Literary Terms Grade 12

a short, clever often-paradoxical remark

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

a sudden and profound understanding of something

a category of literature or art

comes after the climax of a story

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

a speech to an object, an idea, or a person who doesn't exist as if it is a living person

a widely held but false belief or idea; a traditional story of early people

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

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

a difficult problem with no easy solution

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

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

a reference to a famous person, place or event

placing close together or side by side to emphasize a contrast

the inclusion of a humorous scene or character in a serious work, to relieve tension

the choice of words or phrases in speech or writing

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

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

a statement that contradicts itself, but may nonetheless be true

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

a work created to imitate and make fun of an original work, its author, or its subject

deliberate exaggeration

a literary work or painting idealizing the rural life (especially shepherds)

devastation; the death or moral destruction of the protagonist in a tragedy

the direct opposite of

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

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

a brief, memorable saying that expresses a truth or belief

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

pleasing sounds

an overused expression that has lost its effectiveness

the main character of a story

an opinion article on a current issue found in a newspaper

show the differences in two things

a story of someone's own life

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

pity for a character in a play, usually a tragedy

how and when the conflict in a story is solved

very informal spoken words that become temporarily popular within certain groups

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

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

the narrator knows the actions and thoughts of all the characters

a polite term to refer to something unpleasant or embarrassing

reasons and results; why things happen and the results

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

a humorous use of two meanings of one word

the narrator who uses "I"

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

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

time order

a group of lines in a poem separated by extra space

a natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick and inventive way to create humour

a complex character who does not change

a statement made by a qualified person about a technical, scientific, or professional issue

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

writing that is intended to explain or provide information

giving non-human things human characteristics

the outcome or circumstances are opposite to what would expect