Literature Terms

A way of saying one thing and meaning something else in literature.

A lyric poem of fourteen lines whose rhyme scheme is iambic pentameter.

A figure of speech in which something nonhuman is given human characteristics.

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

a comparison is made between two unlike quantities without the use of the words "like" or "as."

A moment when a character is alone and speaks his or her thoughts aloud.

Expresses the author's attitude toward his or her subject.

A device in literature where an object represents an idea.

A figure of speech in which an overstatement or exaggeration occurs.

The audience knows something that the characters in the drama do not.

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

The dictionary definition of a word.

The author's use of figurative language, diction, sound effects and other literary devices.

The voice and implied speaker of a fictional work, to be distinguished from the author.

the sequence in which the author arranges events in a story

The result of an action is the reverse of what the character expected.

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

The emotional content of a word.

description which appeals to one or more of the senses: sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell

A literary type or form.

The hero or central character of a literary work.

A very short tale told by a character in a literary work.