HONORS Literary Terms Prep

a writer's choice of words

person or force which opposes the main character

to separate into parts for inspection and evaluation

highly imaginative fiction containing fantastic elements based on scientific principles

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

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

literal meaning; dictionary definition

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

a judgement based on reasoning rather than a direct statement

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

associated meaning or feeling of a word

reasoning form the general to the specific

person or force which opposes the main character

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

an overused or unoriginal expression

the act of evaluating or interpreting a work

major division in a poem; resembles a paragraph

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

a character whose actions are inspiring and courageous

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

narrator can only express what is observable through the five senses

the hero or central character of a literary work

moment of sudden insight (aha!)

arrangement of words in a sentence

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

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

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

memory of our past or of pre-human experience

needless repetition

reasoning from the specific to the general

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

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

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

not clearly stated but understood, suggested

the central idea or message; gives the literary work unity

the logical arrangement and progression of ideas in speech or writing

the audience knows something which the characters do not

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

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

allows narrator to share thoughts/feelings of only one character

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

informal or non-standard language

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

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

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

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

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

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

to separate into parts for incpection and evaluation

line of metrical writing

a character whose actions are inspiring and courageous

narrator shares the thoughts and feelings of all the characters

literal meaning; dictionary definition

one syllable

informal or non-standard language

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

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

environment of a word; helps deepen meaning

final outcome in a literary work