PART B LITERARY TERMS

Question 1

Allegory

Answer 1

The representation of ideas or moral principles by means of symbolic characters, events or objects.

A very simple story written in either prose or poetic form that is meant to teach a lesson about life.

Question 2

Archetype

Answer 2

A pattern that appears repeatedly in literature in characters, situations and
symbols (the American Western, the hero, the quest, innocence).

Question 3

Aside

Answer 3

A short speech in a play that is heard only by the audience and not by any of the other characters.

Question 4

Alliteration

Answer 4

The repetition of a constant sound to create rhythm and aid memory/effect.

The repetition of the initial consonant sounding in words.

Question 5

Antithesis

Answer 5

A rhetorical device where opposing ideas are presented in a parallel structure to create a striking contrast. Antithesis contrasts entire ideas or phrases, while oxymoron combines contradictory words within a single phrase. Antithesis uses direct opposites, often in parallel grammatical structure, to emphasize a strong contrast. Juxtaposition, on the other hand, places elements next to each other to highlight their differences or similarities, but the contrast may not be as direct as in antithesis.

Question 6

Allusion

Answer 6

A brief reference to a historical or literary person, place, object, or event.

A reference to a significant figure, event, place, or literary work that the writer expects the reader to recognize.

Question 7

Analogy

Answer 7

The comparison of two similar to suggest that if they are alike in some respects, they are probably alike in other ways.

A comparison of ideas or objects which are essentially different but which are alike in one significant way.

Question 8

Anecdote

Answer 8

A short narrative that tells the particulars of an interesting and/or humorous event.

Question 9

Antagonist

Answer 9

A person or thing that opposes the protagonist or hero of a story.

The force (usually, but not always, a person) that opposes the main character (the protagonist) in his attempt to solve a problem and thus to resolve the conflict he is involved in.

Question 10

Apostrophe

Answer 10

A figure of speech where someone (usually absent or dead), an object, some abstract quality or a non-existent person is directly addressed as though present and real.

Question 11

Atmosphere

Answer 11

The general overall feeling of a story conveyed in a large part by the setting and the mood.

Question 12

Assonance

Answer 12

The repetition of vowel sounds.

Question 13

Blank Verse

Answer 13

Unrhymed in a spot which it should be, usually occurs in an iambic pentameter.

Poetic form written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Question 14

Ballad

Answer 14

A narrative (story) poem with many specific characteristics.

A type of poem that is meant to be sung and is both lyric and narrative in nature.

Question 15

Caricature

Answer 15

A representation or limitation of a person’s physical or personality traits that are so exaggerated they become comic or absurd.

Question 16

Cacophony

Answer 16

The use of harsh, jarring, and unharmonious sounds in writing, often achieved through the repetition of consonants.

Question 17

Conceit

Answer 17

An extended, often elaborate, metaphor that compares two dissimilar things, frequently in an unconventional or surprising way.

Question 18

Consonance

Answer 18

Consonance is the repetition of a consonant sound. Consonance occurs when sounds, not letters, repeat.

Question 19

Characterization

Answer 19

The creation of imaginary persons so that they seem alike.

The portrayal in a story of an imaginary person by what he says or does, by what others say about him or how they react to him, and by what the author reveals directly or through a narrator.

Question 20

Caesura

Answer 20

A break or pause within a line of verse.

Question 21

Cliché

Answer 21

A word or phrase that is overused so that it is no longer effective in most writing situations.

Question 22

Colloquial

Answer 22

Informal everyday spoken language.

Question 23

Character Foil

Answer 23

A character with a personality trait that contrasts with a trait of another character.

Question 24

Climax

Answer 24

The high point or turning point in the story.

The point of highest interest or dramatic intensity in a story, usually it marks the turning point in the story, since the reader is no longer in doubt about the outcome.

Question 25

Coherence

Answer 25

The parts of a composition which should be arranged in a logical and orderly manner so that the meaning and ideas are clear and well understood. ## Footnote Writing, moving logically and clearly from one idea to another; the arrangement of ideas in a clear order so that one idea moves smoothly to the next.

Question 26

Conflict

Answer 26

The problem, or struggle that the characters have to solve or come to grips with by the end of the story. ## Footnote The struggle between two opposing forces, ideas, or beliefs which form the basis of a story's plot. The conflict is resolved when one force - usually the protagonist - succeeds or fails in overcoming the opposing force or gives up trying.

