Pre-IB English II Midterm study guide
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Aespeleta7142 on December 13, 2011
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Here you will find all literary terms and vocabulary definitions. It is listed in order presented on the study guide, memorize and enjoy.
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81 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Allegory | A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. |
| Anachronism | An act of attributing a custom, event, or object to a period to which it does not belong |
| Antagonist | A person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary |
| Anti-hero | a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose, and the like |
| Bildungsroman | a type of novel concerned with the education, development, and maturing of a young protagonist |
| Characterization | the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features |
| Climax | the decisive moment in a novel or play |
| Collectivism | The principles or system of ownership and control of the means of production and distribution by the people collectively, usually under the supervision of a government. |
| Comic relief | A humorous scene or speech intended to lighten the mood |
| Dialect | a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region |
| Digression | an interruption of the main action, accomplished by telling stories unrelated to the main plot. This serves to provide background information, explain character motivation, establish interest, build suspense, and inform the reader of the action to come |
| Dynamic character | A character who grows, learns, or changes as a result of the story's action |
| Exposition | an account that sets forth the meaning or intent of a writing or discourse |
| Falling action | That segment of the plot that comes between the climax and the conclusion. |
| Fantasy | a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters; a fantasy may be merely whimsical, or it may present a serious point |
| Figurative language | Writing or speech that is used to create vivid impressions by setting up comparisons between dissimilar things, [examples are metaphor, simile, and personification. |
| Flashback | a scene that interrupts the ongoing action in a story to show an event that happened earlier |
| Hyperbole | a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor |
| Imagery | description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) |
| Irony | witty language used to convey insults or scorn |
| Legend | a narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements |
| Macrocosm | the whole universe; a large-scale reflection of a part of the greater world |
| Metonymy | the use of a related item to stand for the thing being discussed |
| Microcosm | a miniature world or universe; a group or system viewed as the model of a larger group or system |
| New realism | any of various movements in literature, art, etc., that are considered as a return to a more realistic style with content such as social issues, morality, etc |
| Parable | a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson |
| Point of view | the perspective from which a story is told |
| Protagonist | the principal character in a work of fiction |
| Psychological novel | work of fiction in which the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of the characters are of equal or greater interest than is the external action of the narrative |
| Pun | a humorous play on words (Ex. Santa's elves are subordinate clauses, "I was going to make a musical on puns but it turned out to be a play on words", "I'm reading about anti-gravity, it's impossible to put down") I know my puns are just punishment |
| Resolution | the final unraveling or solution of the plot |
| Rising action | the series of conflicts or struggles that build a story toward a climax. |
| Static character | a character who does not change during the course of a story |
| Stream of consciousness | of, pertaining to, or characterized by a manner of writing in which a character's thoughts or perceptions are presented as occurring in random form, without regard for logical sequences, syntactic structure, distinctions between various levels of reality, or the like |
| Style | a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period |
| Symbol | an object that is used to represent something else (usually a larger, philosophical and more important idea) |
| Synecdoche | using a part of something to stand for the entire thing |
| Theme | a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work |
| Tone | the quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author |
| Utopia | an imaginary place considered to be perfect or ideal |
| consecrated | solemnly dedicated to or set apart for a high purpose |
| insouciant | not concerned; free from care |
| petulant | easily irritated or annoyed |
| poignancy | a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow) |
| forbearance | a delay in enforcing rights or claims or privileges |
| sanguinary | marked by eagerness to resort to violence and bloodshed |
| piety | devotion and reverence to God |
| discernment | ability to make good judgments |
| acquiesce | to agree or express agreement |
| banal | obvious and dull |
| garner | acquire or deserve by one's efforts or actions |
| heresy | an opinion different from accepted belief; the denial of an idea that is generally held sacred |
| calamity | an event resulting in great loss and misfortune |
| languid | lacking spirit or liveliness |
| cumbrous | difficult to handle or use especially because of size or weight |
| derelict | deserted or abandoned as by an owner |
| disconsolate | causing dejection |
| vehement | marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions |
| quell | suppress or crush completely |
| capitulate | surrender under agreed conditions |
| blasé | indifferent to or bored with life |
| putrid | rotten |
| bourgeois | a member of the middle class |
| aristocratic | noble, fancy |
| sagacious | acutely insightful and wise |
| parsimonious | excessively unwilling to spend |
| recalcitrant | marked by stubborn resistance to authority |
| trenchant | clearly or sharply defined to the mind |
| umbrage | a sense of injury or insult |
| waft | to move gently by wind or waves |
| extol | to praise highly |
| capricious | tending to change abruptly and without apparent reason |
| facetious | playfully joking; humorous |
| jejune | uninteresting; dull |
| lugubrious | mournful |
| magnaminous | forgiving; honorable |
| scintillate | to sparkle or glow, literally or figuratively |
| ubiquitous | being everywhere at the same time |
| beguile | to charm; to delight |
| churlish | having a bad disposition |
| Note to test taker | Good luck, study hard and have a nice Winter break ☺ |
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