Literary Terms

the time place and environment in which an action takes place

a central idea

an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off 

the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group

a major category or type of literature

conversation between two or more people

the moment in a work in which is a very significant change occurs

a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea

the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude

the presentation of material so a reader can be prepared for future work

 define paraphase

direct comparison of two different things

the action of a narrative or drama

reflects the characteristics of romanticism (lit. movement 18th century)

long narrative poem written in elevated style about an adventure

the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work

the vantage point from which a story is told

light verse consisting of five lines of regular rhythm

a characters incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner

the primary position taken by a writer or speaker

the one who tells the story (first or third person, limited or omniscient)

a work in which the protagonist is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin

an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

example of personification 

an object that is used to represent something else

a question requiring thought to answer or understand

the everyday speech of a particular country or region

a humorous imitation of a serious work

the attitude of a writer toward the subject or audience

a comparison of two things using  "like" or "as"

comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters

the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the sences

a formal speech praising person who has died

a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature

a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds

a moment of sudden revelation or insight

the quality in a work that promise the reader to feel pity

a play on words

the word choices made by a writer

a brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters

language employing one or more figures of speech

the implied or associative meaning of a word

the word, phrase, or clause to which pronoun refers

an expression in a  certain language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning

a real or fictional episode

earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

the customary way language or its elements are used

an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

a story or narrated account

the art of presenting ideas in a effective manner

a narrative passed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural

the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words

a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that explain natural events

the subject treated in a paragraph or work

harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds

a statement of the meaning or main point of literary work

use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning

a conclusion one draws based on premises or evidence

a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that reoccurs

the emotional atmosphere of a work

a situation that requires a person to decide between two things

a reference to something that the author assumes the reader will recognize

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

the arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work

a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar

the point of highest interest in a literary work

intentional exaggeration to create an effect

an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule 

the use of humor to emphasize human weakness