Literary Terms 76-100

Malapropism

The mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar (ie. the doctor wrote a subscription)

Maxim

A concise statement, often offering advice, an adage

Metaphor

A direct comparison of two different things

metonymy

substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it (“the pen |writing| is mightier than the sword |fighting|”)

mood

the emotional atmosphere of a work

Motif

a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works

motivation

a character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner

myth

a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events

narrative

a story or narrated account

narrator

the one who tells a story, may be first, third, limited, or omniscient

non sequitur

an inference that does not follow logically from the premises

Omniscient narrator

a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters

onomatopoeia

a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds

oxymoron

a expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

parable

a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson

paradox

an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

parallelism

the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms

paraphrase

a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity

parody

a humorous imitation of a serious work

parenthetical

a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain

pathos

the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity

pedantic

characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship

personification

endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics

philippic

a strong verbal denunciation.

plot

the action of a narrative or drama