Literary Terms

A recurring pattern found in a work or works of literature

Historical or literary reference in a work of literature that a reader is expected to recognize

Figure of speech in which an abstract concept or an absent person is directly addressed

A story that uses symbols to teach a lesson

Smaller unit of action that plays are broken down into

Speech delivered while only one character is on stage

Person, place, or thing that has meaning in itself and also stands for something else

Humorous moment in a serious drama that temporarily relieves the mounting tension

Words spoken by one character in a play that the other characters supposedly do not hear

A figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things

The central idea or insight of a work of literature

Creative, non-literal language that creates powerful images in the reader's mind

a statement that seems to be contradictory but is actually true

Figure of speech in which two things are compared using "like" or "as"

Figure of speech in which something is grossly exaggerated for emphasis

Figure of speech in which an inanimate object is given human qualities or characteristics

Phrases that recreate a sound, sight, smell, touch, or taste by appealing to the senses

Greek term used to describe the emotional cleansing that results after watching a tragedy

Word that closely resembles the sound that the word is supposed to make

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words