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97 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
metaphor
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Direct comparison of two different things that suggests they are somehow the same
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epiphany
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a sudden realization or revelation; an "ah-ha!" moment
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ad hominem
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an attack on a person's character rather than attacking an argument or position
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motif
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a recurring element, structural element, or theme
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syllepsis
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linking one word with two other words in two strikingly different ways
"The relatives exhausted their credit, exhausted their friends" |
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conceit
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a imaginative, sometimes bizarre, clever metaphor
John Donne compares himself and his wife to two legs of a compass or a marriage bed to a flea |
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tautology
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needless repetition, adding no further meaning or understanding
"widow woman" if she's a widow, it's evident that she's a woman; "free gift" and "close proximity" |
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antithesis
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a parallel statement of opposing ideas
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness" |
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synecdoche
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"part for the whole"; using part of an object to represent the entire object
The ship sank and all hands were lost. "Hands" represents sailors. |
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style
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the overall manner in which an individual writer expresses ideas
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alliteration
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repetition of initial consonant sound in successive or neighboring words
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consonance
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repetition of consonant sounds throughout a line or section of prose or poetry
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assonance
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repetition of vowel sounds throughout a line or section of prose or poetry
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sibilance
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repetition of "ss" sounds (including "zz" and "sh" sounds and other similar sounds)
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sarcasm
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harsh, cutting language or tone, intended to ridicule
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irony
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situation or statement where the reality is opposite of what is expected or appears to be
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pedantic
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describing an excessive display of learning or scholarship (i.e. showing off one's learning; a pedant is a know-it all)
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syllogism
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a logical argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and a minor premise
All elephants are gray; Nellie is an elephant. Therefore, Nellie is gray. |
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allegory
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a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
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understatement
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the deliberate representation of something as less in magnitude or gravity than it really is
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imagery
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concrete, sensory details (appealing to any of the five sense) which contribute to the themes or ideas of a work
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anecdote
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a brief, personal story which focuses on a particular incident or event
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non sequitur
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an inference that doesn't follow logically from the premise(s)
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ellipsis
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LIT TERM: the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context
Allen wants to be a soldier; Billy, an actor. PUNCTUATION: ... three periods used to indicate a pause, passage of time, or other break in text |
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pathos
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the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity or sorrow
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satire
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writing that mocks the flaws, weakness, and imperfections of society; can either be gentle and witty or harsh and cutting
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chiasmus
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a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed.
Out went the candle as she hurried in. |
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genre
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a major category or type of literature
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parody
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comic imitation of a serious work
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denotation
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the literal meaing of a word (i.e. the "dictionary" definition of the word)
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colloquialism
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informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing
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invective
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an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack
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aphorism
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a concise statement, which expresses a general truth or idea succinctly often using rhyme or balance (similar to a proverb, maxim, adage, etc.)
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hyperbole
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intentional exaggeration to create an effect
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syntax
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the structure or manner in which words are arranged by a writer into sentences (i.e. the structure of the sentence in terms of "grammar")
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apostrophe
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LIT TERM: the act of speaking directly to an absent or imaginary person, or to some abstraction (talking to someone who isn't there or can't respond)
"O death where is thy sting" "Death, be not proud" PUNCTUATION: ' the mark is used to represent a letter (or letters) that have been omitted (in don't the ' = o ) |
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tone
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the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience
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oxymoron
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an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined
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connotaion
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the implied or associative meaning of a word (the "emotional" definition of a word)
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paradox
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an apparently contradictory statement which contains some truth
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onomatopoeia
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words that imitate sounds (crackled, buzzing, etc.);
can also be "real" words that represent sounds: Poe's "silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain" attempts to recreate the sound of the curtain moving |
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symbol
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an object which is something in itself yet is used to represent something else
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anaphora
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the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences
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didactic
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writing which has as its primary purpose to teach or instruct
Religious and political writing usually has an overt didactic purpose, but most stories and poetry often has some instructional purpose (i.e. to demonstrate the qualities of a good ruler, the punishment of the wicked, etc.) |
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allusion
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a reference (explicit or implicit) to literature, mythology, history, or religion
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metonymy
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substitution the name of one object for another object closely associated with it
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diction
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the word choice of the author
usually when considering diction, speculate as to the purpose of this word as opposed to another (usually tied up in the connotation of the words) |
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personification
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endowing human attributes in non-human things or creatures
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euphemism
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an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant or rude
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litotes
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a type of understatement in which something affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite
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analogy
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a comparison between two different things which are similar in some way
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antagonist
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the character or force(s) in opposition to the protagonist
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protagonist
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the main or chief character of a work
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blank verse
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unrhymed iambic pentameter
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catharsis
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an emotional outpouring or purging of emotions at the end of a tragedy
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bildungsroman
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a "growth" novel--sometimes a coming of age novel
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comic relief
