Literary Terms #1 (Simplified)

allegory

story that carries a deeper meaning below the surface

alliteration

reoccurence of the same letter/sound in a sentence

allusion

indirect reference to another literary work

antagonist

character that opposes the protagonist

apostrophe

a pause to address a person directly

assonance

repetition of similar vowel sounds in words close together

ballad

narrative poem adapted for recitation/singing

bildungsroman

novel about a person’s formative years

blank verse

unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter

caesura

a stop/pause in a metrical line

canon

a collection of texts that are exceptional and worthy of study

catharsis

powerful feelings elicited from a piece of literature

climax

turning point of the action of the plot of a play/story

coming of age

focuses on the growth of a protagonist from childhood to adulthood

conceit

an unsual, elaborate, or startling analogy

connotation

a suggested, implied, or evocative meaning

denotation

use of the literal meaning of a word to emphasize a specific fact

couplet

2 lines of verse that form a unit

denouement

the final unraveling of the main dramatic complications in a work of literature

deus ex machina

conflict resolved through means that seems unrelated to the story

diction

the distinctive vocabulary of a particular author

dramatic irony

the audience knows something of significance regarding the plot (1+ characters don’t know)

elegy

meditative poem that deals with serious subjects & alludes to mythology

end-stopped/enjabment

continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, etc.

epic

a grand, narrative poem about about the brave deeds of ancient heroes

exposition

background info & setting decription at the beginning of a story

extended metaphor

compares 2 unlike things over a significant portion of a text

figurative language

one thing is associated with another (simile, metaphor, personification, etc.)

foil

someone who greatly contrasts with the protagonist

foot

a group of 2-3 syllables forming the basic unit of poetic rhythm

foreshadowing

hints of future events through unusual circumstances in the present

free verse

poetry that avoids the patterns of regular rhyme/meter

gothic

genre that covers horror, death, & romance

heroic couplet

consists of 2 rhymed lines of iambic pentameter & express a complete thought

hubris

the overabundance of pride the protagonist has (leads to downfall)

hyperbole

exaggeration for effect

iambic pentameter

a line of verse with 5 metrical feet (1 short syllable → 1 long syllable)

imagery

the use of words to create pictures