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102 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
alliteration
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the repetition of the initial cound in two or more words; often the repetition of an initial letter, but not always; most popular figure of speech
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allegory
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a story or narrative that teaches a moral or truth by using people, animals, events, etc. as symbols of that moral or truth
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allusion
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a passing or casual reference; an incidental mention of something, either directly or by implication
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anecdote
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a short account of a particular incident or event of an interesting or amusing nature, often biographical
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anagnoresis
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the critical moment of recognition or discovery; precedes peripetia
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antagonist
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a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with another; opponent, adversary
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aphorism
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a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation, as “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton)
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apostrophe
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a digression in the form of an address to someone not present, or to a personified object or idea, as “O Death, where is thy sting”
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archetype
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the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kinds are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype
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aside
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a part of an actor’s lines supposedly not heard by others on the stage and intended only for the audience
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assonance
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(also called vowel rhyme) rhyme in which the same vowel sounds are used with different consonants in the stressed syllables of the rhyming words as in penitent and reticence
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atmosphere
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the dominant mood or emotional tone of a work of art
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autobiography
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the history of a person's life as told or written by that person
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ballad
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a narrative poem, often of fold origin and intended to be sung, consisting of simple stanzas and usually having a refrain
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biography
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a written account of another person's life
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blank verse
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unrhymed verse, especially the unrhymed iambic pentameter most frequently used in English dramatic, epic, and reflective verse
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round character
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a character in fiction whose personality, background, motives, and other features are fully delineated by the author
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flat character
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an easily recognized character type in fiction who may not be fully delineated but is useful in carrying out some narrative purpose of the author
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static character
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a literary character who remains basically unchanged throughout a work
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dynamic character
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(also called developing character) in literature or drama, a character who undergoes a permanent change in outlook or character during the story
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characterization
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representation of a character or characters on the stage or in writing, especially by imitating or describing actions, gestures, or speeches
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climax
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(in a dramatic or literary work) a decisive moment that is of maximum intensity or is a major turning point in a plot
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cacophony
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the use of harsh or discordant sounds in literary composition, as for poetic effect
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circular novel
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when the plot of a novel begins in the present and goes back in time working back up to the present, making a full circle, such as in Kite Runner
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conceit
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a fanciful poetic image, especially an elaborate or exaggerated comparison; a poem passage containing such an image
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internal conflict
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in literature and drama, a struggle which takes place in the protagonist’s mind and through which the character reaches a new understanding or dynamic change
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external conflict
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in literature, a struggle between the protagonist and another character against nature or some outside force
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connotation
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the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning
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consonance
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repetition of consonant sounds in a short sequence of words, like alliteration, only not restricted to the beginnings of words
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conflict
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opposition between characters or forces in a work of drama or fiction, esp. opposition that motivates or shapes the action of the plot
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couplet
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a pair of verses forming a unit, not necessarily rhyming together
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denotation
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the strict, literal definition of a word
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description
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speaking of the characteristics of something, for example what it looks, sounds, and feels like, to define it in detail
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deveopment
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the dynamic process of improvement, which implies a change, an evolution, growth and advancement, frequently of a theme or character over the course of a literary work
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dialect
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the variation on a language used by speakers in a particular geography area, it can be used to lend realism to a work
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diction
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the art of speaking in such a way that each word is clearly heard, or a poet’s distinctive choices in vocabulary
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drama
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literary work with dialogue written in verse and/or prose and spoken by actors playing characters experiencing conflict and tension
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dramatic irony
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when the audience of a play knows more than the characters within the play, making the plot suspenseful and dramatic
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dramatic poetry
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use of poetry to portray, using discourse between characters, a story or situation
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dramatic monologue
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a type of lyric poem, developed during the Victorian period, in which a character delivers a speech explaining his or her feelings, actions, or motives
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elegy
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a somber poem or song that praises or laments the dead
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epic
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long narrative on a serious subject chronicling heroic deeds and important events
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epiphany
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the moment in a drama when a character discovers his or her true identity, first found in Greek drama
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epitaph
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an inscription on a tomb or a written work praising a dead person; a commemoration, eulogy, or remembrance
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euphony
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flowing and aesthetically pleasing speech
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Existentialism
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a philosophical and literary movement during the 20th century, it is concerned with how there is existence before essence, and its adherents portray the concept of an essential self as illusionary
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essay
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a short, nonfiction composition on a single topic
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exposition
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the part of a story’s plot that introduces the setting and characters and presents the events and situations that it will focus on. It can also be an essay that informs but does not argue
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extended metaphor
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also called a conceit, these are a figure of speech found commonly in metaphysical poetry. An extended metaphor is a metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work
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fable
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story that teaches a lesson or a rule of living; the characters are usually animals that speak and act like humans
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falling action
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point after the climax of a story that shows the climax’s effects and leads up to the denouement; frequently a characteristic of tragedies and short stories
