Literary Terms

Question 1

Allegory

Answer 1

A story within a story. A surface story with another story hidden underneath ex. two neighbors are throwing rocks at each other homes, but the hidden story is war between countries

Question 2

Alliteration

Answer 2

words that begin with the same sound are placed close together. Repetition of sounds ex. Phillip’s feet

Question 3

Allusion

Answer 3

A reference to something else. Mentioning some other work, or referring to the earlier part of the current work ex. Alluding to a bible story or Greek myth

Question 4

Anaphora

Answer 4

when a certain word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of clauses or sentences that follow each other ex. “I am sick and tired of you letting me down. I am sick and tired of your attitude, and I am sick and tired of you doing such silly things”

Question 5

Anastrophe

Answer 5

Changing the usual order of words or clauses. Out of order sentence. ex. “excited the children were when Santa entered the room”

Question 6

Antithesis

Answer 6

The opposite of a statement, concept, or idea. Statements where one reverse the other. ex. “keep your friends close and your enemies closer”

Question 7

Apostrophe

Answer 7

A speaker directly addresses someone (or something) that is not present or cannot respond ex. “O Romeo O Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo”

Question 8

Assonance

Answer 8

Repetition of the same or similar sounds within words, phrases, or sentences ex. “She sEEms to bEAm rays of sunshine in her eyes of grEEn”

Question 9

Asyndeton

Answer 9

Skipping one or more conjunctions (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet) ex. “We went to the park, played on the jungle gym, ran around, had a picnic… that was about it”

Question 10

Chiasmus

Answer 10

You say one thing, and then you say something very similar but flipped around ex. “Living simply so others might simply live”

Question 11

Conceit

Answer 11

Unconventional, logically complex, or surprising metaphor that are more intellectual. An extended metaphor ex. “A broken heart is like a damaged clock”

Question 12

Consonance

Answer 12

The same consonant sound appears repeatedly in a line or sentence, a rythmic effect. ex. “Are you asKing me to Come up with eXamples of Consonance? I’ll seeK it out in lyriCs and booKs”

Question 13

Diction

Answer 13

word choice or phrasing in any written or spoken text. Literally the words ex. “Hello, young lady.”

Question 14

Dramatic Irony

Answer 14

When the audience knows something the character doesn’t ex. Everyone on the Titanic thinks it’s unsinkable, but we know it isn’t

Question 15

Ethos

Answer 15

Element of argument and persuasion through which a speaker establishes their credibility and knowledge ex. Anything the speaker says or does to ensure that the audience knows and remembers these qualifications

Question 16

Euphemism

Answer 16

polite, mild phrases that substitute unpleasant ways of saying sad or uncomfortable ex. “She’s a curvy woman”

Question 17

Figurative Language

Answer 17

words or phrases that are meaningful, but not literally true ex. An athlete is doing a good job, you say “you’re on fire”

Question 18

Foreshadowing

Answer 18

giving signs or hints about the future it usually does not directly give away the outcome, but it suggests it. ex. “She finds her keys, gets in the car and begins backing out of the driveway, and then slams on the breaks “I feel like I’m forgetting something’ she says “

Question 19

Hyperbole

Answer 19

purposely and obviously exaggerating to an extreme ex. “She’s going to die of embarrassment”

Question 20

Imagery

Answer 20

figurative and metaphorical language to improve the readers experience through their senses ex. “The night was blocked as ever, but stars lit up the sky”

Question 21

Litotes

Answer 21

An understatement in which a positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite ex. Not bad, not bad at all.”

Question 22

Logos

Answer 22

Appeal to the senses of reason and logic ex. “All men are mortal, my dad is a man”

Question 23

Metaphor

Answer 23

Makes a comparison by directly relating one thing to another unrelated thing ex. “The football player is really putting the players on his back this evening”

Question 24

Meter

Answer 24

A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that defines the rhythms of some poetry ex. “Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse”

Question 25

Metonymy

Answer 25

replaces words with related or associated words ex. “the pen is mightier than the sword”

Question 26

Onomatopoeia

Answer 26

words that sounds like what they describe ex. BOOM! POW! WHOOSH! BAM!

Question 27

Oxymoron

Answer 27

puts together opposite elements ex. “organized mess”, “controlled chaos”, “same difference”

Question 28

Paradox

Answer 28

A statement that contradicts itself. More sophisticated than an oxymoron ex. “Nobody goes to Murphy’s bar anymore… it’s too crowded”

Question 29

Parallel Construction

Answer 29

words or phrases are written in the same form ex. “my dog not only likes TO play fetch but he also likes TO chase cars”

Question 30

Pathos

Answer 30

the appeal to emotion ex. “A bag of chips can bring the whole family together”

Question 31

Personification

Answer 31

Describing an inatimate object, abstract thing, or non-human animal with human characteristics ex. “That piece of chocolate cake is calling my name”

Question 32

Perspective (POV)

Answer 32

what the character or narrator telling the story can see ex. any book you read ever

Question 33

Polysyndeton

Answer 33

uses multiple repetitions of the same conjunctions. ex. “And we’re going to Oregon and Washington and Michigan, etc”

Question 34

Repetition

Answer 34

repeating a word or phrase ex. “Breathe, breathe, breathe, i told myself”

Question 35

Rhyme

Answer 35

words whose endings match ex. Spy, fly bat, hat pit, mit

Question 36

Simile

Answer 36

A metaphor using “like” or “as” ex. “He’s as thin as a rail”

Question 37

Situational Irony

Answer 37

A striking reversal of what is expected or intended. ex. A fire station burning down

Question 38

Symbol

Answer 38

Any image or thing that stands for something ex. Poseidon is a symbol for the sea

Question 39

Syndeton

Answer 39

Two conjuncts are joined by a conjunction ex. “I will have eggs and ham”

Question 40

Synechdoche

Answer 40

Allows a part to stand for a whole or vice versa ex. “All hands on deck”

Question 41

Syntax

Answer 41

the way words are put together to make phrases ex. Subject + verb + direct object “Jill hit the ball”

Question 42

Theme

Answer 42

Central idea, topic, or part of a story, essay, or narrative ex. Danger of excessive pride

Question 43

Verbal Irony

Answer 43

A person says/writes one thing but means another. ex. “Just what I needed” after spilling coffee on themselves