AQA GCSE Revise English Literature: Power and Conflict Poetry Anthology Glossary

acrostic
An acrostic poem or piece of text uses certain letters, usually the first letter of each line, to spell out a word or message when read vertically.

allegory
An allegory is a story, poem, or piece of art that uses characters and events as symbols to convey a deeper moral or political meaning.

alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound at the start of nearby words.

allusion
An allusion is a brief or indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, or piece of literature, which is designed to add meaning or context.

ambiguity
Ambiguity occurs when a word, phrase, or text has more than one meaning, creating uncertainty or complexity.

analytical
Being analytical means examining and breaking down a text or idea to understand how its parts contribute to its overall meaning or impact.

anaphora
Anaphora is the repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive lines, sentences, or clauses for emphasis or rhythm (in poetry).

assonance
Assonance is the repetition of sounds (usually vowels) in nearby words, often to create or emphasise mood or musicality.

aural imagery
Aural imagery appeals to the sense of hearing, describing sounds to make a scene more vivid for the reader.

autobiographical
An autobiographical work is based on the author’s own life and experiences and written by them.

blank verse
Blank verse is unrhymed poetry usually written in iambic pentameter (often used in Shakespearean plays).

caesura
Caesura is a deliberate pause or break within a line of poetry, usually marked by punctuation. This pause follows natural speech patterns.

colloquial
Colloquial language is language used casually in informal situations, or to create a sense of informality in a text.

colonial
‘Colonial’ relates to a time when countries were controlled and subjugated by empires, often linking to themes of power, exploitation, and identity.

consonance
Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in a series of words, typically within or at the end of words.

corruption
Corruption refers to dishonesty or the misuse of power for personal gain; it is often a key theme in literature about power or politics.

dactylic dimeter
Dactylic dimeter is a rhythmic pattern in poetry with two metrical feet per line, each foot following a stressed-unstressed-unstressed syllable pattern.

dialect
A dialect is a form of language, based on grammar and vocabulary, spoken in a particular region.

dramatic monologue
A dramatic monologue is a speech by one person, revealing their thoughts and feelings to the audience/reader.

embedded
Embedded refers to something that is placed within a larger structure, such as a quotation or clause integrated into a sentence or narrative.

emotive
Emotive language is the use of words in order to have an emotional effect on the reader.

end-stopped
An end-stopped line is one where the sentence or phrase ends with punctuation, giving a sense of completeness or finality.

enjambment
Enjambment occurs when a sentence or phrase runs over into the next line of poetry without a pause.

extended metaphor
An extended metaphor is when a writer describes something as though it were something else, and does so making several different points of comparison, often over more than one sentence.

first-person narrative
A first-person narrative is told from the perspective of the narrator using pronouns such as ‘I’, ‘we’, ‘me’, and ‘us’.

first-person plural
First-person plural narration uses ‘we’, ‘us’, or ‘our’, suggesting a collective voice or shared perspective.

flashback
A narrative flashback is when a writer takes the reader back in time from the starting point of the story.

foreshadow
Foreshadowing is the fiction technique of making the reader anticipate events that will happen later, as in: ‘If I had known then, I might not have done what I did next.’

free verse
Free verse is poetry that does not follow regular rhyme or rhythm patterns, allowing greater freedom in expression.

half-rhyme
Half-rhyme occurs when words have similar but not identical rhymes, often creating a subtle or uneasy effect.

high culture
High culture refers to artistic or intellectual works considered sophisticated or ‘elite’, such as classical music or fine art. It is a term associated with higher status and elitism.

hubris
Hubris is excessive pride or arrogance, often leading to a character’s downfall in classical tragedy.

iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter is a poetic meter with five iambs (unstressed-stressed syllables) per line; it is often used in Shakespeare’s works. The rhythm is like a heartbeat, with one soft beat and one strong beat, repeated five times.

iambic tetrameter
Iambic tetrameter is a poetic metre with four iambs (unstressed-stressed syllables) per line, creating a steady rhythm.

imagery
Imagery is the collective term referring to metaphors and similes.

imperative
An imperative is a sentence ordering or instructing the reader to do something, as in, ‘See for yourself.’

indoctrinated
To be indoctrinated means to have been taught to accept beliefs or ideologies without question.

indoctrination
Indoctrination is the process of imposing beliefs or ideologies on others, often through repetition and authority.

industrialisation
Industrialisation refers to the development of industries and factories, a key theme in some literature that explores social change and its effects.

Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period of major technological and social change in the 18th and 19th centuries, transforming many economies and societies.

In media res
To begin a story ‘in media res’ is to start it in the middle of the action.

intertextuality
Intertextuality refers to connections between texts, where one text echoes, references, or builds upon another.

irony
Irony occurs when there is a contrast between what is expected and what happens, or when words mean the opposite of what they say.

juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is placing two ideas or phrases next to each other in a text for comparison or contrast.

metaphor
A metaphor brings something to life imaginatively by speaking of something as though it is something else that it resembles in some way, without using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

Metre
Metre is the structured rhythm of a poem, created by patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables.

monologue
A monologue is a text written in the first person, from the viewpoint of the author or a character, usually expressing their thoughts and feelings.

motif
A motif in a text is a dominant or recurring idea.

narcissism
Narcissism is excessive self-love or self-obsession to the point where other people’s needs are ignored.

onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia refers to words that imitate the sounds they describe, such as ‘buzz’ or ‘clang.’

oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines words that hold directly opposite meanings; for example, old news.

paradox
A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory or impossible but often reveals a deeper truth upon reflection.

past tense
The past tense is used to describe events that have already happened, in the past.

patriarchal
A patriarchal society is one where men hold power and authority, often a theme in feminist or critical theory literature.

patriotism
Patriotism is a sense of pride and loyalty towards one’s country, often explored in literature about identity or conflict.

personification
Personification is a technique in which a writer describes non-human things as though they were human, as in ‘Time marches on’.

Petrarchan sonnet
A Petrarchan sonnet is a 14-line poem divided into an 8-line octave and a 6-line sestet, following a specific rhyme scheme (ABBAABA CDCDCD or CDECDE). Traditionally, the tone of the poem changes between the two sections.

phonetic
Phonetic relates to the sounds of speech, often used in literature to reflect dialects or accents.

plosive
Plosives are consonant sounds such as ‘p’, ‘b’, ‘t’, and ‘d’, created by a sudden release of air in the mouth.

present tense
The present tense describes events happening now, in the present time.

pronoun
Pronouns are words that replace nouns, such as ‘he’, ‘she’, or ‘they’. Pronouns are often used to shape perspectives.

protagonist
The protagonist is the main character in a story, often the one whose journey or conflict drives the plot.

refrain
A refrain is a repeated line or phrase in a poem or song, often emphasising a theme or idea.

Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement in Europe (14th–16th centuries) known for its focus on art, science, and the rediscovery of classical ideas.

repetition
Repetition in a text is using a word, phrase, or sentence more than once.

rhetorical question
A rhetorical question is a question that is asked for dramatic effect, without expecting an answer.

rhyme scheme
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes in a poem, often marked using letters that represent rhyming lines (e.g. ABAB).

rhyming couplet
A rhyming couplet is two consecutive lines that rhyme.

rhythm
Rhythm refers to the flow of sound and beats in a poem, created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables.

Romantic
‘Romantic’ refers to the literary movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, which focused on nature, emotion, and individualism.

semantic field
A semantic field is a group of words related by meaning, used to reinforce themes or ideas in a text.

Shakespearean sonnet
A Shakespearean sonnet is a 14-line poem with three quatrains (groups of four lines) and a rhyming couplet, following the ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme.

sibilance
Sibilance is the repetition of ‘s’, ‘sh’, or ‘z’ sounds, often creating a soft, hissing, or sinister effect.

simile
Similes are figures of speech that describe things more vividly by comparing them to other things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

sonnet
A sonnet is a 14-line poem with a specific structure and rhyme scheme, often exploring the theme of love.

standard English
Standard English is the variety of English used in formal contexts, not using dialect, colloquialisms, or slang.

stream of consciousness
Stream of consciousness is a narrative style that imitates the flow of a character’s thoughts, often without clear structure.

sublime
The sublime refers to something of awe-inspiring beauty or grandeur, often in connection with nature or emotion.

symbolism
Symbolism is the use of symbols: things in a text that represent an abstract idea or feeling, such as a rainbow to represent hope.

synonym
A synonym is a word with the same or similar meaning as another word.

thesis
A thesis is a central argument or idea that a writer develops and supports in an essay or analysis.

third-person narrative
A third-person narrative is told by a narrator using pronouns such as ‘he’, ‘she’, or ‘they’.

verb
A verb is a word expressing an action.

volta
A volta is the ‘turn’ in a poem, marking a shift in tone, argument, or perspective.