Literary Terms 1

a term used to describe a literary work that is creative, innovative, and experimental

a long, narrative poem about the adventures of gods or of a hero

a story with a hidden meaning beneath its surface

a long, florid poem usually denoting the death of a friend or notable person

a person or animal who takes part in the action of a literary work

any work that pulls apart the conventions of a genre and shows them in a new light

a line that concludes with a break in the meter and in the meaning. 

poetry not written in a regular rhythmical pattern, or meter

the main opponent of the protagonist in a literary work

the high point of emotional intensity in a work of literature

the act of creating and developing acharacter. 

the treatment of horrific or sinister subjects in a humorous way

poem with a shape that suggests its subject

writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally

a passing reference to something or someone outside the immediate scope of the work

a pair of rhyming verse lines equal in length

a simile or metaphor, often fantastic, used to explain an idea or opinion

literary techniques that involve surprising,interesting, or amusing contradictions

sounds like ordinary speech and is often used in drama and poetry. 

an appeal to a Muse or other divine being forhelp in writing a poem

a section that interrupts the sequence of events to relate an event from an earlier time

usually a character that embodies a universal concept or idea 

the spoken words used by interacting characters

a lengthy comparison

word choice

the repetition of vowel sounds in stressed syllables containing dissimilar consonant sounds

verse that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker

any rhymed pair of lines in iambic pentameter

an association that a word calls to mind in addition to its dictionary/literal meaning

highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life

a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a hidden message

the descriptive language used to re-create sensory experiences

the character whose actions are inspiring or noble; often struggle to overcome foes

a metaphorical phrase, used in Anglo-Saxon poetry to replace a concrete noun

the repetition of initial consonant sounds

a natural pause, or break, in the middle of a line of poetry

the use of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur

a symbolic figure or shape presented through the arrangement of the lines of a poem

prose writing about imaginary characters and events

a folk song and/or poem that tells a story of an incident, usually tragic

a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the senses

a struggle between opposing forces; can be internal or external

poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter lines

a detailed examination covering all aspects of a work

the complete writings on, or attributed to, a subject recognized as authentic. 

a generally humorous verse form of five lines

a poetic line consisting of 5 ft lines;each ft consists of 1 unstressed and 1 stressed syllable

the repetition of consonant sounds in stressed syllables containing dissimilar vowel sounds:

this philosophy’s basic tenet is that people create their own fate by how they live