Lit Final

connotation

refers to the attitudes and feelings associated with a word

denotation

the direct meaning of a word

characterization (4 types)

comic relief

a humorous scene to relieve emotional intensity

comedy

a humorous work, usually ends happily

tragedy

a dramatic work that ends catastrophically

conflict

a struggle between opposing forces

soliloquy

when a character speaks his/her thoughts out loud

informal style

A broad term for speech or writing marked by a casual, familiar, and generally colloquial (slang) use of language.

formal style

A broad term for speech or writing marked by an impersonal, objective, and precise use of language.
A formal prose style is typically used in scholarly books and articles, technical reports, research papers, and legal documents.

alliteration

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds within non rhyming words
Example: Do you like blue?

iambic pentameter

the particular rhythm that the words establish in that line
a line with 5 unstressed and stressed syllables
Example: da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM
Example: When I do count the clock that tells the time

onomatopoeia

a word that phonetically imitates or suggests the source of the sound that it describes
Example: "chirp", "oink", "meow", "roar"

consonance

the repetition of the same consonant two or more times in short succession
Example: home, same
Example: worth, breath
Example: pitter patter
Example: all mammals named Sam are clammy

protagonist

the main character

antagonist

a person or group of people who oppose the main character

drama

a serious narrative work

aside

a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience

dramatic irony

irony in a drama that is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play.
Example: in Romeo and Juliet, the other characters in the cast think Juliet is dead, but the audience knows she only took a sleeping potion.
Example: in The Truman Show, the viewer is aware that Truman is on a television show, but Truman himself only gradually learns this.

situational irony

an outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected
Example: When Megamind ends up being the good guy

verbal irony

when a person says or writes one thing and means another
Examples: soft as concrete, clear as mud

satire

the use of irony, sarcasm, or ridicule

allegory

a story with a hidden meaning

dramatic monologue

when a character gives a speech or narrative
Example: Romeo speaking when he is about to kill himself
Example: Juliet speaking as she is drinking the potion

figurative language (3 forms)

metaphor
simile
personification

metaphor

a figure of speech that describes a subject by asserting that it is the same as another otherwise unrelated object
Example: Life is a journey
Example: A mighty fortress is our God
Example: Romeo compares Juliet's eyes to the bright stars

simile

a figure of speech that directly compares two things through some connective, usually "like," "as," "than," or a verb such as "resembles."
Example: He runs like a cheetah.
Example: As busy as a bee.

personification

when you assign the qualities of a person to something that isn't human or, in some cases, to something that isn't even alive.
Example: The sun glared down at me from the sky.
Example: The tree branch moaned as I swung from it.
Example: I could hear Hawaii calling my name.

flashback

when someone remembers something from the past

narrator (first person)

This is a story the hero narrates.
Example: Pip in Great Expectations.

narrator (secondary person)

The rarest mode in literature in which the narrator refers to the reader as "you", therefore making the audience member feel as if he or she is a character within the story

narrator (third person limited)

This type of narrator knows only what the main character, or characters, know.
This is more restrictive, but increases suspense and intrigue, because the reader only solves the mystery at the same time the characters do.

narrator (third person omniscient)

This type of narrator knows all, peeking into the lives of major and minor characters, reading everyone’s thoughts.

foreshadowing

When an author hints certain plot developments that will happen later in the story

idiom

a meaning that is not to be take literally
Example: It's raining cats and dogs.
Example: She is pulling my leg.