12th Grade Literary Terms

background information provided to a reader at the beginning of a story

a story of someone's own life

these words are no longer in everyday use or have lost a particular meaning in current usage

reasons and results; why things happen and the results

a polite term to refer to something unpleasant or embarrassing

a long poem narrating the deeds and adventures of legendary historical figures

an overused expression that has lost its effectiveness

technical or professional language that is often not understood by ordinary people

the outcome or circumstances are opposite to what would expect

the main character of a story

using an object or word to represent an abstract idea, mood, or emotion

the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize stupidity or vices

a style of writing that teaches a lesson, usually a moral one

a question that is asked in order to make a point rather than to elicit an answer

a word that suggests or implies another meaning besides the literal one

the language used by the people of a specific area, class, district or group of people

a group of lines in a poem separated by extra space

a hint of what is to come later in a story or movie (usually something bad)

very informal spoken words that become temporarily popular within certain groups

the choice of words or phrases in speech or writing

a complex character who does not change

the individual style of an author including diction, dialogue, and character development

the narrator knows the actions and thoughts of all the characters

a cartoon-like image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way

deliberate exaggeration

Convenient, implausible plot twist that saves the day

prejudice in favour of one thing, person, or group compared with another

Oversimplified image of a person or group

art or literature in which people, things or events have a hidden or symbolic meaning

pity for a character in a play, usually a tragedy

show the differences in two things

A perfect society

a difficult problem with no easy solution

an expression or spoken words of lesser strength than would be expected, in that situation

an important idea or human issue writers and artists explore through their work

a sudden and profound understanding of something

time order

a comparison of one thing to another thing that is quite different

writing that is intended to explain or provide information

a statement that contradicts itself, but may nonetheless be true

a category of literature or art

to believe unfairly that all people of a group are the same

a reference to a famous person, place or event

a seeming contradiction which reveals some element of truth

giving non-human things human characteristics

a humorous use of two meanings of one word

the direct opposite of

how and when the conflict in a story is solved

placing close together or side by side to emphasize a contrast

an opinion article on a current issue found in a newspaper