Topics: Business › Organization
Type: Narrative Essays
Sample donated: Brett Salazar
Last updated: April 28, 2019
allegory
a work that functions on a symbolic level
alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds
allusion
a reference contained in a work
anapest
a metrical pattern of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable
apostrophe
direct address in poetry
aside
words spoken by an actor intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on stage
aubade
a love poem set at dawn which bids farewell to the beloved
ballad
a simple narrative poem, often incorporating dialogue that is written in quatrains, generally with a rhyme scheme of abcd
blank verse
unrhymed iambic pentameter.
Most of Shakespeare’s plays are in this form
cacophony
harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage of a literary work
caesura
a break or pause within a line of poetry indicated by pronunciation and used to emphasize meaning
catharsis
According to Aristotle, the release of emotion that the audience of a tragedy experiences
character
one who carries out the action of the plot in literature. Major, minor, static, and dynamic are types of character
climax
the turning point of action or character in a literary work, usually the highest moment of tension.
comic relief
the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.
conflict
a clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs man, man vs nature, man vs God, man vs self
connotation
interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning
convention
a traditional aspect of a literary work, such as soliloquy in a Shakespearean play or a tragic hero in a Greek tragedy
couplet
two lines of rhyming poetry; often used by Shakespeare to conclude a scene or an important passage
dactyl
a foot of poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables
denotation
the literal or dictionary meaning of a word
denouement
the conclusion or tying up of loose ends in a literary work; the resolution of the conflict and plot
deus ex machina
a Greek inventio, literally “the god from the machine” who appears at the last moment and resolves the loose ends of a play. Today, refers to anyone, usually of some stature, who untangles, resolves, or revelas the key to the plot of a work.
diction
the author’s choice of words
dramatic monologue
a type of poem that presents a conversation between a speaker and an implied listener
elegy
a poem that laments the dead or a loss
enjambment
a technique in poetry that involves the running on of a line or stanza
epic
a lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero
epigram
a brief witty poem
euphony
the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work
exposition
background information presented in a literary work
fable
a simple, symbolic story usually employing animals as characters
figurative language
the body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one. Includes metaphor, simile, symbol, motif, hyperbole.
flashback
a device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, episodes
foot
a metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line; iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, and spondee
foreshadowing
hints of future events in a literary work
form
the shape or structure of a literary work
free verse
poetry without a defined form, meter, or rhyme scheme
hyperbole
extreme exaggeration
iamb
a metrical foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one
idyll
a type of lyric poem which extols the virtues of an ideal place or time
image
a verbal approximation of related sensory images in a work of literature
impressionism
writing that reflects a personal image of a character, event, or concept
irony
an unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen.
lyric poetry
a type of poetry characterized by emotion, personal feelings, and brevity
magical realism
a type of literature that explores narratives by and about characters who inhabit and experience their reality differently from what we term the objective world
metaphor
a direct comparison between dissimilar things
metaphysical poetry
refers to the works of poets like John Donne who explore highly complex, philosophical ideas through extended metaphors and paradox
meter
a pattern of beats in poetry
metonymy
a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea
monologue
a speech given by one character
motif
the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work which is used to develop theme or characters
narrative poem
a poem that tells a story
narrator
the speaker of a literary work
octave
an eight-line stanza, usually combined with a sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet
ode
a formal, lengthy poem that celebrates a particular subject
onomatopoeia
words that sound like the sound they represent (hiss, gurgle, bang)
oxymoron
an image of contradictory terms
parable
a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson
parallel plot
a secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot
parody
a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original
pathos
the aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience
personification
the assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts
plot
a sequence of events in a literary work
point of view
the method of narration in a work
protagonist
the hero or main character of a literary work the character the audience sympathizes with
quatrain
a four line stanza
resolution
the denouement of a literary work
rhetorical question
a question that does not expect an explicit answer
rhyme/rime
the duplication of final syllable sounds in two or more lines
rhyme scheme
the annotation of the pattern of the rhyme
rhythm
the repetitive pattern of beats in poetry
romanticism
a style or movement of literature that has its foundation an interest in freedom, adventure, idealism, and escape
satire
a mode of writing based on ridicule, which criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution
scansion
analysis of a poem’s rhyme and meter
sestet
a six-line stanza, usually paired with an octave to form a Petrarchan sonnet
sestina
a highly structured poetic line of 39 lines, written in iambic pentameter
setting
the time and place of a literary work
simile
an indirect comparison that uses the word, “like or “as” to link the differing items in comparison
soliloquy
a speech in a play which is used to reveal the character’s inner thoughts to the audience
sonnet
a 14 line poem with a prescribed rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter
spondee
a poetic foot consisting of two accented syllables
stage directions
the specific instructions of a playwright
stanza
a unit of poem
structure
the organization and form of a work
style
the unique way an author presents his ideas
subplot
a secondary plot that explores ideas different from the main storyline
subtext
implied meaning of a work or section of a work
symbol
something in a literary work that stands for something else
synecdoche
a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole
syntax
the grammatical structure of prose and poetry
tercet
a three-line stanza
theme
the underlying ideas that the author illustrates
tone
the author’s attitude toward his subject
tragic hero
a basically good person of noble birth or exalted position who has a fatal flaw
trochee
a single meterical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented
understatement
the opposite of exaggeration
villanelle
a highly structured poetic form that comprises six stanzas: five tercets and a quatrain. The poem repeats the first and third lines throughout
paradox
a set of seemingly contradictory elements which nevertheless reflects an underlying truth