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humorous situation or character that helps to relieve the audience or reader of the burden of strong emotion through laughter--can be before or after the emotional (sorrowful or terrifying) event
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end rhyme
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rhyme at the end of the lines of poetry
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internal rhyme
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rhyme within the line of a poem
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slant rhyme
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rhyme the comes close to rhyming but doesn't, often demonstrates tension or confusion about the subject or theme
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foil
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character who serves to illustrate a trait in the main character by demonstrating the opposite quality (an angry character who clashes with a peaceful one); usually the foil and protagonist are similar
Tybalt is a foil to Romeo Laertes is a foil to Hamlet Macduff is a foil to Macbeth |
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pastoral
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type of poetry or writing in which rustic country life is portrayed as ideal; often romanticizes shepherds
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in medias res
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a story which begins in the middle of the action and tells the beginning of the plot later
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octave
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eight line verse
in a Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet, the octave often poses a problem, examines a situation, or contemplates philosophy |
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sestet
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six line verse
in a Petrarchan (Italian) sonnet the sestet resolves the octave eithe by solving the problem or demonstrating what the speaker has learned |
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speaker
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the "narrator" or "storyteller" of a poem; it is crucial to separate the speaker from the author/poet
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pun
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play on words
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scansion
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determining the meter of a poem
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setting
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time and place of the story; often reveals a great deal about the characters and themes of the work
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quatrain
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four line verse
in the English (Shakespearean) sonnet the quatrains pose problems and further complicate or illustrate the problem until the resolution of the couplet |
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dystopian novel
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An anti-utopian novel where, instead of a paradise, everything has gone wrong in the attempt to create a perfect society
1984 and Brave New World demonstrate how dystopias can vary--'84 is brutal; BNW is a "happy" world--both are horrifying visions of what our culture could become |
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utopia
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a vision of a perfect society; literally means "no place"
Utopias describe a perfected vision of society; perfect is completely in the eye of the author |
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asyndeton
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literary technique that deliberately omits conjunctions between clauses and phrases; it can speed the pace of a passage or draw attention to a single idea
"I came, I saw, I conquered" Julius Caesar "...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." Abraham Lincoln |
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polysyndeton
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use of several conjunctions, particularly "and," which could be omitted; can help control the pace of a work; can also demonstrate an almost childlike exuberance
"I said, 'Who killed him?' and he said 'I don't know who killed him, but he's dead all right,' and it was dark and there was water standing in the street and no lights or windows broke and boats all up in the town and trees blown down and everything all blown and I got a skiff and went out and found my boat where I had her inside Mango Key and she was right only she was full of water." Ernest Hemingway, After the Storm |
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stream of consciousness
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stream-of-consciousness writing is a form of interior monologue; it's characterized by associative leaps in syntax and punctuation that can make the prose difficult to follow, tracing a character's fragmentary thoughts and sensory feelings
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masculine rhyme
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single syllable rhyme
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feminine rhyme
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relatively rare in English poetry; multiple syllables rhyme--often to indicate humor, a delicacy, or whimsical nature
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the great chain of being
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Medieval system of cosmology in which all things have a descending structure from God to the earth itself; a disruption in one level leads to problems for the lower levels; often used in Shakespeare as rulers are killed some wacky stuff happens
God->angels->King-> Nobility->Peasants-> Animals->plants->earth |
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synesthesia
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using one senses vocabualry and wording to describe another sense
sweet music--"sweet" is a word describing taste, but here is applied to sound |
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tragic hero and tragic flaw
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a tragic hero is traditionally a highly placed member of society (a king or noble) who suffers from a tragic flaw, a problem in his character (i.e. pride, naivete). His flaw directly causes his suffering and that of others; generally near the end of the tragedy he recognizes his flaw and accepts responsibility for the suffering he caused
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ceasura
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a pause in the rhythm of a line of poetry
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elegy
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a formal, sustained poem lamenting change or loss, often involving the death of a particular person, and often ending in a consolation for the loss.
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epic
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a long, narrative poem, often dealing with heroes and adventures, having an expansive setting, written in deliberately ceremonial style.
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dramatic monologue
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a kind of poetry in which one character narrates a story (a single episode) with no direct dialogue
"My Last Duchess" and "Porphyria's Lover" |
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Vignette
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a brief literary sketch or verbal description of a scene or incident
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Lyric poem
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a poem, usually short, that expresses some basic emotion or state of mind. Often creates a single impression and is highly personal ("When all at once I saw a crowd,? A host of golden daffodils... Wordsworth, "I wandered lonely as a cloud"). Contrast with narrative.
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Narrative poem
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a poem which tells a story with all the elements of plot (exposition, rising action, climax, etc)
"The Raven" |
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deus ex machina
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from Greek drama, this term describes a plot device that is unrelated to the story and resolving conflict (a god suddenly appearing and punishing the wicked, rewarding the good); the term is pejorative
Lord of the Flies ends with a deus ex machina |
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juxtaposition
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The arrangement of two or more ideas, characters, actions, settings, phrases, or words side-by-side or in similar narrative moments for the purpose of comparison, contrast, rhetorical effect, suspense, or character development.
In Hamlet the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet creates an opportunity for us to see Hamlet’s character development. Ophelia’s role serves as a catalyst for Hamlet. |
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malapropism
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comic misuse of common words
"Thou shalt be condemned to everlasting redemption" from Much Ado About Nothing |
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Modernism
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literary movement in the early 20th century which prided itself on its novelty in breaking away from established rules and traditions.
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Post-modernism
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term used for the pessimistic, contemporary worldview which began in the 1960s, rejecting tradition, resisting authority, and denying any final or enduring meaning and purpose in life (and literature). Postmodern literature tends to focus upon the way in which institutions and traditions use (and have used) their power to deny individuals and minorities of their freedom. Cf. Deconstruction.
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enjambment
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The running over of a sentence or thought into the next couplet or line without a pause at the end of the line; a run-on line.
For example, the first two lines here are enjambed: "Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds Or bends with the remover to remove. . . ." --Shakespeare |
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end-stopped lines
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A line that has a natural pause at the end (period, comma, etc.). For example, these lines are end stopped:
"My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun. Coral is far more red than her lips red." --Shakespeare |
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Epic
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An extended narrative poem recounting actions, travels, adventures, and heroic episodes and written in a high style (with ennobled diction, for example).
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Gothic novel
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novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terror pervades the action. The setting is often a dark, mysterious castle, where ghosts and sinister humans roam menacingly.
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Verisimilitude
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How fully the characters and actions in a work of fiction conform to our sense of reality. To say that a work has a high degree of verisimilitude means that the work is very realistic and believable--it is "true to life.".
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