or even death

question

travesty

answer

a grotesque parody

question

truism

answer

a way-too-obvious truth

question

utopia

answer

an idealized place. imaginary communities in which people are able to live in happiness, prosperity and peace. Sir Thomas More came up with this idea.

question

verbal irony

answer

a discrepancy between the true meaning of a situation and the literal meaning of the written or spoken words

question

verse

answer

a synonym for poetry. also a group of lines in a song or poem; also a single line of poetry

question

verisimilitude

answer

similar to the truth; the quality of realism in a work that persuades readers that they are getting a vision of life as it is

question

versification

answer

the structural form of a line of verse as revealed by the number of feet it contains. i.e. monometer = 1 foot; tetrameter = 4 feet; pentameter = 5 feet, etc.

question

villanelle

answer

a French verse form calculated to appear simple and spontaneous but consisting of 19 lines and a prescribed pattern of rhymes

question

voice

answer

the real or assumed personality used by a writer or speaker. a verb is in the active voice when it expresses an action performed by its subject. a verb is in the passive voice when it expresses an action performed upon its subject or when the subject is the result of the action. Active: The crew raked the leaves. Passive: The leaves were raked by the crew.

question

wit

answer

the quickness of intellect and the power and talent for saying brilliant things that surprise and delight by their unexpectedness; the power to comment subtly and pointedly on the foibles of the passing scene

question

zeugma

answer

the use of a word to modify two or more words, but used for different meanings. "He close the door and his heart on his lost love."

question

anastrophe

answer

inversion of the natural or usual word order

question

parenthesis

answer

insertion of some verbal unit in a position that interrupts the normal syntactical flow of the sentence

question

apposition

answer

placing side by side two coordinate elements, the second of which serves as an explanation or modification of the first. "The mountain was the earth, her home."

question

ellipsis

answer

deliberate omission of a word or words which are readily implied by context

question

asyndeton

answer

deliberate omission of conjunctions between a series of related clauses. used to produce a hurried rhythm in the sentence.

question

polysyndeton

answer

the deliberate use of many conjunctions. its effect is to slow down the rhythm of the sentence

question

anaphora

answer

repetition of the same words or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses. e.g. "I have a dream..."

question

epistrophe

answer

repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses "When we first came we were very many and you were very few. Now you are many and we are getting very few."

question

epanalepsis

answer

repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning of the clause. "Blood hat bought blood, and blows have answer'd blows"

question

anadiplosis

answer

repetition of the last word of one clause at the beginning of the following clause. "The crime was common, common be the pain."

question

climax

answer

the arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses in an order of importance

question

antimetabole

answer

repetition of words, in successive clauses, in reverse grammatical order. "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

question

chiasmus

answer

reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases or clauses. "Exalts his enemies, his friends destroys."

question

polyptoton

answer

repetition of words derived from the same root. "But in this desert country they may see the land being rendered USELESS by OVERUSE."

question

antanaclasis

answer

repetition of a word in two different senses. "Your argument is sound, nothing but sound."

question

paronomasia

answer

use of words alike in sound but different in meaning. "ask for me tomorrow and you will find me a GRAVE man."

question

syllepsis

answer

the use of a word understood differently in relation to two or more other words, which it modifies/governs. "The ink, like our pig, keeps running out of the pen."

question

anthimeria

answer

the substitution of one part of speech for another "I'll UNHAIR they head."

question

periphrasis

answer

substitution of a descriptive word or phrase for a proper name or of a proper name for a quality associated with the name. "They do not escape JIM CROW; they merely encounter another, not less deadly variety."

question

autobiography

answer

an account of a person's own life

question

dialect

answer

a way of speaking that is characteristic of a particular region/group of people

question

epiphany

answer

in a literary work, a moment of sudden insight/revelation that a character experiences

question

essay

answer

a short piece of non-fiction prose that examines a single subject from a limited POV

question

suspense

answer

the uncertainty/anxiety we feel about what is going to happen next in a story

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