Lit Terms 4

meter (def)

the regular pattern of accented and unaccented syllables

meter (ex)

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse

metonymy (def)

the metaphorical substitution of one word or phrase for another related word or phrase

metonymy (ex)

The pen is mightier than the sword

moral (def)

a lesson that a story teaches, often stated directly at the end of a fable.

moral (ex)

Boy Who Cried Wolf” - Don’t tell lies

motif (def)

a recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature

motif (ex)

the plant in Raisin in the Sun

myth (def)

a traditional story that attempts to explain how the world was created or why the world is the way that it is

myth (ex)

Pandora’s Box, Thor and Loki

narrative (def)

any writing that tells a story

narrative (ex)

Prince Harry’s book Spare

ode (def)

a lyric poem of some length, usually of serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal structure

ode (ex)

___ on a Grecian Urn

onomatopoeia (def)

the use of words whose sound suggest their meaning

onomatopoeia (ex)

BANG, KAPOW, WOOSH

oral history (def)

stories of people’s lives related by word of mouth, include both factual material and personal reactions.

oral history (ex)

Born in Slavery (Civil War Slave Stories)

oxymoron (def)

a form of figurative language combining contradictory words or ideas

oxymoron (ex)

jumbo shrimp, bittersweet