World Literature Terms 2020

the "big idea" communicated by a narrative or poem

language that appeals to the five senses

a device which causes a story-within-a-story

two characters with many similarities in situation but differences in personality; they serve to contrast each other

When a work's author is unknown, it is considered

excessive pride

a poem exploring emotion

a comparison between unlike things using like, as, or than

one who subverts traditional ideas and forms

definition by negation

writing in paragraph form

when a plot begins "in the middle of things"

exaggeration for effect

repetition of phrases at the beginning of a poetic line

In Hinduism, one's duties and responsibilities

a division into two distinct parts

an opening section to a long narrative

a long poem celebrating the deeds of a hero

a literary nickname; extra information attached to a character's name

the voice of a poem

The idea that one's actions affect their current and future lives

a direct address to an abstraction or to an absent or dead person

repetition of consonant sounds

a device which brings an unlikely resolution to a problem in a narrative

when the audience knows more than the characters in a narrative

a tragic hero's flaw, in Greek

using the same word multiple times within a work

poetic lines

In Ancient Greek drama, the mask actors wear

a super-symbol whose meaning is understood among people of many cultures and eras

narratives that are passed on via oral tradition

a device to assist the memory