UNIT IV Literary Terms

A reference to a well-known person, place, even, or work of art

The first eight lines of a Petrarchan, or Italian sonnet

A four line poem or stanza

"word pictures", sensory details or descriptions used to help evoke an emotional response

a passage in a song or poem repeated at regular intervals

a medieval entertainer who told or sang ballads

a statement that appears to be contradictory but is actually true

Poetic device of speaker talking to an inanimate object

A short, pointed statement that expresses a clever observation about human experience

Hints or clues to prepare the reader for future events in the story

A long monologue delivered by an actor on stage alone

A line spoken directly to the audience unheard by the actors on state

a tombstone inscription or brief poem composed in memory of someone who has died

emotional high point, or turning point of the plot

A highly structured fourteen line poem

The final six lines in an Italian, or Petrarchan sonnet

A contrast or discrepancy between expectation and reality

A solemn poem that laments the transcience, or fleeting quality of life

words, phrases or sentences that have similar grammatical structure and show a relationship

A poem addressed to a patron or friend (usually in the form of a letter).

Rhymed verse that was recited or sung which told a story

A brief, witty poem or saying that sums up a philosophical point.

Long narrative poem recounting in formal language the exploits of a larger-than-life character

An introduction of characters, setting, and conflict

A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion

a long serious lyric poem that is elevated in tone and style

the speaker describes a crucial moment in his/her life to a silent listener

An obvious pause in a line of poetry, creating strong rhythm

A figure of speech in which an object is given human qualities

repetition of same/similar vowel sounds in stressed syllables that end in different consonants

point in a narrative work in which the final outcome is revealed

The main idea of a literary work

A literary work in which all, or most, of the characters, settings and events are symbolic.

Something which serves as a representation on a figurative level

a statement in the form of a question to which no answer is expected

ridicules the follies of people or societies through exaggeration, underestimation, and irony

an approximate rhyme based on assonance or consonance

words with sounds that imitate or suggest their meanings

writing that tells a story-- driven by a conflict or problem

a reflection of the writer's attitude or state of emotion

composed for humorous effect, intentionally silly, witty, or whimsical

A significant phrase, description, or image that is repeated throughout a literary work

The repetition of initial sounding consonants

valued order, reason, balance, and clarity over emotion

Figure of speech in which two dissimilar things are indirectly compared to reveal a similarity

word without a clear meaning or any meaning at all

Composed of five metric units, or feet-- unstressed/stressed syllables

a novel composed of a series of letters

The qualities and personalities of persons in a story

a tombstone inscription or a brief poem composed for someone who has died