Literary Terms Grade 12

a fourteen-line poem with a rhyme scheme and iambic pentameter

picture stories

very informal spoken words that become temporarily popular within certain groups

a difficult problem with no easy solution

descriptive language that helps the reader "see"

prejudice in favour of one thing, person, or group compared with another

the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize stupidity or vices

the narrator who uses "I"

writing with a repetitive grammatical structure

deliberate exaggeration

an overused expression that has lost its effectiveness

a style of writing that teaches a lesson, usually a moral one

a reference to a famous person, place or event

the main character of a story

in the plot, the one against the main character

a group of lines in a poem separated by extra space

these words are no longer in everyday use or have lost a particular meaning in current usage

a complex character who does not change

a question that is asked in order to make a point rather than to elicit an answer

devastation; the death or moral destruction of the protagonist in a tragedy

a polite term to refer to something unpleasant or embarrassing

a widely held but false belief or idea; a traditional story of early people

an important idea or human issue writers and artists explore through their work

to believe unfairly that all people of a group are the same

the individual style of an author including diction, dialogue, and character development

a cartoon-like image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way

a brief, memorable saying that expresses a truth or belief

placing close together or side by side to emphasize a contrast

show the differences in two things

technical or professional language that is often not understood by ordinary people

language with a precise, clear meaning

the repetition of consonant sounds at the ends of words "east west"

art or literature in which people, things or events have a hidden or symbolic meaning

harsh, unpleasant-sounding words

time order

the repetition of vowel sounds in a line of poetry or sentence

the outcome or circumstances are opposite to what would expect

the direct opposite of

a long poem narrating the deeds and adventures of legendary historical figures

pity for a character in a play, usually a tragedy

using an object or word to represent an abstract idea, mood, or emotion

words written on a gravestone

a comparison of one thing to another thing that is quite different

the stressed and unstressed syllabic pattern in a verse or within the lines of a poem

a statement made by a qualified person about a technical, scientific, or professional issue

reasons and results; why things happen and the results

a four line stanza, especially one with a rhyme scheme

a speech to an object, an idea, or a person who doesn't exist as if it is a living person

a hint of what is to come later in a story or movie (usually something bad)

the language used by the people of a specific area, class, district or group of people

a long narrative poem of folk origin and intended to be sung, with simple stanzas and a refrain

writing that is intended to explain or provide information

pleasing sounds

a natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick and inventive way to create humour

an opinion article on a current issue found in a newspaper

the voice in a poem

a short, clever often-paradoxical remark

used for "mind control"

a sudden and profound understanding of something

a statement that contradicts itself, but may nonetheless be true

a literary work or painting idealizing the rural life (especially shepherds)

a story of someone's own life

the narrator knows the actions and thoughts of all the characters

the inclusion of a humorous scene or character in a serious work, to relieve tension

a category of literature or art

background information provided to a reader at the beginning of a story

two lines of poetry that rhyme and have the same rhythm

an expression or spoken words of lesser strength than would be expected, in that situation

how and when the conflict in a story is solved

a work created to imitate and make fun of an original work, its author, or its subject

one of the most common poetic devices, used to stress something

comes after the climax of a story

a word that suggests or implies another meaning besides the literal one

not a good way to make an argument in a researched, expository essay

the preface or introduction to a literary work

the choice of words or phrases in speech or writing

giving non-human things human characteristics

a type of poetry with no fixed structure

a point of view seldom used in literature

a humorous use of two meanings of one word