Transcript Literary Terms

Literary Terms
J. King
Nov. 2008
Alliteration
A figure of speech in which consonants ,
especially at the beginning of words, or
stressed syllables, are repeated.
Ex. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers.
Ex. “…Hunting thee hence with hunt’s up
to the day.” Romeo and Juliet (3.5.34)
Allusion
 Usually an implicit reference, perhaps to another
work of literature or art, to a person or an event,
 Ex: “Christy didn’t like to spend money. She was
no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased anything
except the bare necessities.” (A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens)
 Ex: “Like the prodigal son, he returned to his
home town and was welcomed by all who knew
him.” (The Bible, Luke 15:11-32)
Aphorism
 A terse statement of a truth or dogma; a pithy
generalization, which may or may not be witty.
 Ex: “Have you somewhat to do tomorrow, do it
today.”
 Ex: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man
healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
 “Haste makes waste.”
 Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin
Archetype
A basic model from which copies are
made; therefore a prototype.
Ex: Character or personality types, for
instance: Don Juan (womanizer), the
damsel in distress, Odysseus ( the allconquering hero).
Assonance
 Consists of the repetition of similar vowel
sounds, usually close together, to achieve a
particular effect of euphony
 “The Lotos blooms below the barren peak:
The Lotos blows by every winding creek:
All day the wind breaths low with mellower tone
Thro’ every hollow cave and alley lone,
Round and round the spicy downs the yellow Lotos-dust
is blown.
Lotos-Eaters by Tennyson
Characterization
• the way the author describes a character’s
personality through his or her dialogue,
physical appearance and abilities,
judgment of character, and actions or
responses to conflict.
• revealed through
What the character does
What the character says
What others say about the character
Character Types
• PROTAGONIST - main character
• Ex: Othello
ANTAGONIST - character who opposes
the protagonist
Ex. Iago
TYPE / STOCK - predictable, easily
recognized familiar “type” of personality
Character Types (Continued)
ROUND - complex, realistic human-like,
strengths and weaknesses
FLAT - only one or two significant traits,
usually all good or all bad
STATIC - unchanged by his experiences or
events in the story
DYNAMIC - learns, grows, develops,
matures in response to conflict or
experiences
Conflict
The tension in a situation between
characters, or the actual opposition of
characters.
Five main types:
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Fate/Gods
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Himself
Man vs. Society
Conflict (Continued)
 External Conflict: the main character struggles
against an outside force.
 Ex: The Most Dangerous Game by Richard
Connell—Rainsford struggles against General
Zaroff to stay alive.
 Internal Conflict: a character in conflict with
himself or herself.
 Ex: Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing—Jerry
struggles to overcome his fears in order to hold
him breath and swim through the tunnel and
ultimately transform from a child to an
adolescent.
Connotation
The suggestion or implication evoked by a
word or phrase
Ex: “There is a cockroach.”
May inspire a shudder or distaste in one
person , but a scientific inquiry, like “What
is it?” in another person.
Consonance
The close repetition of identical consonant
sounds before and after different vowels.
Ex. Slip—Slop
Ex. Creak—Croak
Ex. Black—Block
Denotation
The most literal and limited meaning of a
word, regardless of what one may feel
about it or the suggestions and ideas it
connotes.
Ex: Apartheid denotes a certain form of
political, social, and racial regime. It
connotes much more.
Elements of Plot
 EXPOSITION - explains background information,
establishes setting, introduces characters
 INCITING INCIDENT - the first event indicating the
main conflict
 RISING ACTION - the complications that develop which
increase the difficulty of resolving the conflict and add to
the tension/suspense in the reader
 CLIMAX - point at which the protagonist must choose/act
in order to resolve the conflict
• FALLING ACTION / RESOLUTION / DENOUEMENT the events or results caused by the protagonist’s
decision, the author may clarify any remaining
confusions
Foreshadowing
 The technique of arranging events and
information in a narrative in such a way that later
events are prepared for or showed forth
beforehand.
 Ex: “The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous
big game.” he sipped his wine. “Here on my
preserve on this island,” he said in the same
slow tone, “I hunt more dangerous game.”
 The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell
Hyperbole
A figure of speech which contains an
exaggeration for emphasis
Ex: She almost exploded with excitement
Ex: “There is no world without Verona
walls...” Romeo and Juliet (3.3.17)
Idiom
 A form of expression, construction or phrase
peculiar to a language and often possessing a
meaning other than its grammatical or logical
one
 Ex: A Blessing In Disguise:
Something good that isn't recognized at first
 Ex: A Chip On Your Shoulder:
Being upset for something that happened in the
past.
Imagery
Occurs when language appeals to one or
more of the five senses.
Ex: “How silver-sweet sound lovers’
tongues by night.” Romeo and Juliet
This line appeals mostly to the sense of ___.
