AP Lit Literary Terms #3

Anachronism

assignment of something to a time when it was not in existence

Bestiary

type of literature (especially popular during the medieval period) in which the habits of beasts, birds, and reptiles are used for allegorical and mystical Christian teachings

Conceit

exaggerated, unusual comparison between two unlike objects

Deus ex machina

employment of some unexpected and improbable incident in a story or play to make things turn out right

Epigram

any very short, highly polished verse or saying usually ending in a witty turn

Epithet

word or phrase used to point out a characteristic of a person or thing

Flashback

interruption of the narrative to show an episode that happened before the story opens

Homily

form of religious instruction given by a minister – gives practical moral counsel rather than doctrine

Interior monologue

character on any one level or on combinations of several levels of consciousness, reaching downward to the nonverbalized level where images represent sensations or emotions

Direct Interior monologue

where author/narrator seems not to exist and the interior self of the character is given directly

Indirect Interior monologue

where author/narrator clearly serves as a selector, presenter, guide, commentator

Motif

a recurring element (images, words, objects, phrases, actions) that serves to unify a novel