| Term | Definition |
|---|
| anthropomorphism | When human form(s) or qualities are given to non human entities. Used in Mythology with the Gods and Godesses. Example: When the gods or godesses decend to earth and possess human characteristics such as jealously, hatred, love. etc. |
| rhetoric | The art of using language as a means to persuade |
| syntax | a set of rules for organizing words in sentences. An arrangement of any group of elements in a systematic order. |
| apostrophe | A figure of speech wherein the speaker speaks directly to something not human. Example: Macbeth - During Lady Macbeth's delusional line, "Out, damned spot! Out, I say!" |
| fable | A story that teaches a lesson using animals |
| alliteration | The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words. Example "stormy seas." |
| sonnet | 14 line poem in iambic pentameter with carefully a patterned rhyme scheme. English = cdcd, efef, gg Italian = c, de, cde |
| writing process | Prewriting, Drafting, Revising |
| verbal irony | when a character says something, but usually means the opposite. (sarcasm) |
| verb | expresses an action (do, break, walk, etc.) or a state (be, like, own) Most verbs signify actions, but a few do not. |
| understatement | A kind of irony in which something of importance is emphasized by being spoken of as though it were not important. |
| tragedy | any literary composition, as a novel, dealing with a somber theme carried to a tragic conclusion. A dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction. EXAMPLE: "Romeo & Juliet" |
| alliteration | the repetition of similar consonant sounds, normally at the beginnings of words. |
| alliteration | Some bold soul slips by me and I sigh |
| assonance | the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds. |
| assonance | A land laid waste with all its young men slain... |
| meter | the rhythmical pattern of a poem. |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words whose sound suggests their meaning. |
| onomatopoeia | buzz, hiss, honk |
| rhyme | the repetition of sounds at the end of words. |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem. |
| rhythm | the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, or beats, in spoken and written language (see also meter) |
| structure | the arrangement of materials within a poem; the relationship of the parts of a poem to the whole; the logical divisions of a poem. |
| couplet | a two-line stanza, usually with the same end rhymes. |
| end-stopped | a line with a pause at the end. Lines that end with a punctuation mark of some kind. |
| enjambment | the continuation of the sense of grammatical construction from one line of poetry to the next. |
| stanza | a group of lines in a poem, considered as a unit; like paragraphs in prose |
| figurative language | using words to mean something other than their literal (or factual) meaning. |
| hyperbole | an exaggeration that creates humor, emphasizes particular points, and/or creates dramatic effects. |
| hyperbole | "I've got a million things to do!" |
| imagery | words that appeal to one or more of the five senses; sensory language |
| metaphor | a figure of speech in which something is described as though it were something else. It works by pointing out a similarity between two things. |
| metaphor | a black bat night |
| personification | a type of language in which an inanimate subject is given human characteristics. |
| personification | the sun grinned, the rain danced |
| simile | makes a direct comparison between two unlike subjects using like or as. |
| simile | quiet as a mouse, good as gold |
| symbol | anything that stands for or represents something else; concrete objects that represent abstract ideas. |
| symbol | Winter or cold represents death |
| ballad | a songlike poem that tells a story, often one dealing with adventure and romance. |
| concrete poem | a poem with a shape that suggests its subject. |
| free verse | poetry that is not written in a regular rhythmical pattern or set rhyme scheme |
| lyric | a highly musical poem that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker. |
| narrative | a story told in verse (poetic form). It often possesses the elements of fiction, such as characters, conflict, and plot. |
| sonnet | a fourteen-line poem, often written in iambic pentameter. |
| mood | the feeling or atmosphere created by the poem |
| speaker | the imaginary voice assumed by the writer of a poem. |
| tone | the attitude toward the subject and audience conveyed by the language and rhythm of the speaker |
| act | one of the main divisions in a play |
| allusion | a reference in a literary work to a well-known historical event, person, place etc. |
| anachronism | event or detail chronologically out of place in time |
| artistic license | freedom that an artist take to depart from the rules of reality when creating art |
| aside | dramatic convention where a character speaks to the audiencem but cannot be heard by the other characters on stage |
| comic relief | an amusing scene, incidnet, or speech inrofuced into serious or tragic elemnts in a play in order to provide temporaty relied from tension, or |
| catastrophe | in a drama, the point at which the circumstances overcome the central motive, introducing the close or conclusion; denouement |
| catharsis | in tradegy, a release of strong emotion by the audience or character |
| comedy | a dramatic work resulting in a succesful or happy conclusion |
| conventions | practices or method accepted by the readers or audience; unrealistic |
| diction | style of writing that reflects authors words |
| drama | a story written to be acted on stage |
| dramatic irony | when the audience knows what the character doesn't |
| dramatist | the author of story meant to be acted out on a stage |
| farce | a comic play with ridiculous and absurd characters and situations |
| foil | a character in contrast with another character |
| monologue | a long speech delivered by one character to other characters |
| motivation | an inspiring speech from one character to another character |
| playwright | the author of a story meant to be acted out on a stage |
| props | physical objects used on stage |
| romance | imaginative lit, idealized world, heroic struggle of good vs. evil |
| scene | a minor unit of action, single setting |
| soliloquy | character makes an extended speech alone on stage |
| stage directions | instruction from the author for the director, actors, crew. and reader |
| tone | a writers attitude reflected by writers choice of words and details |
| tragedy | a narrative, often in the form of a play, or in verse, depicting the downfall of a tragically flawed, but "noble", character |
| tragic flaw | the personal defect that causes a "noble" character to fall from a high state to a low state |
| tragic hero | a "noble" character who falls from a high state to a low state because of personal defect |
| verse drama | a play written mostly or entirely in verse |
Combine with other sets
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