Alazon - Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools



alazon a braggart who pretends to be more than he or she is

allegory the expression of truths about human nature through symbolism

alliteration the repetition of initial consonant sounds in stressed syllables

allusion an indirect reference to a well-known person, event, statement, or theme found in literature, the other arts, history, myths, religion, or popular culture

amphimacer a metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable and one stressed syllable

anapest a metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable

anaphora the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses,

clauses, or paragraphs

antagonist the character pitted against the protagonist—the main character—of a work. An evil or cruel

antagonist is a villain; however, the antagonist is not necessarily a villain

antithesis the use of strongly contrasting words, images, or ideas

amphibrach a metrical foot consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable and one unstressed syllable

aphorism a short, concise statement expressing a wise or clever observation or general truth

apostrophe a figure of speech in which the speaker directly and often emotionally addresses a person who

is dead or otherwise not physically present, an imaginary person or entity, something inhuman, or a place or concept (usually an abstract idea or ideal). The speaker addresses the object of the apostrophe as if this object were present and capable of understanding and responding.

aside a convention in drama whereby a character onstage addresses the audience to reveal some inner thought or feeling that is presumed inaudible to any other characters onstage who might be in earshot. It is as if a character delivering an aside has momentarily stepped outside of the world of the play and into the world of the audience in order to provide it with illuminating information.

assonance the repetition of vowel sounds in unrhymed, stressed syllables (e.g., “batter these ramparts”)

blank verse unrhymed iambic pentameter

caesura a rhythmic break in the middle of lines where the reciter could pause for breath

carpe diem Latin for “seize the day,” a phrase referring to the age-old literary theme that we should enjoy the moment before it is gone, before youth passes away.

catalog long list

characterization the various means by which an author describes and develops characters in a literary work

chiasmus a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases (e.g., “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”).

climax the point of greatest tension or emotional intensity in a plot; point at which central conflict

reaches its greatest height and the crisis, or turning point in the action, occurs

colloquialism the everyday language we use in conversation. It is sometimes ungrammatical, and it may contain slang words and phrases. It varies from place to place and among ethnic groups.

conceit an extended metaphor that links objects or ideas not commonly associated, often mixing abstract ideas and emotional matters

consonance the repetition of similar final consonant sounds in stressed syllables with dissimilar vowel sounds (e.g., “a frightful fiend / Doth close behind . . .”)

couplet a pair of lines, in succession, that rhyme

dactyl a metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables

dead metaphor a phrase that—although a metaphor—is no longer recognized as such because it has become so familiar. “Getting the hang of things” is a common phrase that few people think of as a metaphor today.

dialect the form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group. Each one differs from all

others in the details of its vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

diction word choice

direct characterization the use of direct statements about a character’s personality as opposed to indirect characterization. See also characterization.

direct discourse a style of narration that relates the thoughts and utterances of individuals and literary characters to the reader unfiltered by a narrator speaking from a third- person point-of-view. (“Take me home this instant!” she insisted.)

double rhyme See feminine rhyme.

dramatic irony a form of situational irony in which there is a discrepancy between a character’s perception and what the reader or audience knows to be true

eiron one who is more than he or she pretends to be

elegiac of or relating to a category of poetry that laments the deaths of loved ones and the loss of the past.

end-rhyme rhyme that occurs at the end of lines in verse. In end-rhyme, the most common type of rhyme, the last word of a line rhymes with the last word of another line. End rhyme is distinguished from internal rhyme, which occurs within a line of verse.

end-stopped line a line of poetry in which a grammatical pause (as indicated by some form of punctuation) and the physical end of the line coincide. The meaning or sense of the line is also complete in itself. End-stopped lines are distinguished from lines exhibiting enjambement (run-on lines).

