Literary Terms

What is an allegory?

A narrative that uses symbolic figures and actions to convey deeper meanings or moral lessons.

What does alliteration refer to in literature?

The repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in a sequence of words.

What is an allusion?

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work.

How is an analogy used in literature?

To compare two different things to highlight a similarity between them.

What is an anecdote?

A short, amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Who is the antagonist in a story?

The character or force that opposes the protagonist.

What is an aphorism?

A concise statement that expresses a general truth or principle.

What does apostrophe mean in literary terms?

A figure of speech in which the speaker addresses an absent person or an abstract idea.

What is an aside in drama?

A remark made by a character that is intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters.

What is assonance?

The repetition of vowel sounds within closely placed words.

How is atmosphere created in literature?

Through the setting, tone, and mood of the narrative.

What is an autobiography?

A self-written account of the author's life.

What defines a ballad?

A narrative poem that tells a story, often in a musical form.

What is the difference between a biography and an autobiography?

A biography is written by someone else about a person's life, while an autobiography is written by the subject themselves.

What is blank verse?

Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.

What is a caesura?

A pause or break in a line of poetry, often occurring in the middle.

What is a catalog in literature?

A list of items, often used for poetic or rhetorical effect.

What is a character in literature?

A person or being that plays a role in a narrative.

What does cliché mean?

An overused expression or idea that has lost its originality.

What is the climax of a story?

The most intense, exciting, or important point of the narrative.

What defines comedy in literature?

A genre that aims to entertain and amuse, often featuring humorous situations.

What is a conceit in literature?

An extended metaphor that makes a surprising connection between two seemingly dissimilar things.

What is a concrete poem?

A poem that is shaped to resemble its subject.

What is conflict in literature?

The struggle between opposing forces, which drives the narrative.

What does connotation refer to?

The implied or suggested meaning of a word, beyond its literal definition.

What is consonance?

The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words in close proximity.

What is a couplet?

Two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme.

What is the denouement in a story?

The final resolution or outcome of the plot.

What is description in literature?

The use of sensory details to convey images and feelings.

What does dialect refer to?

A particular form of a language specific to a region or social group.

What is dialogue?

The spoken exchanges between characters in a literary work.

What does diction mean in literature?

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

What is a dramatic monologue?

A poem or speech in which a single character speaks to an implied audience.

What is a dynamic character?

A character who undergoes significant internal change throughout the story.

What is an elegy?

A mournful poem or song, often lamenting the loss of someone.

What defines an epic?

A lengthy narrative poem that details heroic deeds and events significant to a culture.

What is an epiphany in literature?

A moment of sudden revelation or insight experienced by a character.

What is an epithet?

A descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

What is an essay?

A short piece of writing on a particular subject.

What is exposition in literature?

The introduction of background information within a story.

What is a fable?

A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral lesson.

What is falling action in a narrative?

The events following the climax that lead to the resolution.

What is farce in literature?

A comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay.

What is a figure of speech?

A word or phrase used in a non-literal sense for rhetorical or vivid effect.

What is the first person point of view?

A narrative perspective where the narrator is a character in the story, using 'I' or 'we'.

What is a flashback?

A scene set in a time earlier than the main story.

What is a flat character?

A character with little depth or complexity.

What is a foil in literature?

A character that contrasts with another character, typically the protagonist.

What is a folktale?

A traditional story passed down orally, often featuring folklore elements.

What is a foot in poetry?

A basic unit of measurement in poetry, consisting of stressed and unstressed syllables.

What is foreshadowing?

A literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story.

What is free verse?

Poetry that does not follow a specific rhyme scheme or meter.

What is genre?

A category of literature characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

What is hyperbole?

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

What is an iamb?

A metrical foot consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

What is iambic pentameter?

A type of poetic meter that consists of five iambs per line.

What is an idiom?

A phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning.

What is imagery in literature?

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates mental images.

What is impressionism in literature?

A style that focuses on the subjective experience and perception of events.

What does incongruity refer to?

The state of being out of place or not in harmony with the surroundings.

What is inference?

A conclusion reached based on evidence and reasoning.

What is internal rhyme?

A rhyme that occurs within a single line of poetry.

What is inversion in poetry?

The reversal of the normal word order in a sentence.

What is irony?

A literary device where the intended meaning is opposite to the literal meaning.

What is jargon?

Special words or expressions used by a particular profession or group.

What is literal language?

Language that means exactly what it says, without exaggeration or metaphor.

What is a lyric poem?

A short poem expressing personal feelings and thoughts.

What is a metaphor?

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'.

What is meter in poetry?

The rhythmic structure of verses, determined by the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.

What is modernism in literature?

A movement characterized by a break from traditional forms and an exploration of new techniques.

What is mood in literature?

The emotional atmosphere created by a piece of writing.

What is a motif?

A recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story.

What is a myth?

A traditional story that explains natural or social phenomena, often involving gods or supernatural beings.

What is narrative?

A spoken or written account of connected events; a story.

What is a narrator?

The person or character who tells the story.

What is naturalism in literature?

A style that attempts to depict life accurately and objectively, often focusing on the influence of environment.

What is nonfiction?

Prose writing that is based on facts, real events, and real people.

What is an octave in poetry?

A stanza or poem of eight lines.

What is an ode?

A lyrical poem that expresses praise or admiration.

What is omniscient point of view?

A narrative perspective where the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.

What is onomatopoeia?

A word that phonetically imitates the sound it describes.

What is an oxymoron?

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms.

What is a parable?

A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

What is a paradox?

A statement that appears self-contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.

What is parallel structure?

The repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence.

What is parody?

A humorous or satirical imitation of a particular writer, artist, or genre.

What is personification?

Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities.

What is persuasion in literature?

The act of convincing someone to do or believe something through reasoning or argument.

What is plain style in writing?

A straightforward and uncomplicated way of writing.

What is plot in literature?

The sequence of events that make up a story.

What is point of view?

The perspective from which a story is told.

What is postmodernism in literature?

A movement characterized by a skeptical, self-aware approach to literature and culture.

What is a prologue?

An introductory section of a literary work.

What is prose?

Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.

Who is the protagonist in a story?

The main character around whom the story revolves.

What is a proverb?

A short, well-known saying that expresses a general truth or piece of advice.

What is a pun?

A form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term for humorous effect.

What is a quatrain?

A stanza of four lines, often with alternating rhymes.

What is rationalism in literature?

An approach that emphasizes reason and logic over emotion.

What is realism in literature?

A movement that aims to represent life accurately without idealization.