Literary Terms

the word, phrase, or clause to which pronoun refers

a conclusion one draws based on premises or evidence

the art of presenting ideas in a effective manner

the moment in a work in which is a very significant change occurs

the one who tells the story (first or third person, limited or omniscient)

a situation that requires a person to decide between two things

an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off 

the presentation of material so a reader can be prepared for future work

an object that is used to represent something else

the arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work

an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

a humorous imitation of a serious work

intentional exaggeration to create an effect

a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea

the word choices made by a writer

the time place and environment in which an action takes place

the point of highest interest in a literary work

a formal speech praising person who has died

a story or narrated account

a question requiring thought to answer or understand

comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

the everyday speech of a particular country or region

 define paraphase

the implied or associative meaning of a word

an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

a central idea

earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

the attitude of a writer toward the subject or audience

the quality in a work that promise the reader to feel pity

the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work

the primary position taken by a writer or speaker

a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature

an expression in a  certain language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning

a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar

the customary way language or its elements are used

a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters

the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words

the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the sences

harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule 

harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds

a moment of sudden revelation or insight

language employing one or more figures of speech

a reference to something that the author assumes the reader will recognize

the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude

a statement of the meaning or main point of literary work

the subject treated in a paragraph or work

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

a real or fictional episode

a major category or type of literature

a comparison of two things using  "like" or "as"

the action of a narrative or drama

the vantage point from which a story is told

a characters incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner

a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds

the emotional atmosphere of a work

direct comparison of two different things

light verse consisting of five lines of regular rhythm

reflects the characteristics of romanticism (lit. movement 18th century)

use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning

the use of humor to emphasize human weakness

example of personification 

a narrative passed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural

conversation between two or more people

a work in which the protagonist is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin

a play on words

a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that reoccurs

the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group

a brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters

a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that explain natural events

long narrative poem written in elevated style about an adventure