Lit Terms #2

Question 1

didactic

Answer 1

From Latin meaning “instructive”. Primary aim to teach or instruct especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles

Question 2

elegy

Answer 2

mournful or plaintive song or poem

Question 3

euphemism

Answer 3

from greek for “good speech”. More agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts.

Question 4

extended metaphor

Answer 4

developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work

Question 5

figurative language

Answer 5

writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid

Question 6

figure of speech

Answer 6

a device used to produce figurative language. many compare dissimilar things.

Question 7

generic conventions

Answer 7

describes traditions for each genre. helps define each genre

Question 8

genre

Answer 8

major category in which literary works fit

Question 9

homily

Answer 9

literally means “sermon” but more informally it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice

Question 10

hyperbole

Answer 10

using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. often produces irony at the same time

Question 11

imagery

Answer 11

sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions

Question 12

inference/infer

Answer 12

to draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented

Question 13

invective

Answer 13

an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language

Question 14

irony/ironic

Answer 14

the contrast between what is being said explicitly and what is really meant

Question 15

juxtaposition

Answer 15

placing dissimilar items, descriptions or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast

Question 16

loose sentence

Answer 16

type of sentence in which the main idea comes first (independent clause), followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases or clauses

Question 17

metaphor

Answer 17

a figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity

Question 18

metonymy

Answer 18

from greek meaning “changed label”. when the name of an object is substituted for that with another closely associated with it.

Question 19

mood

Answer 19

1st meaning is grammatical and deals with verbal units and the writer’s attitude. 2nd meaning the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of the work

Question 20

narrative

Answer 20

the telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events

Question 21

onomatopoeia

Answer 21

natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words

Question 22

oxymoron

Answer 22

from greek meaning “pointedly foolish”. where the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox