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Literary terms
help in understanding forms of writing
21
Literature
12th Grade
10/29/2006

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Term
Allegory
Definition
extended metaphor in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative are equated with meanings that lay outside the narrative itself
Term
alliteration
Definition
repetition of initial identical consonant sounds or any vowel sounds in close syllables
Term
allusion
Definition
makes a brief refrence to a historical or literary figure
Term
antagonist
Definition
a rival, opponent, or enemy of protagonist
Term
apostrophe
Definition
someone, some abstract quality, or non-existent personage is directl addressed as though present
Term
aside
Definition
a dramtatic convention by which an actor directly addresses that audience but is not suppose to be heard by the other actors on stage
Term
catharsis
Definition
proper purgation --> process by which an unhealthy emotional state produced by an imbalance of feelings is corrected and emotional health is restored.
Term
dynamic character
Definition
one who develops or changes as a result of the actions of the plot
Term
flat character
Definition
one constructed around a single idea or quality- immediately recognizable- usually by one sentence
Term
foil
Definition
applied to anyone who through contrast underscores the distinctive characteristics of another
Term
round character
Definition
character sufficiently complex to be able to surprise the reader without losing credibility
Term
static character
Definition
one who changes little if any. things happen without modifying their interior self's
Term
stock character
Definition
a sterotyped character; one whose nature is familiar to us from prototypes in previous literature
Term
direct characterization
Definition
the writer makes direct statements about a characters personality and tells u what the character is like.
Term
indirect characterization
Definition
the writer reveals information about the character and his personality through the characters thoughts, words, and actions, along with how other characters respond to that character, including what they say and think about them
Term
comedy
Definition
a type of drama, opposed to tragedy, having usually a happy ending, and emphasizing human limitation rather than human greatness
Term
connotation
Definition
what a word suggests beyond its basic dictionary defination; a word's overtones of meaning
Term
denoument
Definition
that portion of a plot that reveals the final outcome of its conflicts or the solution of its mysteries
Term
denotation
Definition
the basic defination or dicitonary meaning of a word
Term
farce
Definition
a type of drama related to comedy by emphasizing improbable situations, violent conflicts, physical action, and coarse wit over characterization or articulated plot
Term
hyperbole
Definition
an exaggeration. The figure may be used to heighten effect, or it may be used for humor
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