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Dante's Inferno Terms and Definitions
These are terms and definitions you need to know as we study The Inferno
26
Literature
11th Grade
11/21/2012

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Term
Allegory
Definition
A story that represents abstract ideas or moral qualities -  has both a literal and symbolic level of meaning.
Term
allusion
Definition
a reference to a person, place, poem, book, event, etc. which is not part of the story, that the author expects the reader will recognize
Term
apostrophe
Definition
directly addressing a person, place, thing, or abstraction, living or dead, or absent from the work
Term
canto
Definition
a small division of an epic or other long poem composed of numerous stanzas
Term
digression
Definition
an interruption of the main action, accomplished by telling stories unrelated to the main plot - a technique that serves to provide background information, explain character motivation, establish interest, build suspense, and/or inform the reader of the action to come
Term
dynamic characters
Definition
people in the book that evolve, change, or surprise the reader
Term
epic simile
Definition
an extended simile that usually compares one complex concept with another - it is rich in detail
Term
exposition
Definition
the background information that the reader has to know and/or understand before reading a play or novel - usually dealt with at the beginning
Term
foreshadowing
Definition
the use of hints or clues ina  story to suggest what action is to come - frequently used to create interest and build suspense
Term
grotesque
Definition
a type of literature that emphasizes an exaggeration or distortion of reality
Term
inference
Definition
the act of drawing a conclusion that is not actually stated by the author
Term
irony
Definition
a perception of inconsistency, sometimes humorous, in which the significance and understanding of a statement or event is changed by its concept
Term
dramatic irony
Definition
the audience or reader knows more about a character's situation than the character does and knows that the character's understanding is incorrect
Term
situational irony
Definition
an event in a story that does not happen the way the audience or reader predicts
Term
verbal irony
Definition
a discrepancy between what is said and what is really meant; sarcasm
Term
metaphor
Definition
a comparison of two things that are basically dissimilar in which one is described in terms of the other
Term
perspective
Definition
the viewpoint from which the author wants the reader to follow or understand the work
Term
poetic justice
Definition
an outcome, either a reward or punishment, which can be either ironic, the opposite of what is expected, or perfectly suited to the character or situation
Term
poetic license
Definition
a liberty taken by an author to achieve a desired effect; may be employed in sound, syntax, or diction, or it may be factual
Term
pun
Definition
an expression that achieves emphasis or humor by utilizing a)two distinctly different meanings for the same word or b)two similar sounding words
Term
sensory images
Definition
the use of details from any, some, or all of the five senses
Term
simile
Definition
a comparison of two different things using either the words like or as
Term
symbol
Definition
an object, person, or place that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something larger than itself, usually an idea or concept; some concrete thing which represents an abstraction
Term
synecdoche
Definition
using part of something to stand for the entire thing
Term
terza rima
Definition
a three-lined stanza used in a poem
Term
theme
Definition
the central or dominant idea behind the story; the most important aspect that emerges from how the work of literature treats its subject
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