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fantasy
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a genre of writing that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting
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fiction
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storytelling of imaginary events, as opposed to real ones
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figurative language
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language containing figures of speech (words, phrases or sentences that (1) present a “figure” to the mind of the reader, (2) present an imaginative or unusual use of words that the reader is not to take literally, or (3) present a special arrangement or use of words or word sounds that create an unusual effect)
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flashback
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device in which a writer describes significant events of an earlier time or actually returns the plot to an earlier time, allowing the writer to inform the reader of significant past events
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foreshadowing
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device a writer uses to hint at a future course of action
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frame story
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tale with a plot structure wherein an author uses two or more characters to present the action (like in Frankenstein)
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free verse
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describes poetry not written using strict meter or rhyme, but still identifiable as poetry due to its patterns
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Freytag's pyramid
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analysis of drama dividing it into five parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement
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genre
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type or kind, as applied to literature or film
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haiku
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a mode of Japanese poetry following a strict format of three unrhymed lines of five, seven, and five syllables; traditionally invoking an aspect of nature or the seasons
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harmartia
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tragic flaw
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hubris
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excessive pride
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hyperbole
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a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect
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idyll
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poem focusing on the simplicity and tranquility or rural life, or prose work with a similar focus
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image
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a literal and concrete representation of a sensory experience or of an object that can be known by one or more of the senses; a portion of the essence of meaning of the literary work, not just decoration; may be either literal or figurative, (a literal image being one that involves no necessary change or extension in the obvious meaning of the words, one in which the words call up a sensory representation of the literal object or sensation)
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imagery
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the use of images in literature
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in medias res
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Latin phrase for in the middle of things; meaning that a story begins in the middle of the plot, usually at an exciting part
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irony
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(1) saying the opposite of what is meant (2) result or ending that is the opposite (3) situation in which the audience attending a dramatic presentation grasps the incongruity of a situation before the actors do
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legend
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an unverified story handed down from earlier times, esp. one popularly believed to be historical, or a romanticized/popularized myth of modern times
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litotes
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creation of a positive or opposite idea through negation, like “I am not unaware of your predicament”
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local color
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a type of writing particularly attentive to the dialect and customs of regional cultures thought to be vanishing in the face of the modern corporation
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lyric poem
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a brief poem that expresses the personal emotions and thoughts of a single speaker – the sonnet, elegy, and ode fit into this category
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metaphor
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an analogy identifying one object with another and ascribing to the first object one or more of the qualities of the second
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metonymy
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substitution of one word or phrase for a word or phrase similar in meaning
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meter
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a recurring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
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Modernism
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A trend of thought during the late 19th and early 20th centuries affirming the power of human beings to make, improve, deconstruct and reshape their built and designed environment, with the aid of scientific knowledge, technology and practical experimentation
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monologue
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a speech made by one person speaking his or her thoughts aloud or directly addressing a reader, audience or character
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mood
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the atmosphere or pervading tone of a place or situation in a literary work
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moral
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a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim
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motif
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any recurring element that has symbolic significance
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motivation
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reason or reasons behind a character’s actions; what induces a character to do what he does; motives
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myth
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a body of stories linked to the religious life of a culture, often in ancient times
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narration
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recounting of the events making up a story
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narrative
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a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious
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narrative poem
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a poem that tells a story
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narrator
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someone who tells a story
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nonfiction
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the branch of literature comprising works of narrative prose dealing with or offering opinions or conjectures upon facts and reality, including biography, history, and the essay
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novel
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a fictitious prose narrative of considerable length and complexity, portraying characters and usually presenting a sequential organization of action and scenes
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novella
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a fictional prose narrative that is longer and more complex than a short story; a short novel; a short prose tale often characterized by moral teaching or satire
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octave
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a rhythmic group of eight lines of verse
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ode
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a lyric poem typically of elaborate or irregular metrical form and expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion; lyric poem of some length, usually of a serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal stanzaic structure
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onomatopoeia
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the official term for words that sound like what they mean (buzzed, crackled, wheezed, drones, whimpered, shrieked, crunched, thundered, babbled, roared, hummed, popped, etc.)
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oral tradition
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a community's cultural and historical traditions passed down by word of mouth or example from one generation to another without written instruction
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oxymoron
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the blending of two contradictory terms; oxy means sharp and moros means stupid, so it is a sharp-stupid saying
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parable
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a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson
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paradox
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a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth
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personification
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giving human characteristics to inanimate objects
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plot
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storyline; the plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work
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point of view
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the position of the narrator in relation to the story, as indicated by the narrator's outlook from which the events are depicted and by the attitude toward the characters; outlook of a character or narrator
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prose
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the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse
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protagonist
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main character in a drama or other literary work; In ancient Greek drama, the first actor to engage in dialogue with the chorus, in later dramas playing the main character and some minor characters as well; leader of a cause
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