Literary Terms

Writer's hints about events still to come in a plot

The representation of serious actions which lead to disastrous end for the protagonist

the quality of being open to more than one interpretaion; inexactness

Present action is interrupted while an earlier event is related 

The perspective of a piece of literature

Character with good traits beyond those of normal people

The presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is

When the audience knows more about the plot than the characters

Exaggeration for an effect

a long narrative poem that tells of heroes and gods

Line of action in a story

Central character creating sympathy from the audience

Comparison achieved by placing elements side-by-side

A question in which no answer is expected or the answer is obvious

Writing which is not poetry, drama, or song

story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning

Repetition of a grammatical pattern to express ideas that are related or equal in importance

Main idea of a story in a statement form

Art which ridicules individuals or groups by pointing out weaknesses

Expecting one thing when the opposite occurs

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

Play on words

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

Category of artistic work

Excessive, injurious pride

A character in a play who sets off/takes attention off the main character

A fatal weakness or ignorance in the protagonist that brings him/her to a bad end

a word or group of words in a literary work which appeal to one or more of the senses

Character with a range of traits both good and bad

Statement which initially seems contradictory but is actually true

The pattern of rhyme in an individual poem or a fixed form

a word or phrase that is so overused that it's virtually meaningless

a character or figure used to represent something else

Phrase or pair of words that seems to be contradictory

Word choice

Work that includes adventure, heroism, love, and magic or the supernatural

Line or speech spoken as if no one else on stage can hear it

Mocking imitation of an artistic work

Seeking to persuade the reader's point of view

Feeling created by a work of art