Literary/Text Elements
What is a flashback?
A scene that interrupts the present tense of a narrative to relate events from the past.
What is an epic simile?
A long comparison over many lines: Such similes were another way to fill out the meter and aid the poet's memory.
What is syntax?
The way in which words and phrases are arranged to create sentences
What is in medias res?
After invocation the story begins "in the middle of things" or with the action already underway
What is lofty style?
Elegant language stresses the nobility of the subject.
What is tone?
Attitude the narrator or author conveys; the feelings it creates in the reader.
What is a simile?
A comparison of two seemingly different things using like, as just as, or so.
What is meter in context of literature?
A fixed rhythmic pattern
What is voice?
Overall quality the writing expresses, the sense of distinct style and personality on the page.
What is figurative language?
Language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words
What is an epithet?
A characterizing phrase for a person, place, or thing.
What is the purpose of inversion?
Poets invert words for the sake of meter, rhyme, or emphasis.
What is an epic?
A long narrative poem that is central to a culture's identity.
Why is objective tone important?
By keeping an emotional distance, the poet focuses attention on the story.
What is mood?
The emotional quality a text conveys; the feelings it creates in a reader.