Lit — close reading vocab that lifts your essays

VCE Literature · Close reading vocabulary · 5 flashcards, free to study.

Real terms with real definitions. For Literature passage analysis.

What does 'motif' mean?: A recurring image, idea or symbol that contributes to a text's theme.
Diction vs syntax: Diction: word choice. Syntax: sentence structure. Both contribute to voice.
Free indirect discourse: Narrative blends the narrator's voice with a character's thoughts/voice, blurring perspective.
How to introduce a close-reading argument: Make a small, specific claim about a passage's formal feature → unpack its thematic implications.
Caesura — what is it?: A pause within a line of poetry (often signalled by punctuation).