Ex: “O that I were a glove upon that hand
that I might touch that cheek.” Romeo and
Juliet
This line appeals mostly to the sense of___.
Irony
 A difference between appearance and reality
 3 different types of Irony
 Verbal Irony:
 This is the contrast between what is said and
what is meant. Most sarcastic comments are
ironic.
 For instance, the person who says, "Nice going,
Einstein," isn't really paying anyone a
compliment.
Irony (continued)
 Dramatic Irony:
 This is the contrast between what the character thinks
to be true and what we (the reader) know to be
true. Sometimes as we read we are placed in the
position of knowing more than what one character
knows. Because we know something the character does
not, we read to discover how the character will react
when he or she learns the truth of the situation.
 It's when you know the boogeyman is hiding in the attic,
but the hero of the movie doesn't know that. You want
him to get a clue and stay away from the attic. "Don't
open that door! Get out of the house!" The irony is that
the hero thinks he is safe, when you know he's in
danger. There is that element of contrast again.
Irony (continued)
Situational Irony:
It is the contrast between what happens
and what was expected. Irony of situation
is often humorous, such as when a prank
backfires on the prankster.
It's the equivalent of a person spraying
shaving cream in his own face when he
was trying to spray his best friend.
Metaphor
A figure of speech in which one this is
described in terms of another.
Ex: The river is a winding ribbon moving
down the mountainside.
Ex: “…and Juliet is the sun.” Romeo and
Juliet (2.2.3)
Ex: “…the mask of night is on my face.”
Romeo and Juliet (2.2.85)
Motif
One of the dominant ideas in a work of
literature; a part of the main theme.
It may consist of a character, a recurrent
image or a verbal pattern.
Ex: Carpe Diem
Onomatopoeia
The formation and use of words to imitate
sounds.
Ex: The tinkling sound of the bells rang
out.
Ex: The tires screeched when he hit the
brakes.
Ex: “…Who, nothing hurt withal, hissed
him in scorn.” Romeo and Juliet (1.1.113)
Oxymoron
A figure of speech which combines
incongruous and apparently contradictory
words and meanings for special effect.
Ex: Dodge Ram
Ex: Jumbo Shrimp
Ex: “..O brawling love, O loving hate…”
Romeo and Juliet (1.1.177)
Personification
The attribution of human qualities to
inanimate objects
Ex: The arms of the rainbow stretched
across the sky.
“The gray-eyed morn smiles on the
frowning night…” Romeo and Juliet (2.3.1)
Point of View
The vantage point from which a story is
told.
1st person
2nd person
3rd person limited
3rd person omniscient
Pun
A figure of speech which involves a play
upon words.
Ex: “Ask for me tomorrow and you will find
me a grave man.” spoken by Mercutio,
Romeo and Juliet
The word grave is a pun because it means
both_____ and ______.
Rhyme
 The repetition of accented vowel sounds and all sounds
following them.
 Ex: Choice/Voice
 End Rhyme: Occurs when the rhyme is at the end of two
lines of poetry.
 Ex: “Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard.”
 Internal Rhyme: occurs when the rhyme is within a single
line of poetry
 Ex: “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I wandered weak
and weary.”
 Slant Rhyme: means that he two words are alike in some
sound but do not rhyme exactly.
 Ex: It little hurts me now to know.
Satire
 A literary work holding up human vices and
follies to ridicule or scorn.
 Ex: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
 The elements of satire in the book include the
depiction of the nouveau riche ("newly rich"), the
sense of vulgarity of the people, the parties
intended to draw Daisy over, the grotesque
quality of the name "Great" Gatsby in the title.
Setting
The where and when of a story or play; the
locale.
Ex: Verona, Italy, 1600’s or 17th century—
Romeo and Juliet
Simile
A comparison using like or as.
Ex: he is as mean as a junkyard dog.
Ex: “…She would be as swift in motion as
a ball…” Romeo and Juliet (2.5.13)
Suspense
A state of uncertainty, anticipation, and
curiosity as to the outcome of a story or
play, or any kind of narrative in verse or
prose.
Ex: “ The suspense in Hamlet, for
instance, is sustained throughout by the
question of whether or not the Prince will
achieve what he has been instructed to do
and what he intends to do.”
Symbol
An object, animate or inanimate, which
represents or ‘stands for’ something else.
Ex: Dove=peace
Ex: Lion=strength or power
Ex: Rose=beauty
Theme
The central idea of a work.
Ex: Othello=Jealousy
Ex: Romeo and Juliet=Love, Death,
Light/Darkness
Ex: The Odyssey=Hospitality
Tone/Mood
The reflection of a writer’s attitude
(especially towards his readers), manner,
mood and moral outlook in his work; even
perhaps the way his personality pervades
the work.
Works Cited
Cuddon, J.A. Dictionary of Literary Terms
& Literary Theory. London: Penguin,
1999.