Question 27

Connotation

Answer 27

The emotions and feeling that surround a word. They could be negative, neutral, or positive, depending on their context. ## Footnote An emotional coloration/association in addition to the explicit or denotative meaning of any specific word or phrase.

Question 28

Context

Answer 28

The environment of a word, the words that surround a particular word and help to determine or deepen its meaning.

Question 29

Couplet

Answer 29

In poetry, two consecutive lines that rhyme.

Question 30

Critique

Answer 30

A critical examination of a work to determine how it measures up to current standards.

Question 31

Denotation

Answer 31

The literal or basic meaning of a word. ## Footnote The precise, literal meaning of a word or expression (the dictionary meaning) as opposed to a possible connotative meaning.

Question 32

Denouement

Answer 32

The resolution and the outcome of the play. ## Footnote The unraveling of the plot of a story, following the climax, in which the writer explains how and why everything turned out as it did...falling action.

Question 33

Dialogue

Answer 33

The conversation between two or more characters.

Question 34

Dialect

Answer 34

The language used in a particular region. The vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation which varies between different regions.

Question 35

Diction

Answer 35

The writer's choice of words based on their clarity and effectiveness.

Question 36

Drama

Answer 36

A story told by actors who play characters and reveal the conflict through their actions and dialogue.

Question 37

Editorial

Answer 37

A short essay in a newspaper that expresses a writer's opinion.

Question 38

Euphony

Answer 38

The pleasing and harmonious arrangement of sounds, creating a musical or melodious effect.

Question 39

Elegy

Answer 39

A formal poem that meditates on death or another solemn theme. ## Footnote A sad or mournful poem, especially one mourning the dead.

Question 40

Empathy

Answer 40

When you put yourself in someone else's place and imagine how that person must feel.

Question 41

Epic

Answer 41

A long narrative poem about the deeds of a great hero that reflects the values of the society that it is produced in.

Question 42

Epitaph

Answer 42

A short verse or poem in memory of someone, often found on tombstones.

Question 43

Eulogy

Answer 43

A formal speech praising a person or a thing.

Question 44

Enjambment

Answer 44

When the writer uses line breaks meaningfully and abruptly to either emphasize a point or to create dual meanings.

Question 45

Euphemism

Answer 45

When you replace a word meaning or phrase in order to avoid being offensive.

Question 46

Exposition

Answer 46

The introductory section of a play or novel that provides background information of the setting, characters and plot.

Question 47

Fable

Answer 47

A brief story that uses animals as characters to teach a moral lesson.

Question 48

Falling Action

Answer 48

The last section of a play where the final decision has occurred after the climax.

Question 49

Flashback

Answer 49

A device by which a writer interrupts the main action of a story to recreate a situation or incident of an earlier time as though it were occurring in the present. ## Footnote Insertion of a scene or event that took place in the past for the purpose of making something in the present more clear.

Question 50

Flat Character

Answer 50

A character presented in outline (one or two traits), somewhat stereotyped; easy to describe.

Question 51

Farce

Answer 51

Writing that essentially was only created to make the reader laugh, less plot and characters being involved in improbable situations.

Question 52

Figurative Language

Answer 52

Expressive language that is written to create a special effect of feeling. ## Footnote Imagination is needed to complete meaning.

Question 53

Foil

Answer 53

The term is applied to any person who, through contrast, underscores the distinctive characteristics of another. ## Footnote Two characters that highlight each other by their differences.

Question 54

Foreshadowing

Answer 54

The suggestion or hint of events to come later in literary work. ## Footnote The dropping of important hints by the author to prepare the reader for what is to come and to help the reader anticipate the outcome.

Question 55

Free Verse

Answer 55

A verse, written without rhyme, meter or regular rhythm.

Question 56

Genre

Answer 56

Type / Form of literature.

Question 57

Hamartia

Answer 57

The error, mistaken judgement where the fortunes of the tragic hero are reversed.

Question 58

Heroic Couplet

Answer 58

Two consecutive lines of rhymed verse written in iambic pentameter.

Question 59

Hyperbole

Answer 59

A type of figurative language that makes an overstatement for the purpose of emphasis. ## Footnote A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor.

Question 60

Iambic Pentameter

Answer 60

A line of poetry that contains five iambic feet. An iambic is a foot consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented syllable.

