Analyzing Literary Texts Flashcards

A character in a novel repeatedly dreams of open water whenever she feels trapped. What literary concept does this recurring image represent?

Answer: Motif

A motif is a recurring image, symbol, or idea that reinforces the story's themes.

Which of the following is the best example of dramatic irony?

Answer: The audience knows the villain is hiding in the closet, but the hero does not

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience possesses information that a character in the story lacks.

In a poem, each stanza ends with the same two lines. What is this structural feature called?

Answer: Refrain

A refrain is a line or group of lines repeated at the end of each stanza, often reinforcing the poem's central message.

An author writes a story about a community of animals who elect a leader and gradually lose their freedoms. This story is best described as:

Answer: An allegory

An allegory uses fictional events and characters to represent real-world political or social situations symbolically.

A character in a play speaks alone on stage, revealing his inner thoughts to the audience. This is called a:

Answer: Soliloquy

A soliloquy is a speech delivered alone on stage that reveals a character's private thoughts directly to the audience.

Which element of plot immediately follows the climax in a traditional story structure?

Answer: Falling action

Falling action follows the climax and shows the consequences of the peak conflict as the story moves toward resolution.

A poet writes 'Death, thou shalt die,' directly addressing death as if it were a person. This technique is called:

Answer: Apostrophe

Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, abstract idea, or inanimate object.