Literary Terms #2

in medias res

the structuring of a narrative’s plot that begins with little exposition and simply thrusts the reader into the

irony

using a word or situation to mean the opposite of its usual or literal meaning, usually done in humor, sarcasm, or disdain

verbal irony

when a character says one thing and means something else

situational irony

when an outcome in a work of literature is different that the reader expects or assumes it will be

litotes

an ironic understatement where an affirmative is expressed with the negative of its contrary (ex. “not bad”)

lyric poetry

a type of poem which was originally a song meant to be sung to the accompaniment of a musical instrument

metaphor

a figure of speech in which one thing is equated with something else; a comparison of different things by speaking of them directly, as if they were the same

meter

repeated patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry

metonymy

a figure of speech in which something is referred to by one of its distinct characteristics (ex. theater = “the stage”)

mood

the atmosphere that pervades a literary work with the intention of evoking a certain emotion or feeling from the audience

moral

the lesson or message that the author hopes to impart to the reader

motif

one of the key ideas or literary devices which supports the main theme of a literary work

narrative

a fancy word for story

ode

a lyric poem in the form of an address to a particular subject, often elevated in style or manner and written in varied or irregular meter

onomatopoeia

the use of words which sound like what they describe

oxymoron

a figure of speech that combines opposite qualities in a single term

parody

a literary technique which imitates and ridicules another author or literary genre

pathetic fallacy

a more specific form of personification often found in poetry that attributes human emotions or response to inanimate objects found in nature

personification

attributing human qualities to inanimate objects, animals, things, or ideas

first person participant (point of view)

the story is narrated by one of the main characters in the story

first person observer (point of view)

the story is narrated by a minor character, someone who plays only a small part in the plot

third person omniscient (point of view)

the story is narrated not by a character, but by an impersonal author who sees and knows everything, including characters’ thoughts

third person limited (point of view)

the story is narrated by the author, but he/she focuses on the thinking and actions of a particular character

objective (point of view)

the story describes only what can be seen

protagonist

the central character in a literary work

pun

a humorous use of words which sound nothing alike

rhyme (scheme)

the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse

satire

a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of changing the subject of the satiric attack

horatian satire

formal, sophisticated satire

juvenalian satire

a crude, crass, and common form of satire

setting

the locale, time, and context in which the action of a literary work takes place

simile

a comparison of different things by speaking of them as “like” or “as” the same

soliloquy

an extended speech in which a lone character expresses his or her thoughts

sonnet

a fourteen-line lyric poem in predominantly iambic pentameter, with a formal rhyme scheme

stanza

a group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem

suspension of disbelief

the idea that enjoyment of any form of literature relies on the audience/reader to willingly set aside their skepticism/doubt and accept, at face value, the premise presented to them

symbolism

the use of words or objects to stand for or represent other things

synecdoche

a figure of speech by which a part of something refers to the whole

syntax

an author’s distinctive form of sentence construction

theme

the lesson or message of a literary work

tone

the writer’s attitude, mood, or moral outlook toward the subject and/or readers

tragedy

a work of literature that deals with tragic events and has an unhappy ending, often involving the downfall of the protagonist

tragic flaw

a character trait of the protagonist in a tragedy that leads to their downfall

voice

an author’s distinctive literary style, basic vision, and general attitude toward the world

volta

in a sonnet, the turn of thought or argument

iambic (meter)

measures of two syllables (first is unaccented and the second is accented)

dactylic (meter)

measures of three syllables (first is accented & the other two are not)

trochaic (meter)

measures of two syllables (first accented & second unaccented)

anapestic (meter)

measures of three syllables (only accent on final syllable)

spondaic (meter)

measures of two syllables (both accented)