HONORS Literary Terms Prep

the central idea or message; gives the literary work unity

a figure of speech in which something nonhuman is given human characteristics

major division in a poem; resembles a paragraph

the result of an action is the reverse of what is expected

a character whose actions are inspiring and courageous

literal meaning; dictionary definition

reasoning from the specific to the general

memory of our past or of pre-human experience

narrator shares the thoughts and feelings of all the characters

not clearly stated but understood, suggested

a reference in a literary work to mythology, history, religion or another literary work

allows narrator to share thoughts/feelings of only one character

writing that makes connections between results (effects) and the events that came before (cause)

written evaluation of a work of art, performance, or literary work

associated meaning or feeling of a word

protagonist that has the opposite of most of the traditional characteristics of a hero

needless repetition

protagonist that has the opposite of most of the traditional characteristics of a hero

an overused or unoriginal expression

informal or non-standard language

modification or exclusion of works to meet predetermined standards of political, social or moral acceptability

language used to degrade someone or something which is regarded as holy or sacred

the character who speaks, or narrates, a poem; the voice assumed by the writer

line of metrical writing

the logical arrangement and progression of ideas in speech or writing

literal meaning; dictionary definition

a type of drama in which the protagonist suffers a fall in fortune because of a flaw

environment of a word; helps deepen meaning

the contrast between the literal meaning of what is said and what is meant

informal or non-standard language

art of rendering speech or writing into another language or modern speech

highly imaginative fiction containing fantastic elements based on scientific principles

meter of poetry (typical in Shakespeare), written in lines consisting of two syllables each, the second syllable stresse

person or force which opposes the main character

a judgement based on reasoning rather than a direct statement

to separate into parts for incpection and evaluation

omission of one or more words (signaled by three dots) for conciseness or drama

final outcome in a literary work

reasoning form the general to the specific

verbal irony designed to ridicule its subject or to arose contempt (Greek "to tear flesh")

arrangement of words in a sentence

a character who sets off the main character or other characters in comparison

the sentence that directly expresses the write's opinion, purpose in expository writing

the structure of a narrative; the sequence in which the writer arranges events

moment of sudden insight (aha!)

one syllable

person or force which opposes the main character

a character in the story who speaks using "I"; character's point of view

narrator can only express what is observable through the five senses

method used to build suspense by providing hints of what is to come

the audience knows something which the characters do not

the act of evaluating or interpreting a work

to separate into parts for inspection and evaluation

a character whose actions are inspiring and courageous

the hero or central character of a literary work

a figure of speech which compares two unlike quantities using "like" or "as"

a writer's choice of words

a writer's use of figurative language, diction, and other literary devices

form of the expression involving something that is different of what is actually stated.