Vocabulary Terms
A reoccurring theme, element, or dramatic situation. E.g. Colors in Beloved
What is a motif
A word formed from the imitation of natural sounds. E.g. hiss, bang, pop
What in onomatopoeia
What is a flat character
The presentation of material in a way that prepares the reader for what is to come later in the story
What is foreshadowing
A sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. E.g. "When Gregor Samsa woke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed right there in his bed into some sort of monstrous insect."
What is a complex sentence
This term is used for the literal dictionary definition of a word, whereas this second term is the generally understood and implied meaning of the word, respectively
What is denotation and connotation
The repetition of the same sound at the beginning of successive or neighboring words. E.g. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
What is alliteration
A person who is blamed for the mistakes and wrongdoings of others. E.g. Hassan in The Kite Runner
What is a scapegoat
The technique where one smaller part is used to represent the whole of the idea or object. E.g. "Do you like my new wheels?" meaning car
What is synecdoche
A structural technique where the author writes without using conjunctions. E.g. "I came, I saw, I conquered" -Caesar
What is asyndeton
A term to describe the act of placing two elements side by side to present as comparison or contrast. E.g. East and West Egg in The Great Gatsby
What is juxtaposition
A variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region
What is dialect
A protagonist of a story who lacks the usual characteristics of a traditional hero or main character. This character's failings are used to humanize them and speak on reality. E.g. Jay Gatsby
What is an anti-hero
Two terms- the first uses animal characteristics to describe non-animal subjects and the second uses human characteristics to describe non-human subjects, respectively
What is zoomorphism and personification
The repetition of words or phrases in the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences. E.g. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." - Dickens
What is anaphora
A saying or statement on the title page of the work, or also used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work of literature. E.g. Romans 9:25 at the start of Beloved
What is an epigraph
A type of rhymes where words look like they should rhyme, but have different sounds, adding disharmony to the poem
A narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters
What is an omniscient narrator
The term for when authors substitute the name of one object for another object closely related and associated to it. E.g. The pen (writing) is mightier than the sword (war)
What is metonymy
The omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary, but can be deduced from the context. E.g. "Some people prefer cats; others, dogs" vs. "Some people prefer cats, while other people prefer dogs"
What is ellipsis
Appealing to logic, appealing to authority, appealing to emotions, respectively
The repetition of vowel sounds close together in sentences and phrases. E.g. "His tender heir might bear his memory" Shakespeare's Sonnet 1
What is assonance
An adjective or phrase used to point out a characteristic of a noun. When Homeric, they are often compound adjectives. E.g. wine-dark sea, fair Ophelia
What is an epithet
Five terms that use figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses. List all five.
Visual (sight), Auditory (hearing), Tactile (touch), Olfactory (scent), and Gustatory (taste) Imagery
A comment, often in the middle of a sentence, which interrupts the immediate subject to qualify or explain further.
What is a parenthetical