Question 61

Imagery

Answer 61

The use of descriptive words or phrases to create vivid mental pictures in the minds of the reader, often appealing to sight, sound, taste or smell. ## Footnote A general term for any representation of a particular thing with its attendant and evocative detail. Imagery in writing can involve any of the senses: touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing. Imagery is achieved through the use of descriptive detail that often utilizes various forms of figurative language.

Question 62

Idiom

Answer 62

An accepted phrase or expression having a meaning different from the literal.

Question 63

Irony

Answer 63

A mode of expression in which the author says one thing and means the opposite. The term also applies to a situation, or the outcome of an event, (or series of events), that is the opposite of what might be expected or considered appropriate. ## Footnote There is verbal, situational, and dramatic irony.

Question 64

Dramatic Irony

Answer 64

When the audience knows more than the characters on the stage, creating tension.

Question 65

Situational Irony

Answer 65

A situation or event that occurs opposite to what was expected.

Question 66

Verbal Irony

Answer 66

The expression of an attitude or intention that is the opposite of what is actually meant.

Question 67

Indirect Characterization

Answer 67

The character's traits and nature are revealed by the author through dialogue or action; it is considered the best form of characterization.

Question 68

Juxtaposition

Answer 68

An act or instance of placing two things close together or side by side. This is often done in order to compare/contrast the two, to show similarities or differences, etc. It has a quality of being unexpected. ## Footnote Placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast.

Question 69

Jargon

Answer 69

The specialized language used by people in a particular occupation or group.

Question 70

Legend

Answer 70

A narrative or tradition handed down from the past; distinguished from a myth by having more historical truth and perhaps less of the supernatural.

Question 71

Limerick

Answer 71

A form of light verse that follows a definite rhyme scheme where the first, second and fifth lines rhyme and the third and fourth lines rhyme.

Question 72

Lyric

Answer 72

A short poem that expresses the personal feelings and thoughts of a single speaker.

Question 73

Malapropism

Answer 73

When two words become jumbled in the mind of the speaker because they resemble each other and he/she uses the wrong one.

Question 74

Melodrama

Answer 74

An exaggerated, sensational form of drama which is intended to appeal to the emotions of the audience.

Question 75

Metaphor

Answer 75

A comparison of two dissimilar things.

Question 76

Direct Metaphor

Answer 76

When the writer directly states both of the things being compared in the metaphor.

Question 77

Indirect Metaphor

Answer 77

When the writer states one of the things and the reader must infer the metaphor.

Question 78

Meter

Answer 78

A pattern of stressed/unstressed syllables in poetry.

Question 79

Metonymy

Answer 79

A figure of speech that uses a physical object to embody a more general idea (eg. “the crown” refers to the king; “the White House” refers to the U.S. government)

Question 80

Mood

Answer 80

The feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader. ## Footnote The frame of mind or state of feeling created by a piece of writing.

Question 81

Moral

Answer 81

The lesson taught by a literary work.

Question 82

Motif

Answer 82

Recurring ideas, images and actions that tend to unify the writing. ## Footnote A recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature.

Question 83

Myth

Answer 83

A traditional story that presents supernatural beings and situations that attempt to explain and/or interpret.

Question 84

Narration

Answer 84

An account or story of an event, or series of events, whether true or imaginary.

Question 85

Novel

Answer 85

Fictional and lengthy.

Question 86

Objective

Answer 86

When a writer makes every attempt to simply present the facts, without opinion or bias.

Question 87

Onomatopoeia

Answer 87

A type of figurative language in which words sound like the things they name. ## Footnote When the words sound like what they mean.

Question 88

Oxymoron

Answer 88

A self-contradicting combination of words. ## Footnote An expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined.

Question 89

Pathos

Answer 89

That quality in prose that evokes in the reader a feeling of pity and compassion.

Question 90

Parable

Answer 90

A short story descriptive story whose purpose is to illustrate a lesson or moral.

Question 91

Pathetic Fallacy

Answer 91

The attribution of human emotion to inanimate objects, nature, or animals. Writers use the pathetic fallacy to evoke a specific mood or feeling that usually reflects their own or a character's internal state. Pathetic fallacy examples: The sun was smiling down upon him. The raindrops wept around her.

Question 92

Paradox

Answer 92

A statement that at first seems contradictory, but in fact, reveals a truth. ## Footnote An apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth.

