Definitions - Form
The moment in a narrative of highest stakes, tension, or conflict; the top of a plot arc.
What is a climax?
A comparison of two unlike things to achieve a figurative effect.
What is a metaphor?
Flat characters are rarely labeled with this term for character development.
What are dynamic characters?
A sentence or phrase with two meanings, one of which may be illicit. (Must be pronounced correctly!)
What is a double entendre?
Shane's doggo!
Who is June?
A 14-line poem, typically in metered verse with a strict rhyme scheme.
What is a sonnet?
What is anthropomorphism?
A character who has an uncertain or complex identity, whose motivations are comprehensible (if not relatable), and/or who has some depth is labeled with this term.
What is a round character?
A narrative structure in which a narrator begins a story "in the midst of" the action, rather than introducing characters, setting, and conflict before rising action.
What is in medias res?
This is how many plants there are in the classroom.
What is 8?
The "running on" of a grammatical unit or idea between lines of poetry, as contrasted with "end-stopping."
What is enjambment?
Euphony uses soft letters and vowels to create "good sounds." Also called dissonance, this device uses hard letters or discomforting sound combinations.
What is cacophony?
A character used in juxtaposition with another character.
What is a foil?
What is a volta?
This is the common name for Atelerix albiventris.
The event or circumstance that starts the plot in motion, either at the beginning of narration or shortly preceding it.
What is an inciting incident?
What is juxtaposition?
A "stock character" - a mold with recognizable features in a cultural context, e.g., "the Wise Black Woman" or "the Chosen One"
What is an archetype?
The resolution of action and conflict at the end of a narrative - "home again, but different." (Must be pronounced correctly!)
What is denouement?
This is Ms. Hirsh's favorite author.
A character's sudden realization, often implying character development or resolving a conflict.
What is an epiphany?
A device or genre used to critique society with humor and/or hyperbole.
What is satire?
The thoughts and feelings of a character, as revealed through narration.
What is interiority?
A coming-of-age novel (must be pronounced correctly!)
What is a bildungsroman?
Who is Boori Ma?