Literary Terms

Julius Caesarby William Shakespeare

Repeating a consonant sound in close proximity to others, or beginning several words with the same vowel sound.

“Buckets of big blue berries" alliterates with the consonant “b.”

Alliteration

A casual reference in literature to a person, place, event, or another passage of literature, often without explicit identification. Allusions can originate in mythology, biblical references, historical events, legends, geography, or earlier literary works.

If a teacher were to refer to his class as a horde of Mongols, the students will have no idea if they are being praised or vilified unless they know what the Mongol horde was and what activities it participated in historically.

Allusion

Aside is when a line is spoken to the audience not to the characters on stage

ROMEO [Aside.]: Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Aside

(also called unrhymed iambic pentameter): Unrhymed lines of ten syllables each with the even-numbered syllables bearing the accents

The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven;And, as imagination bodies forthThe forms of things unknown, the poet's penTurns them to shapes and gives to airy nothingA local habitation and a name. (5.1.12-17)

Blank Verse

A humorous scene, incident, character, or bit of dialogue occurring after some serious or tragic moment.Comic relief is deliberately designed to relieve emotional intensity and simultaneously heighten and highlight the seriousness or tragedy of the action.

In Romeo and Juliet, Mercucio says, "I will frown as I pass by... No, sir, I do not bite my thumb at you, sir; but I bite my thumb, sir.“ (I:i:41-53 )

Comic Relief

(the most important type of irony for literature) involves a situation in a narrative in which the reader knows something about present or future circumstances that the character does not know

Juliet is found dead in her bed; at least they all think that she is dead, but we know that she is not dead - "Lady, lady, lady!— Alas, alas! Help, help! My lady's dead!"

Dramatic Irony

a dynamic character is one whose personality changes or evolves over the course of a narrative or appears to have the capacity for such change

George in Of Mice and Men is a dynamic character because at the end of the story he understands that he cannot save Lennie from a society that has no humane way to deal with him.

Dynamic Character

The opposition between two characters (such as a protagonist and an antagonist), between two large groups of people, or between the protagonist and a larger problem such as forces of nature, ideas, public mores, and so on

In Romeo and Juliet, the characters’ families are feuding and forbid the romance that has developed between them.

External Conflict

a simplified character who does not change or alter his or her personality over the course of a narrative, or one without extensive personality and characterization

In Of Mice and Men Curley is a flat character because he remains undeveloped, forever little and forever mean, poking his head in at various points in the novel, either to look for his wife or to stir up trouble on account of her.

Flat Character

A character that serves by contrast to highlight or emphasize opposing traits in another character

Lennie works as a foil to George in Of Mice and Men. Lennie is George’s opposite in size, mental ability, and temperament; allowing us to see how childish and spontaneous Lennie is – and how parental and practical George is.

Foil

Suggesting, hinting, indicating, or showing what will occur later in a narrative. Foreshadowing often provides hints about what will happen next

In Of Mice and Men, Curley’s wife’s death is foreshadowed by Lennie’s obsession with soft creatures and the portrayal of Curley’s wife as troublesome.

Foreshadowing

Five iambs (a lightly stressed syllable followed by a heavily stressed syllable.) that result in 10 syllable lines.

Shakespeare’s noble characters almost exclusively speak in iambic pentameter.

This gentleman, the prince's near ally,My very friend, hath got his mortal hurtIn my behalf; my reputation stain'dWith Tybalt's slander,--Tybalt, that an hourHath been my kinsman! O sweet Juliet,Thy beauty hath made me effeminateAnd in my temper soften'd valour's steel!

Iambic Pentameter

A struggle entirely within the mind and heart of the character.

In Of Mice and Men, George must battle his conscience and determine what actions he should take to save his friend without harming himself.

Internal Conflict

When something is said or happens that is opposite of what is meant or expected.

In Romeo and Juliet, the Prologue in Act I opens with "Two households, both alike in dignity, . . ." When you first read this, you may think that the two families are pretty dignified or honorable. As the play goes on, however, you realize that each family is violently competitive. They are similarly undignified.

Irony

A comparison or analogy stated in such a way as to imply that one object is another one, figuratively speaking

An old television ad from the 1980s urged teenagers not to try drugs. The camera would focus on a close-up of a pair of eggs and a voice would state "This is your brain." In the next sequence, the eggs would be cracked and thrown onto a hot skillet, where the eggs would bubble, burn, and seethe. The voice would state, "This is your brain on drugs." The point of the comparison is fairly clear.

Metaphor

A character speaking aloud to himself, or narrating an account to an audience with no other character on stage. Monologues don't have to address the audience, but they are the dialogue of one person. Typically, they illustrate the thoughts of the speaker, or tell a story.

