Lit Terms Quiz Study Sheet Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering all terms listed on the Lit Terms Quiz Study Sheet.

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words or syllables.

Assonance

The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds within non-rhyming words.

Onomatopoeia

The use of words that imitate the sound associated with the object or action they refer to.

Repetition / Anaphora

The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase, particularly at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences, for emphasis.

Irony

A literary device where there is a contrast between expectation and reality, or between what is said and what is actually meant.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that directly compares two distinct things without using comparison words such as 'like' or 'as'.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted with another term closely associated with it.

Personification

A figure of speech in which non-human entities, objects, or abstract concepts are given human traits or abilities.

Rhetoric

The art and practice of using language effectively and persuasively in speech or writing.

Style

The unique manner in which an author expresses ideas through choices in diction, sentence structure, and tone.

Verisimilitude

The quality of appearing true, real, or plausible within a literary work.

Simile

A figure of speech that compares two different things explicitly using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Symbol

An object, person, place, or action that stands for something beyond its literal meaning.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole, or a whole is used to represent a part.

Understatement

A technique of intentionally presenting something as less important, smaller, or less intense than it actually is.

Mood

The emotional environment or atmosphere created for the reader by a literary work.

Motif

A recurring element, image, idea, or symbol that contributes to the central theme of a work.

Euphemism

A mild, polite, or indirect expression substituted for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive.

Caricature

A depiction or description that exaggerates specific traits or features of a character for comedic or satirical effect.

Connotation

The implied, figurative, or emotional meaning associated with a word beyond its literal definition.

Contrast

The technique of placing two or more opposing elements together to highlight their differences.

Innuendo

An indirect, subtle, or veiled hint or allusion, often carrying a critical or suggestive connotation.

Interior Monologue

A narrative technique that directly reveals a character's internal flow of thoughts and feelings.

Aside

A brief remark spoken by a character directly to the audience or another character that is unheard by others on stage.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech combining two contradictory or opposing terms side by side.

Catharsis

The emotional purging or release experienced by an audience at the end of a tragedy.

Active Voice

A grammatical construction where the subject performs the action denoted by the verb.

Passive Voice

A grammatical construction where the subject receives the action performed by the verb.

Denotative

Refers to the literal, explicit dictionary definition of a word.

Analogy

A comparison demonstrating similarities between two different items or concepts to explain an idea.

Ambiguous

Having more than one possible meaning, interpretation, or intention.

Juxtaposition

Placing two concepts, images, or ideas side by side to emphasize their contrast or relationship.

Antithesis

The direct pairing of opposing ideas within a balanced or parallel grammatical structure.

Parody

A creative work that imitates the style of another work, author, or genre for humor or commentary.

Double Entendre

A word or expression designed to be understood in two ways, with one meaning usually being risqué or suggestive.

Allegory

A work in which characters, events, or settings symbolically represent abstract ideas or moral qualities.

Allusion

An implicit or explicit reference to a well-known person, place, event, or literary work.

Epigram

A short, clever, and witty statement expressing an idea in a memorable way.

Aphorism

A concise, memorable statement expressing a general truth or moral principle.

Litotes

A form of understatement that states a positive point by negating its opposite.

Balanced Sentence

A sentence composed of two or more parts that are equal in length, structure, and importance.

Parallelism

The deliberate arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses using similar grammatical structures.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize folly, vice, or social issues.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract concept, or an inanimate object.

Chiasmus

A rhetorical device in which words or grammatical structures are repeated in reverse order ($A-B-B-A$ structure).

Hyperbole

An intentional and extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or dramatic effect.

Appositive Construction

A grammatical arrangement where a noun or noun phrase is placed next to another noun to explain or rename it.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory or impossible on the surface but reveals a deeper truth upon inspection.