Literary Terms

the point of highest interest in a literary work

the everyday speech of a particular country or region

a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters

the art of presenting ideas in an effective manner

a conclusion one draws based on premises or evidence

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

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

use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning

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

the word, phrase, or clause to which pronoun refers

a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds

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

harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds

the vantage point from which a story is told

a situation that requires a person to decide between two things

the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group

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

light verse consisting of five lines of regular rhythm

a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar

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

the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words

a real or fictional episode

the primary position taken by a writer or speaker

the implied or associative meaning of a word

a moment of sudden revelation or insight

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

a question requiring thought to answer or understand

example of personification

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

conversation between two or more people

a humorous imitation of a serious work

long narrative poem written in elevated style about an adventure

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

a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that reoccurs

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

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

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

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

a formal speech praising person who has died

intentional exaggeration to create an effect

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

a story or narrated account

the subject treated in a paragraph or work

a central idea

an object that is used to represent something else

the customary way language or its elements are used

the attitude of a writer toward the subject or audience

the time, place, and environment in which an action takes place

a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea

an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

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

the use of humor to emphasize human weakness

language employing one or more figures of speech

a play on words

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

a constructed set of reasons with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.

the emotional atmosphere of a work

the action of a narrative or drama

comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

a major category or type of literature

the word choices made by a writer

a character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner

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

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

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

define paraphrase

harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule

earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

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

the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude

direct comparison of two different things