English (or Shakespearean) sonnet sonnet form consisting of three quatrains followed by a rhyming couplet. The typical rhyme scheme is abab/cdcd/efef/gg. Usually the couplet comments epigrammatically on the problem/situation presented in the three quatrains.

enjambement French for “striding over,” a poetic expression that spans more than one line. Lines exhibiting enjambement (or enjambment) do not end with grammatical breaks, and their sense is not complete without the following line(s). Such lines are also commonly referred to as run-on lines and are distinguished from end-stopped lines. (e.g., “It is a beauteous evening, calm and free, / The holy time is quiet as a Nun / Breathless with adoration; the broad sun / Is sinking down in its tranquility.”)

epic a long, heroic poem

epistolary of, relating to, or suitable to a letter

epigram from the Greek “inscription,” a short poem in which the writer strives for brevity, clarity, and

permanence. Epigrams may include short lines with bouncy rhythms, paradoxical twists, and parallel phrases or clauses.

ethos an appeal that is linked to the audience’s perception of the trustworthiness and moral character

of the speaker or writer

extended metaphor a sustained comparison that consists of a series of related metaphors

external conflict the external problem that is standing in the way of the character and his or her goals

eye-rhyme words that appear to rhyme due to their spelling but that do not rhyme when actually pronounced (e.g., laughter and slaughter, bough, cough, and dough, demon and lemon)

feminine ending (light ending) a line ending that is characterized by an extra, unstressed syllable. This extrametrical syllable, which usually concludes an iambic or anapestic line, often provides rhythmical variety and movement. (e.g., Why, there’s scarcely a huddle of log-huts and shanties . . .”)

feminine rhyme rhyme in which rhyming stressed syllables are followed by identical unstressed syllables. A feminine rhyme that extends over two syllables is called double rhyme, and one extending over three syllables is called triple rhyme. Slaughter and daughter constitute a double rhyme. Bantering and cantering constitute a triple rhyme. The American poet Trumbull Stickney typically alternates feminine and masculine rhyme. In the first stanza of “The Violin” (1902), he alternates double feminine rhyme with an eye-rhyme that is masculine (how and bow): “You came to teach me how the hardened fingers / Must drop and nail the music down, and how / The sound then drags and nettled cries, then lingers / After the dying bow.”

foil a character that, by contrast with the main character, serves to accentuate that character’s distinctive qualities or characteristics

folk ballad a narrative poem, intended to be sung and without a known author. Ballads include some or all of the following characteristics: four-line stanzas in which the second and fourth lines rhyme, repeated key phrases or a regularly repeated section, called a refrain, dialogue, and humor.

foot the unit of rhythm in a line of poetry

foreshadowing the technique of introducing into a narrative material that prepares the reader or audience for future events, actions, or revelations

frame story a story that contains another story or stories. This creates the narrative structure of a story- within-a-story. Usually, the frame story explains why the interior story or stories are being told.

free indirect discourse a style of third person narration which combines some of the characteristics of third person with first person. The combination includes shifts that change without signal. It is often unclear as to whether the thoughts of the narrator or the thoughts of a character are being conveyed, allowing a flexible and sometimes ironic interaction of internal and external perspectives. Even though the speaker is not named, it is often possible to infer his or her identity by examining the statements and using clues of characterization.

free verse the style of poetry that lacks a regular meter, does not rhyme, and uses irregular (and sometimes very short) line lengths

gothic a style that emphasizes horror, suspense, doom, mystery, passion, and the grotesque and supernatural

half-rhyme (or slant-rhyme or off-rhyme) a rhyme that is close, but not perfect

heroic couplet a pair of rhymed lines written in iambic pentameter. Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to compose verse using heroic couplets, but their use did not become widespread until the seventeenth century.

heroic ideal term used to refer to the bravery, loyalty, and generosity Anglo-Saxon warriors owed to their king or lord. These retainers are obliged to fight for their lord to the death, and if he is slain, to avenge him or die in the attempt. Everlasting shame awaits those who fail to live up to this sacred duty.

heroic (poetry) of or relating to a category of poetry in the form of narrative verse that is elevated in mood and uses a dignified, dramatic, and formal style to describe the deeds of aristocratic warriors and rulers

hyperbole (or overstatement) exaggeration for effect

iamb a metrical foot consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. The iamb is the most common metrical foot in English.

iambic pentameter the metrical pattern (see meter) which has the iamb as the dominant foot and lines with more or less five of them.

idiolect an individual system of speech patters and pronunciation

imagery a term used to refer to: (1) the actual language that a writer uses to create or represent any sensory experience and (2) the use of figures of speech, often to express abstract ideas in a vivid and innovative way

indirect characterization the use of actions, thoughts, and dialogue to reveal a character’s personality, as opposed to direct characterization. See also characterization.