Juliet muses on how terrible she feels about Tybalt’s death and Romeo’s banishment in a monologue.

Monologue

A feeling, emotional state, or disposition of mind--especially the predominating atmosphere or tone of a literary work

At the beginning of the novel Of Mice and Men the mood and tone are sincere, lighthearted, and innocent. Lennie and George are casual workmen, simply drifting from town to town- nobodies in a world of self-inflated somebodies. Times get tense when unwanted personnel arrive, but the moods quickly pass and flow from happy, carefree scenes with puppies and horseshoe games; to tense, dreadful atmospheres with death in the air.

Mood

Using contradiction in a manner that oddly makes sense on a deeper level

Oxymorons appear frequently in Romeo and Juliet. Perhaps the most famous oxymoron in the play is the one occurring in the last two words of this line: "Good-night, good-night! parting is such sweet sorrow (2. 2. 201). Sweet and sorrow mean completely opposite things, an oxymoron consists of two contradictory words occurring one after the other.

Oxymoron

When abstractions, animals, ideas, and inanimate objects are given human character, traits, abilities, or reactions

“The worshipped sun peered forth” gives the sun the ability to see.

Personification

Any material that is not written in a regular meter like poetry

Shakespeare often uses prose for characters who are commoners or who are highly agitated.

Prose

Puns are a very popular literary device wherein a word is used in a manner to suggest two or more possible meanings. This is generally done to the effect of creating humor or irony or wryness. Puns can also refer to words that suggest meanings of similar-sounding words. The trick is to make the reader have an “ah!” moment and discover 2 or more meanings.

Santa’s helpers are known as subordinate Clauses.

Pun

A unit of verse consisting of two successive lines, usually rhyming and having the same meter and often forming a complete thought or syntactic unit.

“When the bow breaks the cradle will fall/ and down will come baby, cradle and all.

Rhyming Couplet

Characters which have been fully developed by an author, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and are detailed enough to seem real. A round character is usually a main character, and is developed over the course of the story.

In Romeo and Juliet, both Romeo and Juliet feel like real people; we care about their fates, and so they are round characters

Round Character

Similes are one of the most commonly used literary devices; referring to the practice of drawing parallels or comparisons between two unrelated and dissimilar things, people, beings, places and concepts. By using similes a greater degree of meaning and understanding is attached to an otherwise simple sentence. The reader is able to better understand the sentiment the author wishes to convey. Similes are marked by the use of the words ‘as’ or ‘such as’ or ‘like’.

He is like a mouse in front of the teacher.

Simile

When something happens that is opposite of what is expected or what is appropriate.

If an Olympic swimmer were to drown in his or her own bathtub, it would be an example of situational irony.

Situational Irony

When a character relates his or her thoughts and feelings to him/herself and to the audience without addressing any of the other characters.

Act III, Scene ii[Enter JULIET alone.]

JULIET. Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,Toward Phaeton would whip you to the westAnd bring I cloudy night immediately.Spread thy close curtain, love-performing night,That runaway’s eyes may wink, and Romeo

Leap to these arms untalked or and unseen….

Soliloquy

A character who does not change despite the action that takes place within the plot.

The nurse in Romeo and Juliet is a static character. She is primarily concerned with Juliet and her emotional well-being despite any of the plot twists that occur in the play.

Static Character

A series of unfortunate events by which one or more of the literary characters in the story undergo several misfortunes, which finally culminate into a disaster of “epic proportions.” Tragedy is generally built up in five stages: a) happy times b) the introduction of a problem c) the problem worsens to a crisis/ dilemma d) the characters are unable to prevent the problem from taking over e) the problem results in some catastrophic, grave ending, which is the tragedy culminated.

Romeo and Juliet poses a series misfortunes which ends in the deaths of the main characters.

Tragedy

A noble character who works as the protagonist of a tragedy but who possesses a tragic flaw which brings about his or her downfall.

In Romeo and Juliet Romeo works as the tragic hero who is noble and kind, but is impatient and impetuous, which ultimately leads to his and Juliet’s deaths.

Tragic Hero

The use of verbal irony in literature refers to playing around with words such that the meaning implied by a sentence/word is actually different from the literal meaning derived. Often, irony is used to suggest the stark contrast of the literal meaning being put forth. The deeper, real layer of significance is revealed not by the words themselves but the situation and the context in which they are placed.

Writing a sentence such as, “Oh! What fine luck I have!”. The sentence on the surface conveys that the speaker is happy with their luck but actually what they mean is that they are extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with their (bad) luck.

Verbal Irony