a work that functions on a symbolic level

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

a reference contained in a work

a metrical pattern of two unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable

direct address in poetry

words spoken by an actor intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters on stage

a love poem set at dawn which bids farewell to the beloved

a simple narrative poem, often incorporating dialogue that is written in quatrains, generally with a rhyme scheme of abcd

unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Most of Shakespeare’s plays are in this form

harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage of a literary work

a break or pause within a line of poetry indicated by pronunciation and used to emphasize meaning

According to Aristotle, the release of emotion that the audience of a tragedy experiences

one who carries out the action of the plot in literature. Major, minor, static, and dynamic are types of character

the turning point of action or character in a literary work, usually the highest moment of tension.

the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.

a clash between opposing forces in a literary work, such as man vs man, man vs nature, man vs God, man vs self

interpretive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning

a traditional aspect of a literary work, such as soliloquy in a Shakespearean play or a tragic hero in a Greek tragedy

two lines of rhyming poetry; often used by Shakespeare to conclude a scene or an important passage

a foot of poetry consisting of a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables

the literal or dictionary meaning of a word

the conclusion or tying up of loose ends in a literary work; the resolution of the conflict and plot

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.

the author’s choice of words

a type of poem that presents a conversation between a speaker and an implied listener

a poem that laments the dead or a loss

a technique in poetry that involves the running on of a line or stanza

a lengthy, elevated poem that celebrates the exploits of a hero

a brief witty poem

the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work

background information presented in a literary work

a simple, symbolic story usually employing animals as characters

the body of devices that enables the writer to operate on levels other than the literal one. Includes metaphor, simile, symbol, motif, hyperbole.

a device that enables a writer to refer to past thoughts, events, episodes

a metrical unit in poetry; a syllabic measure of a line; iamb, trochee, anapest, dactyl, and spondee

hints of future events in a literary work

the shape or structure of a literary work

poetry without a defined form, meter, or rhyme scheme

extreme exaggeration

a metrical foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one

a type of lyric poem which extols the virtues of an ideal place or time

a verbal approximation of related sensory images in a work of literature

writing that reflects a personal image of a character, event, or concept

an unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen.

a type of poetry characterized by emotion, personal feelings, and brevity

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

a direct comparison between dissimilar things

refers to the works of poets like John Donne who explore highly complex, philosophical ideas through extended metaphors and paradox

a pattern of beats in poetry

a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea

a speech given by one character

the repetition or variations of an image or idea in a work which is used to develop theme or characters

a poem that tells a story

the speaker of a literary work

an eight-line stanza, usually combined with a sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet

a formal, lengthy poem that celebrates a particular subject

words that sound like the sound they represent (hiss, gurgle, bang)

an image of contradictory terms

a story that operates on more than one level and usually teaches a moral lesson

a secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot

a comic imitation of a work that ridicules the original

the aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience

the assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts

a sequence of events in a literary work

the method of narration in a work

the hero or main character of a literary work the character the audience sympathizes with

a four line stanza

the denouement of a literary work

a question that does not expect an explicit answer

the duplication of final syllable sounds in two or more lines

the annotation of the pattern of the rhyme

the repetitive pattern of beats in poetry

a style or movement of literature that has its foundation an interest in freedom, adventure, idealism, and escape

a mode of writing based on ridicule, which criticizes the foibles and follies of society without necessarily offering a solution

analysis of a poem’s rhyme and meter

a six-line stanza, usually paired with an octave to form a Petrarchan sonnet

a highly structured poetic line of 39 lines, written in iambic pentameter

the time and place of a literary work

an indirect comparison that uses the word, “like or “as” to link the differing items in comparison

a speech in a play which is used to reveal the character’s inner thoughts to the audience

a 14 line poem with a prescribed rhyme scheme in iambic pentameter

a poetic foot consisting of two accented syllables

the specific instructions of a playwright

a unit of poem

the organization and form of a work

the unique way an author presents his ideas

a secondary plot that explores ideas different from the main storyline

implied meaning of a work or section of a work

something in a literary work that stands for something else

a figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole

the grammatical structure of prose and poetry

a three-line stanza

the underlying ideas that the author illustrates

the author’s attitude toward his subject

a basically good person of noble birth or exalted position who has a fatal flaw

a single meterical foot consisting of one accented syllable followed by one unaccented

the opposite of exaggeration

a highly structured poetic form that comprises six stanzas: five tercets and a quatrain. The poem repeats the first and third lines throughout

a set of seemingly contradictory elements which nevertheless reflects an underlying truth