Literature Terms

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

The hero or central character of a literary work.

A figure of speech in which an overstatement or exaggeration occurs.

The result of an action is the reverse of what the character expected.

A lyric poem of fourteen lines whose rhyme scheme is iambic pentameter.

A way of saying one thing and meaning something else in literature.

A literary type or form.

The voice and implied speaker of a fictional work, to be distinguished from the author.

The dictionary definition of a word.

A very short tale told by a character in a literary work.

Expresses the author's attitude toward his or her subject.

The method a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character in a literary work.

A reference in one literary work to a character or theme found in another literary work.

The audience knows something that the characters in the drama do not.

the sequence in which the author arranges events in a story

description which appeals to one or more of the senses: sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell

A device in literature where an object represents an idea.

The author's use of figurative language, diction, sound effects and other literary devices.

A figure of speech in which something nonhuman is given human characteristics.

A moment when a character is alone and speaks his or her thoughts aloud.

a comparison is made between two unlike quantities without the use of the words "like" or "as."

The emotional content of a word.