English Lit Terms 4

What is onomatopoeia?

The use of words whose sounds echo their sense, such as "Pop" or "Zap."

What is an oxymoron?

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase, for example, "jumbo shrimp" or "pretty ugly."

What is a parable?

A relatively short story that teaches a moral or lesson about how to lead a good life.

What is a paradox?

A statement that appears self-contradictory, but reveals a kind of truth.

What is parallel structure (parallelism)?

The repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structures.

What is a paratactic sentence?

A sentence that simply juxtaposes clauses or sentences, e.g., "I am tired: it is hot."

What is parody?

A work that makes fun of another work by imitating some aspect of the writer's style.

What is a periodic sentence?

A sentence that places the main idea or central complete thought at the end, after all introductory elements.

What is personification?

A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes.

What is plot?

The series of related events in a story or play, sometimes called the storyline.

What is exposition in the plot structure?

The part of the plot that introduces characters, situation, and setting.

What is rising action in the plot structure?

Complications in conflict and situations that may introduce new elements.

What is the climax in a plot?

The point in a plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest, also called the turning point.

What is resolution in the plot structure?

The conclusion of a story, when all or most conflicts have been settled; often called the denouement.

What is point of view?

The vantage point from which the writer tells the story.

What is first person point of view?

A narrative style where one of the characters tells the story.

What is third person point of view?

A narrative style with an unknown narrator who tells the story but focuses on the thoughts and feelings of only one character.

What is omniscient point of view?

A narrative style with an all-knowing narrator who tells the story using third person pronouns and reveals thoughts about many characters.

What is objective point of view?

A narrative style where the narrator is totally impersonal and objective, telling the story without comment on characters or events.

What is polysyndeton?

A sentence which uses a conjunction with NO commas to separate items in a series, e.g., "X and Y and Z…".

Who is the protagonist?

The central character in a story who initiates or drives the action, often the hero or anti-hero.

What is a pun?

A "play on words" based on the multiple meanings of a single word or on words that sound alike but mean different things.

What is a quatrain?

A poem consisting of four lines, or four lines of a poem that can be considered as a unit.

What is a refrain?

A word, phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated, for effect, several times in a poem.

What is rhythm in literature?

The rise and fall of the voice produced by the alternation of stressed and unstressed syllables.

What is rhetoric?

The art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse.

What is a rhetorical question?

A question asked for effect, not actually requiring an answer.

What is romance in literature?

A story in which an idealized hero or heroine undertakes a quest and is successful.