Pre-IB Lit Terms Final Exam 2025

A collection of 36 literary terms and definitions for the Pre-IB Lit Terms Final Exam 2025, covering plot, point of view, figurative language, and poetic devices.

Exposition

Basic information given at the beginning of story which provides the reader with context.

Climax

The point of highest emotional intensity in a story.

Theme

A central idea or statement that recurs throughout an entire literary work unifying its message.

Flashback

When the narrative of the story focuses on an event in a character's past.

Foreshadowing

An image, plot element or object that hints at possible future events in the plot

Setting

The time and place where a narrative occurs.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere created by the setting of the story or scene

Direct Characterization

The author tel ls the audience directly about a character's traits. e.g. "he was a spiteful man. "

Indirect Characterization

The author lets us infer information about a character by their actions, appearance, thoughts or what others say about them.

First Person Point of View

Narrates the story in the point of view of the main character, using "I"

Third Person Limited Point of View

A story narrated through the point of view of one character, using "he" or "she" . We don't know the thoughts of other characters

Third Person Omniscient Point of View

Narrator knows al l the thoughts of al l the characters, and reveals them to the audience

Motif

A recurring image, object, action, etc. which takes on symbolic meaning over the course of a text.

Tone

The way the use of language (diction) affects the reader's impression of the story, setting, or character

Symbolism

An object, person, place, quality or animal which represents something larger or more important than itself. fx. An olive branch symbolizes peace

Diction

The writer's choice of words. Can be formal or informal, use slang, dialect, etc.

Situational Irony

Irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.

Verbal Irony

When the denotation of a statement is the opposite of what is intended by it. Fx. "So graceful" when your friend trips and fal ls.

Dramatic Irony

Irony created when the audience has knowledge which a character doesn't, lead- ing to tension in a scene.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.

Caesura

A natural pause or break in a line of poetry, usual ly near the middle of the line.

Onomatopoeia

The use of words which sound like the thing they refer to, fx. "fizz", "pop", "sizzle"

Alliteration

Repetition of the same initial sound in several words in close proximity fx. "the brown bear bel lowed for berries"

Consonance

The repetition of the same consonant sound in several words in close proximity. Can be a combination of initial and internal.

Assonance

The repetition of the same vowel sound in several words in close proximity. Can be a combination of initial and internal.

Simile

A comparison between two unlike yet similar things using "like" or "as" . fx. "My love is like a red red rose. " --Robert Burns

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike yet similar things. fx. "boring writing is flavorless food. "

Iambic Pentameter (Blank Verse)

A line consisting of five iambic feet, which alternates between unstressed and stressed syl lables.

Personification

A form of figurative language where non-human entities are given human charac- teristics

Synesthesia

A type of imagery which describes one sensory experience in terms of another: fx. :" I could see vivid colors in the music"

Allegory

A narrative where a deeper statement about the real world or human nature is communicated symbolical ly through a more superficial story.

Stichomythia

Fast paced alternating lines of dialogue, usual ly used in an argument.

Monologue

A long speech spoken by a character on stage

Concrete imagery

Imagery which we can imagine clearly through the senses.

Stanza

a group of lines in a poem, considered as a unit.

Abstract Imagery

Imagery which is difficult to imagine through the senses, often metaphorical or symbolic.

Soliloquy

A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage.

ABAB

Alternating rhyme scheme (the most famous pattern in poetry).

AABB

Coupled rhyme scheme; consecutive lines that rhyme together (also known as a double couplet because the two-line stanzas are also called couplets).

ABBA

An enclosed or envelope rhyme scheme.

ABCB

Simple four-line stanza/rhyme scheme; unbounded or ballad stanza, commonly used in traditional storytelling.

Literary devices

Specific techniques, structures, and stylistic choices that writers use to elevate their writing, convey deeper meaning, and evoke emotions from their readers.

Figurative language

Techniques that alter literal word meanings to create vivid imagery, using specific tools (metaphors, similes, personification) to change definitions (e.g., “The classroom was a zoo.”)

Sound devices

Techniques that manipulate word sounds and rhythm to affect how a text sounds, using specific tools (alliteration, onomatopoeia, and repetition) to build patterns (e.g., “The snake slithered silently.”)

Narrative devices

Techniques that shape the plot, timeline, and viewpoint to guide how a story is told, employing specific tools (foreshadowing, flashbacks, irony) to structure the events (e.g., a character finding a mysterious key that hints at a future secret door.)

Hyperbole

A figure of speech that uses extreme, deliberate exaggeration to make a point, add humour, or evoke strong emotions.

In Medias Res

A narrative technique where a story opens directly in the midst of the action or a climactic event rather than starting at the chronological beginning (like a chase or an argument).

Idiom

A phrase or expression where the overall meaning cannot be understood from the literal definitions of the individual words.

Allusion

A figure of speech that makes an indirect or passing reference to a person, place, event, or another literary work.

Ambiguity

The presence of two or more possible meanings in a word, phrase, or passage, whether intentional or unintentional, allowing for multiple interpretations.