Question 93

Parody

Answer 93

When a writer imitates an already existing form for the purpose of humour.

Question 94

Personification

Answer 94

A type of figurative language that gives living characteristics to non-living things. ## Footnote Representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature.

Question 95

Plot

Answer 95

The action of a story, all of the events that occur from the beginning to the end.

Question 96

First Person

Answer 96

When a character in the story tells the story using 'I' or 'WE'.

Question 97

Second Person

Answer 97

Used in nonfiction, primarily for the purpose of writing instruction or directions, using 'YOU'.

Question 98

Third Person

Answer 98

When the narrator is telling the events from 'outside' the story from a neutral or unemotional viewpoint, using 'HE', 'SHE'.

Question 99

Omniscient

Answer 99

When the narrator can see into the hearts and minds of more than one of the characters in the story.

Question 100

Limited Omniscient

Answer 100

When the narrator can see into the mind and heart of only one of the characters in the story.

Question 101

Protagonist

Answer 101

The main character in a piece of writing, the action revolves around this person and the antagonist (opposing force).

Question 102

Pseudonym

Answer 102

Means 'false name' and is used by some writers instead of their real name.

Question 103

Pun

Answer 103

A word or phrase which has a 'double meaning' as intended by the writer. Often these words sound the same but have different meanings. ## Footnote A play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings.

Question 104

Realism

Answer 104

The faithful portrayal of people, scenes, and events as they are, not as the writer would like them to be.

Question 105

Repetition

Answer 105

Repeating a word or a group of words for emphasizing, and to add effect.

Question 106

Resolution

Answer 106

The events following the climax in a work of fiction; sometimes called the falling action.

Question 107

Rhetorical Question

Answer 107

A question asked only to add effect or to make a statement.

Question 108

Rising Action

Answer 108

The portion of the story after the initial incident, where the action is complicated by the opposing forces ending with the climax. The rising action also moves the story along and the plot becomes more complicated because of it.

Question 109

Round Character

Answer 109

A complex character, like a real person- possessing both good and bad qualities- not stereotyped.

Question 110

Satire

Answer 110

A type of writing that uses humor, irony or wit to make a point, and add effect.

Question 111

Simile

Answer 111

A comparison using 'LIKE' or 'AS'. ## Footnote A figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds, usually formed with 'like' or 'as'.

Question 112

Soliloquy

Answer 112

A long speech given by a character alone on stage that reveals their innermost thoughts and feelings.

Question 113

Stereotype

Answer 113

A 'stock' character in a story, presented according to certain widely accepted ideas of how such a person should look, think, or act.

Question 114

Structure

Answer 114

The organization or planned framework that a writer creates for their work.

Question 115

Style

Answer 115

The distinctive manner in which a writer uses language, her conscious choice and arrangement of words.

Question 116

Subjective

Answer 116

When a writer inserts an opinion or bias into his/her work.

Question 117

Symbolism

Answer 117

An object that stands for, or represents an idea, belief, superstition, social or political institution.

Question 118

Synecdoche

Answer 118

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole or when the whole represents the part.

Question 119

Syntax

Answer 119

The arrangement of words within a phrase or sentence. Factors such as the type of sentence, the length of sentence, use of punctuation and the use of language patterns can all contribute to an affected use of syntax.

Question 120

Theme

Answer 120

The central idea, general truth, or commentary on life or people brought out through a story.

Question 121

Tone

Answer 121

The feeling conveyed by the author's attitude toward his subject.

Question 122

What is an object that stands for, or represents an idea, belief, superstition, social or political institution?

Answer 122

A symbol. ## Footnote Example: A dove often represents peace.

Question 123

What is synecdoche?

Answer 123

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole or when the whole represents the part.

Question 124

What is syntax?

Answer 124

The arrangement of words within a phrase or sentence, influenced by factors such as sentence type, length, punctuation, and language patterns.

Question 125

What is theme?

Answer 125

The central idea, general truth, or commentary on life or people brought out through a story.

Question 126

What is tone?

Answer 126

The feeling conveyed by the author's attitude toward his subject and the particular way in which he writes about it.

Question 127

What is unity in literary work?

Answer 127

An arrangement of parts that produces a single, harmonious design or effect.

Question 128

What is a writer's voice?

Answer 128

The writer's awareness and effective use of elements such as diction, tone, syntax, unity, coherence, and audience to create a distinct piece of work.