Drama
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| 2112205426 | Alliteration | use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse Ex. Alice's aunt ate apples and acorns around August. | 0 | |
| 2112205427 | Allusion | A reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art Ex. "I was surprised his nose was not growing like Pinocchio's." This refers to the story of Pinocchio, where his nose grew whenever he told a lie. It is from The Adventures of Pinocchio, written by Carlo Collodi. | 1 | |
| 2112205428 | Aside | A speech (usually just a short comment) made by an actor to the audience, as though momentarily stepping outside of the action on stage. Ex. The flighty purpose never is o'ertook. | 2 | |
| 2112205429 | Blank Verse | Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter Ex. Something there is that doesn't love a wall. That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, And spills the upper boulders in the sun (Robert Frost) | 3 | |
| 2112205430 | Cacophony | harsh, jarring noise Ex. "I detest war because cause of war is always trivial." | 4 | |
| 2112205431 | Catharsis | An emotional discharge that brings about a moral or spiritual renewal or welcome relief from tension and anxiety Ex. "...a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing" (Shakespeare) | 5 | |
| 2112205432 | Cliche | An expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off Ex. In the nick of time | 6 | |
| 2112205433 | Couplet | A pair of rhymed lines that may or may not constitute a separate stanza in a poem. Ex. "Look in thy glass, and tell the face thou viewest Now is the time that face should form another; Whose fresh repair if now thou not renewest, Thou dost beguile the world, unbless some mother, For where is she so fair whose unear'd womb ....... But if thou live, remember'd not to be, Die single, and thine image dies with thee." (Shakespeare) | 7 | |
| 2112205434 | Euphony | pleasant, harmonious sound Ex. Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; Conspiring with him how to load and bless With fruit the vines that round the thatch -eves run; To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees, And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core; To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells With a sweet kernel; to set budding more, And still more, later flowers for the bees (Shakespeare) | 8 | |
| 2112205435 | Foil | A character who is in most ways opposite to the main character (protagonist) or one who is nearly the same as the protagonist. The purpose of the foil character is to emphasize the traits of the main character by contrast only Ex. "Man is not truly one, but truly two." | 9 | |
| 2112205436 | Foreshadowing | A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader. Ex. "Life were better ended by their hate, Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love" | 10 | |
| 2112205437 | Hubris | Excessive pride or self-confidence Ex. "Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n." | 11 | |
| 2112205438 | Hyperbole | A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor Ex. My grandmother is as old as the hills. | 12 | |
| 2112205439 | Iambic Pentameter | A metrical pattern in poetry which consists of five iambic feet per line. (an iamb, or iambic foot, consists of one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.) Ex. But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? | 13 | |
| 2112205440 | In Medias Res | Action on the stage begins "in the middle" Ex. The Odyssey, The Divine Comedy, The Gambler, Raging Bull, God of War and Defending Jacob. | 14 | |
| 2112205441 | Meter | A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry Ex. Come live | with me | and be | my love | 15 | |
| 2112205442 | Metonymy | A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it Ex. The suits were at meeting. (The suits stand for business people.) | 16 | |
| 2112205443 | Oxymoron | A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. Ex. Liquid gas | 17 | |
| 2112205444 | Paradox | A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. Ex. You can save money by spending it. | 18 | |
| 2112205445 | Pathos | Appeal to emotion Ex. A soft instrumental symphony may arouse people emotionally. | 19 | |
| 2112205446 | Personification | A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes Ex. The flowers danced in the gentle breeze. | 20 | |
| 2112205447 | Soliloquy | A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener. Ex. "Yet art thou still but Faustus and a man" | 21 | |
| 2112205448 | Synecdoche | A figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa Ex. The word "glasses" refers to spectacles. | 22 | |
| 2112205449 | Tragic Flaw | A weakness or limitation of character, resulting in the fall of the tragic hero. Ex. OEDIPUS: Aye, and on thee in all humility I lay this charge: let her who lies within Receive such burial as thou shalt ordain.... But for myself, O never let my Thebes,... The burden of my presence while I live.... God speed thee! and as meed for bringing them May Providence deal with thee kindlier Than it has dealt with me... His will was set forth fully—to destroy The parricide, the scoundrel; and I am he... But I am the gods' abhorrence. | 23 | |
| 2112205450 | Understatement | A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker says less than what he or she means; the opposite of exaggeration. Ex. "I have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain." | 24 | |
| 2112205451 | Motif | A recurring element, such as an image, theme, or type of incident. Ex. "Frailty, thy name is woman" | 25 |
