My Very Own Dictionary of Literary Terms

My Very Own Dictionary of Literary Terms!

Literary Terms and Elements_____________________________

1. prose	language that is not in verse
2. diction	word choice
3. denotation	the dictionary definition of a word
4. connotation	the emotional associations or overtones of a word
5. syntax	sentence structure [loose, parallel, cumulative, periodic, inverted, interrupted]
6. coherence	cohesiveness, connectedness
7. a dialect	a regional variety of a language, with a distinctive accent, grammar, and lexicon
8. lexicon	vocabulary
9. colloquial	extremely casual or informal in expression
10. ambiguous	expressing more than 1 meaning
11. bland	lacking in color, liveliness, or individuality
12. euphony	pleasing sounds [adj "euphonious"="agreeable to the ear"]
13 cacophony	disagreeable sounds, discord
14. imagery	language that awakens the 5 senses [sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell]
15. tone	emotional attitudes of speaker/narrator/author toward the subject of a poem/story
16. figurative language	(figures of speech) language that can't be taken literally
17. a metaphor	f.o.s. (figure of speech): an implied comparison between unlike things
18. a simile	f.o.s.: an explicit or stated comparison between unlike things
19. personification	f.o.s. in which something not human is given human qualities
20. a paradox	f.o.s: statement that is self-contradictory yet true [e.g., that the disobedience of Adam and Eve was a "fortunate fall"]
21. an oxymoron	f.o.s: a briefly stated paradox, e.g., ~jumbo shrimp," "the Fortunate Fall"
22. hyperbole	f.o.s.: deliberate exaggeration or overstatement
23. understatement	f.o.s.: deliberately restrained or subdued language (opposite of hyperbole)
24-26. irony (3 KINDS)	(l) VERBAL IRONY (f.o.s.): the speaker says the opposite of what she means; (2) IRONY OF SITUATION (plot device): a character's choices bring about a result contrary to the one intended; (3) DRAMATIC IRONY (characterizing device): A character's interpretation or awareness is flawed, and audience knows it (e.g., when a narrator or speaker is naive: Macbeth saying "damned [be] all those who trust" the witches)
27. sarcasm	bitter, cutting ridicule (sometimes ironic)
28. a symbol	a concrete object that has abstract meaning [a wedding ring is a symbol of love, commitment, and union]
29. an allegory	a story in which characters, events, and objects become symbols in a universal, mythic, or religious narrative (e.g., "the Fisher King" undertakes a "quest" to "the "Chapel Perilous" to recover the "Holy Grail").
30. an allusion	a passing reference to another piece of writing
31. an apostrophe	an exclamatory address to an imaginary or absent person.
32. a monologue	a speech or writing with one speaker [cf. "dialogue"]
33. a soliloquy	a monologue spoken alone on stage
34. a moral	a simple uplifting or warning lesson expressed in a literary work
35. a theme	a complex truth or mystery about life expressed in a literary work
36. the protagonist	the leading character
37. the antagonist	the character opposing the protagonist
38. point of view	perspective of the person telling the story (first-person narration, omniscient narrator, limited omniscience, etc.)
39. a tragedy	a literary work in which persons of greatness are destroyed, in part because of their greatness
40. a comedy	a literary work treating serious subjects in a light manner and ending happily
41. a satire	a work that ridicule vices and follies for the purpose of trying to reform people
42. a parody	a humorous imitation of a serious work
43. sentimental	excessively emotional, weepy, sappy
44. to scan	to find the meter of a poem
45. meter	a set rhythm, a repeated pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem
46. free verse	poetry without meter or rhyme
47. iambic pentameter	"5-foot meter," each foot "iambic," i.e., having 1 unstressed and 1 stressed syllable (the most common meter in English poetry: da Da / da DA / da DA / da DA / da DA)
48. blank verse	unrhymed iambic pentameter [Shakespeare's usual meter]
49. English sonnet	14-line iambic pentameter poem, 3 quatrains+couplet usu. rhyming abab/cdcd/efef/gg.
50-2. Italian sonnet	14-line iambic pentameter poem, 2 quatrains (an 8-line octave) + a 6-line sestet rhyming "abbaabba/cdecde"; "abbaabba/cdcdcd," etc.
53. alliteration	the repetition of the initial sounds of words
54. assonance	the repetition of vowel sounds
55. onomatopoeia	use of a word that sounds like the denoted noise (e.g., boom, clang, tweet)
56. fable	a simple narrative illustrating a truth about human nature or life in general
57. denouement	the final resolution or "untying" of a plot
58. hubris	excessive pride
59. catharsis	the purging of emotions in an audience
60. novel	a fictional prose narrative
61. plot	the structure of action as presented in fiction or drama
62. foil 63. anachronism 64. antithesis	a character whose traits serve to contrast and set off traits of another character something out of its normal time. involves a direct contrast of structurally parallel word groupings, generally for the purpose of contrast. (e.g., sink or swim)

65. archetype : The term is applied to an image, a descriptive detail, a plot pattern, or a character type that occurs frequently I literature, myth, religion, or folklore and is, therefore, believed to evoke profound emotion because it touches the unconscious memory and thus calls into play illogical but strong responses.

66. controlling image: An image or metaphor which runs throughout the work.

67. dialect: The form of a language spoken by people in a particular region or group. Pronunciation, vocabulary, and sentence structure are affected by dialect.

68. diction: Work choice. To discuss a writer's diction is to consider the vocabulary used, the appropriateness of the words, and the vividness of the language.

69. epiphany: A sudden understanding or realization which prior to this was not thought of or understood.

70. euphemism: A device where being indirect replaces directness to avoid unpleasantness.

extended metaphor: An extended metaphor differs from a regular metaphor in that several comparisons are being made.

71. flashback: A section of a literary work that interrupts the sequence of events to relate an event from an earlier time.

72. foreshadowing: The use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur.

73. hyperbole: A deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.

image: A word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses-sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell.

74. imagery: The descriptive or figurative language used in literature to create word pictures for the reader.

75. inversion: A change in the normal word order.

76. juxtaposition: A poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another.

77. metonymy: A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

78. monologue: A speech by one character in a play, story, or poem.

79. motif: A simple device that serves as a basis for an expanded narrative. The motif is a recurring feature in the word.

80. paradox: A statement that seems contradictory or absurd but that expresses the truth.

81. parallelism: The repetition of a grammatical structure.

82. personification: A type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics.

83. repetition: The use, more than once, of any element of language-a sound, a word, a phrase, a clause, or a sentence.

84. rhetorical shift: A change from one tone, attitude, etc. Look for key words like but, however, even though, although, yet, etc.

85. understatement: Saying less than is actually meant, generally in an ironic way.

86. catharsis: A moral and spiritual cleansing; an empathic identification with others (e.g., watching a protagonist overcome great odds to survive can create catharsis; confession purges the soul)

87. characterization: The act of creating and developing a character.

88. mood: The feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage.

89. suspense: a feeling of curiosity or uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work.

90. theme: A central message or insight into life revealed through the literary work. It is not a condensed summary, but rather a generalization about human beings or about life that the literary work communicates.

91. tone: The writer's attitude toward his or her audience and subject. Tone can often be described by a single adjective. Often referred to as attitude.

92. bildungsroman: a coming of age story usually for males.