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Literary Terms One
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| allegory | a story or poem in which the characters, setting, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities. Can be read for a literal meaning or a symbolic meaning. |
| alliteration | the repetition of the same sound in a sequence of words, usually at the beginning of a word. |
| allusion | a brief reference to a person, place, thing, event, or idea in history or literature. |
| climax | the point in the plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest. After this point, nothing can remain the same. |
| connotation | associations and implications that go beyond the written word. |
| denotation | the dictionary definition of a word. |
| flashback | a scene that interrupts the normal chronological flow of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time. |
| foreshadowing | the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in the story, often used to build suspense or tension. |
| gothic | the use of primitive, medieval, or mysterious elements in literature. Gothic writing often features dark and gloomy places and horrifying, supernatural events. |
| hero | a character whose actions are inspiring or noble. Tragic heroes are noble and inspiring but have a fault or make a mistake which leads to their demise. |
| hyperbole | a boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true. |
| lyric poem | a melodic poem which describes an object of emotion. |
| metaphor | a literary device in which a direct comparison is made between two things essentially unalike. |
| narrative poem | narrative poem tells a story in verse. |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that imitate sounds. |
| personification | a literary device in which human attributes are given to a non-human, such as an animal, object, or concept. |
| plot | the sequence of events in a story, usually involves characters and a conflict. |
| point of view | the perspective or vantage point from which a story is told. Three common points of view are first person, omniscient, and third person limited. |
| setting | the time and place of the story or poem’s action; it helps create the mood of the story. |
| simile | a literary device in which a direct comparison is made between two things that are essentially unalike using the words “like” or “as.” |
| soliloquy | a long speech made by a character who is onstage alone and who reveals his/her private thoughts and feelings to the audience. |
| stanza | a group of lines in a poem that are considered to be a unit. They function in the same way that paragraphs do in prose writing. |
| symbol | something that means more than what it is; an object, person, situation, or action that in addition to its literal meaning suggests other meanings as well. |
| theme | an insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work. |
| thesis | the organizing thought of an entire essay or piece of writing; a statement that contains a subject and a point to prove. |
| tone | the writer’s attitude toward the story, poem, characters, or audience. A writer’s tone may be formal or informal, friendly or anxious, personal or arrogant, for example. |
| understatement | a literary device that says less than intended, the opposite of the hyperbole. Usually has an ironic effect, and sometimes may be used for comic purposes. |
Created by:
pcondon
Popular Literature sets