Literary Terms #6

simile - noun a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds

soliloquy - noun a (usually long) dramatic speech intended to give the illusion of unspoken reflections; speech you make to yourself

spiritual - adj. noun a kind of religious song, folk song

speaker - noun speaker; narrator

stereotype - noun a conventional or formulaic conception or image; cliché

stream of consciousness – attempts to imitate flow of thoughts, feelings, and images as occurring in one’s mind

structure - noun the manner of construction of something and the arrangement of its parts

style - noun a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period

subordination - noun the semantic relation of being subordinate or belonging to a lower rank or class

surrealism - noun a 20th century movement of artists and writers (developing out of dadaism) who used fantastic images and incongruous juxtapositions in order to represent unconscious thoughts and dreams

suspension of disbelief – suspend not believing in order to enjoy it

symbol - noun an arbitrary sign that has acquired a conventional significance

synesthesia - noun a sensation that normally occurs in one sense modality occurs when another modality is stimulated

synecdoche - noun substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa

syntax - noun the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences

theme - noun a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work

thesis - noun an unproved statement put forward as a premise in an argument

tone - noun used to create mood and atmosphere of literary work; author’s perceived point of view

tongue in cheek – humor in which speaker feigns seriousness

tragedy - noun drama in which the protagonist is overcome by some superior force or circumstance; excites terror or pity

understatement - noun a statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said

vernacular - adj. being or characteristic of or appropriate to everyday language; noun the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language)

voice - noun textual features that convey a writer’s or speaker’s persona

zeitgeist - noun the spirit characteristic of an age or generation