General
the name of a literary device that communicates the main idea of a work
What is a 'theme?'
the detailed portrayal of a person, place, thing or event
What is 'description?'
the repetition of the same stressed ending sounds in two or more words
What is 'rhyme?'
the time and location in which events take place; can include society, atmosphere, belief systems, and technology
What is 'setting?'
A major division of a play
What is an 'act?'
conversation between characters
What is 'dialogue?'
the repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds that create effects
What is 'assonance?'
a form of traditional Japanese poetry that is:
* three lines and 17 syllables
* captures a flash of insight
* refers to nature
What is 'haiku?'
a reflection of the speaker's or writer's attitude toward the subject of a work
What is 'tone?'
written instructions that explain how a character should move, speak, or behave; can include stage elements, such as scenery, lighting, sound, costume, etc.
What are 'stage directions?'
unspoken or written meanings associated with a word beyond its dictionary meaning
What is 'connotation?'
the distinct ways authors use language and literary devices to communicate meaning
What is 'style?'
a word or phrase that imitates or suggests a sound
What is 'onomatopoeia?'
a brief fictional narrative that focuses on one main conflict, theme and character or group of characters
What is a 'short story?'
a literary device in which an earlier experience or event is put into the sequence of a narrative
What is 'flashback?'
nonfiction writing used to influence people's ideas or opinions
What is an 'argument?'
the language that makes something seem less important than it really is
What is 'understatement?'
poetry that expresses a speaker's thoughts and feelings
What is 'lyric poetry?'
the use of clues that hint at events that will occur later in a plot
What is 'foreshadowing?'
a long speech or monologue delivered by a character who is alone on stage in which the character reveals his or her thoughts and feelings
What is 'soliloquy?'
literature that is passed by word of mouth over generations
What is 'oral tradition?'
the language devices used to represent ideas indirectly; expressions with truth beyond the literal level
What is 'figurative language?'
a lyric poem with 14 lines and
that is almost always in iambic pentameter and
that follows strict lines and divisions
(Shakspeare wrote some of them.)
What is 'sonnet?'
a model for plot development devised to show a sequence of events that build, reveal and resolve conflict
(described as a geometric form)
What is 'Freytag's Pyramid?'
a short, funny episode in an otherwise tragic work that breaks the tension after an intense scene
What is 'comic relief?'