Anachronism

A person, thing or event placed in the wrong time period, either as an error or a deliberate literary device.

Anagnorisis

A moment of critical discovery or recognition in a narrative, especially in tragedy, when a character moves from ignorance to knowledge, often triggering the reversal of fortune. (e.g. Oedipus's ___ occurs when he realises that he himself is the murderer he had been seeking, leading to his tragic downfall)

Analogy

A comparison that helps explain something unfamiliar by relating it to something more familiar, making it easier to understand.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines of poetry for emphasis, rhetorical effect, or rhythm in a literary work. (often used to reinforce a theme or idea e.g. “I have dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.)

Anecdote

A short, often amusing account of a particular incident or event, used to illustrate a point, support an argument, or reveal a character.

Antithesis

A figure of speech that juxtaposes contrasting ideas or words in a balanced structure to highlight differences, often used to create a rhetorical effect.

Rhetorical/Rhetoric

The use of language to persuade, inform, or express ideas effectively, often using words mainly to make a point or grab attention rather than give direct facts or answers.

Cacophony

A combination of harsh, discordant sounds in language, often using plosive consonants and jarring rhythms to create an unpleasant or chaotic effect. (similar to dissonance)

Characterization

The methods an author uses to develop and reveal the traits, motives, and psychology of a character, either directly through description or indirectly through actions, speech, and thoughts.

Cliché

An overused expression or idea that has lost its original impact and freshness due to excessive repetition.

Platitude

An overused statement that sounds wise or comforting but lacks real depth and is often used to dismiss complex feelings or avoid meaningful discussion (e.g. everything happens for a reason).

Colloquialism

The use of informal words, phrases, or expressions in writing or speech, often associated with everyday conversation and regional dialects. (informal diction)

Paradox

A statement that appears contradictory or self-defeating but may reveal a deeper truth.

Connotation

The emotional associations, cultural implications, or suggested meanings of a word beyond its literal dictionary definition.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word, stripped of any emotional associations or implied meanings.

Couplet

A literary device in poetry consisting of two consecutive lines of verse that usually rhyme and share the same meter.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes significant internal change throughout the course of a story, often evolving as a result of the events in the story.

Dystopia

An imagined society characterized by oppression, suffering, and injustice, often used in literature to critique real-world social, political, or technological trends.

Euphony

The quality of having a pleasant, harmonious combination of sounds in language, achieved through the use of smooth consonants and flowing vowels.

Extended Metaphor (conceit)

A comparison between two unlike things (a metaphor) that is developed over several lines or throughout a text, showing different parts of the comparison in detail instead of just once.

Falling Action

The events in a narrative that follow the climax and lead toward the resolution, in which tensions decrease and the story moves toward its conclusion.

Juxtaposition

The placement of two or more things side by side in order to highlight their differences, create contrast, or reveal unexpected connections.

Totalitarianism (outside of topic)

A political system where the state holds absolute power and seeks to control virtually all aspects of public and private life.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two contradictory terms to create a paradoxical expression that reveals a deeper truth or adds complexity.

Persona

The voice or mask adopted by an author or speaker in a literary work, which may differ from the author's actual personality or views.

Quatrain

A 4-line stanza or group of four lines of poetry, often with a specific rhyme scheme such as ABAB or ABBA.

Rhyme Scheme

The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of lines of a poem, usually described using letters such as ABAB or AABB.

Rising Action

The series of events in a narrative that build tension, develop conflict, and lead up to the climax of the story.

Satire

A literary work that uses humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticise human vices, follies, or social institutions.

Sarcasm

A sharp, cutting form of verbal irony in which the speaker says the opposite of what they mean, typically to mock, criticize, or express contempt. It is distinguished from other verbal irony by its hostile or derisive tone.

Slant Rhyme

A near-rhyme in which the words share similar but not identical sounds, often involving matched consonant sounds with different vowels (also known as half rhyme, near rhyme, and imperfect rhyme).

Speaker

The voice that narrates or speaks in a poem, which may or may not represent the poet's own perspective.

Suspense

A feeling of tension, anxiety, or excitement created in the reader by uncertainty about what will happen next in a narrative.

Volta

The turn or shift in thought, argument, or emotion that occurs in a sonnet, typically between the octave and sestet in a Petrarchan sonnet or before the final couplet in a Shakespearean sonnet.

Meter

The rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

Anthropomorphism

Giving a non-human thing human characteristics, behavior, or identity so it acts like an actual person.

Perfect Rhyme

Exact matching vowel and final consonant sounds in stressed syllables.

Eye Rhyme

Words that look like they should rhyme because of identical spelling endings, but sound completely different.

Identical Rhyme

The repetition of the exact same word or homophone to form a rhyme.

End Rhyme

Rhyming words placed at the very end of poetic lines.

Internal Rhyme

Rhyming words that occur within a single line or inside the phrases of consecutive lines.

Utopia

A fictional ideal society characterized by harmony, equality, and perfect conditions for its inhabitants.