Q4 Literary Terms

Allusion

an implied or indirect reference especially in literature (He is a real romeo with the ladies —> Romeo and Juliet)

Analogy

a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Blank Verse

poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

Dramatic irony

when the audience understands whats going on in a situation when the characters are unaware of what's happening

Situational irony

when actions or events have the opposite result of what is expected or intended

Verbal irony

when words express something contrary to truth or someone says the opposite of what they truly mean

Pun

the usual humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest two or more of its meaning or the meaning or another word similar in sound

Sonnet

a fixed verse form consisting of fourteen lines in iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line)

Soliloquy

A character speaks his/her internal thoughts, not addressing another person on the stage

Aside

a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase.

double entendre

a statement that has two meanings, one of which is dirty or vulgar

Antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

Foil

A character who acts as a contrast to another character

comic relief

A humorous scene or speech intended to lighten the mood

foreshadow

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

Personification

the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Monologue

A long speech made by one performer or by one person in a group