HONORS Literary Terms Prep

a writer's choice of words

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

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

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

moment of sudden insight (aha!)

major division in a poem; resembles a paragraph

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

needless repetition

arrangement of words in a sentence

a judgement based on reasoning rather than a direct statement

a character whose actions are inspiring and courageous

the central idea or message; gives the literary work unity

final outcome in a literary work

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

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

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

person or force which opposes the main character

associated meaning or feeling of a word

informal or non-standard language

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

highly imaginative fiction containing fantastic elements based on scientific principles

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

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

a character whose actions are inspiring and courageous

line of metrical writing

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

not clearly stated but understood, suggested

an overused or unoriginal expression

memory of our past or of pre-human experience

one syllable

informal or non-standard language

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

reasoning from the specific to the general

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

the audience knows something which the characters do not

to separate into parts for incpection and evaluation

environment of a word; helps deepen meaning

literal meaning; dictionary definition

the logical arrangement and progression of ideas in speech or writing

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

the act of evaluating or interpreting a work

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

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

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

reasoning form the general to the specific

literal meaning; dictionary definition

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

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

allows narrator to share thoughts/feelings of only one character

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

the hero or central character of a literary work

person or force which opposes the main character

narrator shares the thoughts and feelings of all the characters

to separate into parts for inspection and evaluation

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

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

narrator can only express what is observable through the five senses

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

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