indirect discourse a style of narration that relates the thoughts and utterances of individuals and literary characters to the reader without directly quoting the speaker or including quotation marks. (She told him to take her home immediately.) See direct discourse and free indirect discourse.

in medias res Latin for “in the middle of things,” the technique of beginning a narrative in the middle of the action. Crucial events that occurred before the point at which the narrative actually begins are related at some appropriate later time, generally through one or more flashbacks.

interior monologue a type of monologue in which the inner thoughts and workings of a character’s mind are revealed or represented

internal conflict conflict involving the inner divisions or turmoil of a single character. Conflicts of this sort may result from the character’s attempt to decide between multiple alternatives for action or between opposing attitudes or beliefs.

internal rhyme rhyme within a line of poetry (e.g., With heavy thump, a lifeless lump, . . .”)

irony a contradiction or incongruity between appearance or expectation and reality. See dramatic, situational, and verbal irony.

Italian (or Petrarchan) sonnet a sonnet consisting of an octave followed by a sestet. The octave is almost always rhymed abbaabba; the sestet’s rhyme scheme is either cdecde, cdccdc, or cdedce. Often the octave states a problem, and the sestet resolves it.

kenning a two-word, poetic renaming of people, places, and things, substituted for the usual name (e.g.,

“whale’s home” for the ocean).

litotes from the Greek for “simple” or “meager,” a form of understatement (meiosis) that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite (e.g., “not a bad idea” and “not many”).

logos an appeal that builds a well-reasoned argument based on evidence such as facts or statistics

lyric of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses subjective thoughts and feelings, often in a songlike style or form

metaphor a figure of speech that associates two distinct things. See extended metaphor and dead

metaphor.

metaphysics (metaphysical – adj.) - In modern philosophical terminology, metaphysics refers to the studies of what cannot be reached through objective studies of material reality. As such, it is concerned with explaining the features of reality that exist beyond the physical world and our immediate senses. Metaphysics might include the study of the nature of the human mind, the definition and meaning of existence, or the nature of space, time, and/or causality.

metaphysical poetry a term that can be applied to any poetry that deals with philosophical or spiritual matters and but that is generally limited to works written by a specific group of seventeenth-century poets who wrote in the manner of the poet John Donne. This poetry is characterized by a high degree of intellectualism.

meter the typical rhythmic pattern of a poem. By scanning (see scansion) the lines of a poem, one arrives at its meter. The meter of a poem whose dominant foot is the iamb, and whose lines typically have five feet, is iambic pentameter. Names of lengths of poetic lines are monometer (1 foot), dimeter (2 feet), and trimester, tetrameter, pentameter, hexameter, heptameter, and octameter, respectively. A line of two trochees would be trochaic dimeter, six dactyls, dactylic hexameter, and so on.

metonymy a figure of speech in which one thing is used to refer to something with which it is

commonly associated; for example, “bottle” is a metonym for “liquor.”

mood the emotions that a piece of literature creates in a reader

monologue an extended narrative, oral or written, delivered uninterrupted and exclusively by one person (although it may be heard or witnessed by others)

motif a unifying element in an artistic work, especially any recurrent image, symbol, theme, character type, subject, or narrative detail

octave a group of eight lines linked by their end-rhymes, subject matter, or both

ode a relatively long, serious, and usually meditative lyric poem that treats a noble or otherwise elevated subject in a dignified and calm manner

oral tradition the passing of songs, stories, and poems from generation to generation by word of mouth

parable a simple, usually brief, story that teaches a moral lesson

paradox an image or description that appears self-contradictory but that reveals a deeper truth

parallelism (or parallel structure) the repetition of a grammatical structure

pathos an appeal that attempts to arouse the audience’s emotions

personification a figure of speech that attributes human qualities to something that is not human

picaresque novel a novel recounting the adventures of a roguish hero that is usually

episodic

plot the events that make up a story

protagonist the most important or leading character in a work; the protagonist is in primary conflict with the antagonist

pun a play on words that capitalizes on a similarity of spelling and/or pronunciation between words

that have different meanings or one word that has multiple meanings

pyrrhic a metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables

quatrain a group of four lines linked by their end-rhymes, subject matter, or both

repetition the restatement of an idea using the same words

restatement the expression of the same idea in different words

rhetorical question a question asked without the expectation of an answer

rhyme scheme the pattern of end-rhymes in a poem or stanza

romantic realism a term applied to literature that draws on both romanticism and realism. Romantic realists presented their subject matter accurately but wrote only about subject matter that was pleasant or positive.

