Literary Terms Test

highly imaginative fiction containing fantastic elements based on scientific principles

literal meaning; dictionary definition

to separate into parts for inspection and evaluation

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

moment of sudden insight (aha!)

not clearly stated but understood, suggested

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

a character whose actions are inspiring and courageous

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

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

a writer's choice of words

line of metrical writing

to separate into parts for incpection and evaluation

associated meaning or feeling of a word

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

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

needless repetition

informal or non-standard language

a judgement based on reasoning rather than a direct statement

narrator can only express what is observable through the five senses

the logical arrangement and progression of ideas in speech or writing

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

major division in a poem; resembles a paragraph

environment of a word; helps deepen meaning

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

reasoning from the specific to the general

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

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

memory of our past or of pre-human experience

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

the hero or central character of a literary work

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

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

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

person or force which opposes the main character

a figure of speech in which some significant aspect or detail of an experience is used to represent the whole experience

an overused or unoriginal expression

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

narrator shares the thoughts and feelings of all the characters

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

allows narrator to share thoughts/feelings of only one character

the audience knows something which the characters do not

the act of evaluating or interpreting a work

final outcome in a literary work

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

one syllable

reasoning form the general to the specific

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

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

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

arrangement of words in a sentence

the central idea or message; gives the literary work unity

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

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

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