HONORS Literary Terms Prep

narrator shares the thoughts and feelings of all the characters

literal meaning; dictionary definition

associated meaning or feeling of a word

to separate into parts for incpection and evaluation

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

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

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

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

the audience knows something which the characters do not

person or force which opposes the main character

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

the act of evaluating or interpreting a work

the central idea or message; gives the literary work unity

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

informal or non-standard language

highly imaginative fiction containing fantastic elements based on scientific principles

moment of sudden insight (aha!)

narrator can only express what is observable through the five senses

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

person or force which opposes the main character

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

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

allows narrator to share thoughts/feelings of only one character

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

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

environment of a word; helps deepen meaning

final outcome in a literary work

a writer's choice of words

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

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

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

an overused or unoriginal expression

not clearly stated but understood, suggested

the logical arrangement and progression of ideas in speech or writing

arrangement of words in a sentence

line of metrical writing

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

reasoning from the specific to the general

reasoning form the general to the specific

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

literal meaning; dictionary definition

memory of our past or of pre-human experience

one syllable

informal or non-standard language

a character whose actions are inspiring and courageous

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

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

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

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

a judgement based on reasoning rather than a direct statement

a character whose actions are inspiring and courageous

to separate into parts for inspection and evaluation

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

major division in a poem; resembles a paragraph

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

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

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

needless repetition

the hero or central character of a literary work