run-on line See enjambement.

sarcasm an intentional, cutting remark generally directed at another person and intended to hurt or insult. It involves stating the opposite of what is meant to achieve the intended effect. Sarcasm can also be used to draw attention to something being mocked or made humorous and is not always blatant (For example, when a lazy, annoying co-worker says, “Well, I better get to work,” you respond, “Okay. Don’t work too hard.”)

satire a work that pokes fun at society or human behavior with the aim of improving it.

scansion the division of verse into feet to determine the meter

sestet a group of six lines linked by their end-rhymes, subject matter, or both

setting where and when a story takes place

simile a figure of speech that associates two distinct things using the words like or as, as opposed to metaphor, which associates two distinct things, but without the use of a connective word. To say, “That child is like a cyclone” is to use a simile, whereas to say, “That child is a cyclone” is to use a metaphor.

situational irony a discrepancy between expectation and reality

soliloquy in a play, a monologue delivered by a character while alone onstage that reveals inner thoughts, emotions, or some other information that the audience needs to know

sonnet a fourteen-line, lyric poem with a single theme written in iambic pentameter. The sonnet was invented by Italian poet Francesco Petrarch. Sonnets follow definite forms. The form is determined by the type of sonnet.

sonnet sequence a group of sonnets linked by theme or person addressed

Spenserian sonnet sonnet form invented by English poet Edmund Spenser. It consists of three quatrains followed by a rhyming couplet. The rhyme scheme is abab/bcbc/cdcd/ee.

spondee a metrical foot consisting of two stressed syllables

stanza a group of lines set off by themselves in a poem. Properly speaking, all stanzas in a poem have the same number of lines; if they don’t, they should be called irregular stanzas, sections, or even verse paragraphs.

stream of consciousness a literary technique which seeks to describe an individual's point of view by giving the written equivalent of the character's thought processes. Stream-of-consciousness writing is strongly associated with the modernist movement. Stream-of-consciousness not only presents reality from the minds of characters, but it presents how they arrive from thought to thought. It presents thoughts as they occur and can give greater insight into how a character arrives at conclusions and makes decisions. This technique, from both topical and structural standpoints, provides authentic representations of psychological reality.

style a writer’s characteristic way of writing

substitution using a foot which is different from the one typically used in a certain line or stanza. A trochee, for example, used in an iambic pentameter line, would be a substitution.

symbolism term applied when a person, place, or thing stands for itself and something else

synecdoche a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to refer to the whole, as in

saying, “Nice wheels,” in reference to a car. The term can also refer to occasional situations in which the whole is used to represent the part.

theme a broad idea in a story, or a message conveyed by a work. This message is usually about life, society, or human nature. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. Themes are usually implied rather than explicitly stated.

theocracy a government ruled by or subject to religious authority

theocrat 1. a ruler of a theocracy 2. a believer in theocracy

tone the writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the audience or subject

tragedy a serious and often somber drama, written in prose or verse, that typically ends in disaster and that focuses on a character that undergoes unexpected personal

reversals

tragic flaw a character trait in a tragic hero or heroine that brings about his or her downfall

triple rhyme See feminine rhyme.

trochee a metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable

turn a change in tone in a poem

Uncle Charles Principle style of narration similar to free indirect discourse except that the narrator’s words are “contaminated” by the characteristics of a character, instead of the work completely shifting to a character’s thoughts. This technique was named after a character in a work by James Joyce. Such characters are so distinctive in the way they act, the words they use, and the terms they use that they are easy to detect. Because of a lack of consensus on a clear distinction, free direct discourse and Uncle Charles Principle can be used interchangeably.

understatement (or meiosis, from the Greek for “lessening”) a figure of speech that consists of saying less than what is really meant or saying something with less force than is appropriate. See also litotes.

verbal irony the most common type of irony, characterized by a discrepancy between what a speaker or writer says and what he or she believes to be true

vernacular a language or dialect native to a region or country rather than a literary, cultured, or foreign language

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