Literary Terms Grade 12

the direct opposite of

placing close together or side by side to emphasize a contrast

a group of lines in a poem separated by extra space

deliberate exaggeration

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

giving non-human things human characteristics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

time order

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

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

very informal spoken words that become temporarily popular within certain groups

words written on a gravestone

an opinion article on a current issue found in a newspaper

writing with a repetitive grammatical structure

descriptive language that helps the reader "see"

the preface or introduction to a literary work

a polite term to refer to something unpleasant or embarrassing

how and when the conflict in a story is solved

a complex character who does not change

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

an overused expression that has lost its effectiveness

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

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

the main character of a story

a difficult problem with no easy solution

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

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

a story of someone's own life

the narrator who uses "I"

pity for a character in a play, usually a tragedy

reasons and results; why things happen and the results

a brief, memorable saying that expresses a truth or belief

the outcome or circumstances are opposite to what would expect

a sudden and profound understanding of something

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

a statement that contradicts itself, but may nonetheless be true

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

two lines of poetry that rhyme and have the same rhythm

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

a category of literature or art

in the plot, the one against the main character

a point of view seldom used in literature

a reference to a famous person, place or event

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

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

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

language with a precise, clear meaning

pleasing sounds

the voice in a poem

a four line stanza, especially one with a rhyme scheme

writing that is intended to explain or provide information

harsh, unpleasant-sounding words

show the differences in two things

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

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

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

comes after the climax of a story

the choice of words or phrases in speech or writing

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

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

the narrator knows the actions and thoughts of all the characters

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

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

a short, clever often-paradoxical remark

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

a humorous use of two meanings of one word

used for "mind control"

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

picture stories

a type of poetry with no fixed structure

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

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