Literary Terms

Line of action in a story

Word choice

Mocking imitation of an artistic work

Excessive, injurious pride

a word or group of words in a literary work which appeal to one or more of the senses

Present action is interrupted while an earlier event is related 

Writer's hints about events still to come in a plot

Phrase or pair of words that seems to be contradictory

the method a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character in a literary work

Repetition of a grammatical pattern to express ideas that are related or equal in importance

a word or phrase that is so overused that it's virtually meaningless

A question in which no answer is expected or the answer is obvious

A fatal weakness or ignorance in the protagonist that brings him/her to a bad end

a character or figure used to represent something else

Expecting one thing when the opposite occurs

The representation of serious actions which lead to disastrous end for the protagonist

Work that includes adventure, heroism, love, and magic or the supernatural

Seeking to persuade the reader's point of view

Line or speech spoken as if no one else on stage can hear it

Character with good traits beyond those of normal people

Character with a range of traits both good and bad

Comparison achieved by placing elements side-by-side

Art which ridicules individuals or groups by pointing out weaknesses

the quality of being open to more than one interpretaion; inexactness

Play on words

Statement which initially seems contradictory but is actually true

The presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is

Writing which is not poetry, drama, or song

The pattern of rhyme in an individual poem or a fixed form

The perspective of a piece of literature

When the audience knows more about the plot than the characters

Exaggeration for an effect

A character in a play who sets off/takes attention off the main character

Category of artistic work

Feeling created by a work of art

Main idea of a story in a statement form

Central character creating sympathy from the audience

story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning

A reference in one literary work to a character or theme found in another literary work

a long narrative poem that tells of heroes and gods