Master Literary & Poetry Terms - Review

Question-and-answer flashcards covering basic literary terms, poetry terms, conflict types, irony, and rhyme.

What does Diction refer to in literary terms?

Word choice; described specifically (formal, colloquial, slang, etc.).

What is Imagery in literature?

Language appealing to the senses.

How is a Metaphor defined?

A figure of speech applying traits of one object to another dissimilar one (not literal).

What is a Simile?

A figure of speech comparing two dissimilar things, using like or as.

What does Personification involve?

Giving human traits to non-human things.

What is an Allusion?

A brief reference to a historical, literary, or cultural figure/event/object.

What is Symbolism?

A concrete object representing a larger abstract meaning.

What is Juxtaposition?

Placing two things side by side for contrast.

What is Tone in literature?

The author’s implied attitude toward the subject.

What is Theme?

The central idea/meaning of a work, stated broadly (no character or plot names).

What is Setting?

The time, place, and cultural context of a story.

Who is the Protagonist?

The main character; not always the “good guy.”

Who is the Antagonist?

The source of conflict; not always the “bad guy.”

What is a Foil in literature?

A character who contrasts with another, highlighting traits.

What is Point of View?

The perspective from which a story is told.

What is First Person point of view?

Told from a character’s perspective (“I”). May be unreliable.

What is Third Person point of view?

Told by an outside narrator; may shift between characters.

What types of Conflict drive tension in a story?

Man vs. Self (internal), Man vs. Man, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Nature; others like Man vs. Machine or Supernatural.

What is Irony?

A reversal of expectations.

What are the subtypes of Irony?

Situational Irony (outcome opposite of expectation), Verbal Irony (saying the opposite of what is meant), Dramatic Irony (audience knows more than a character).

What is a Stanza?

A grouped set of lines in a poem.

What is Inversion?

Altered word order (e.g., “the lady fair” instead of “the fair lady”).

What is an End-Stopped Line?

A line ending with a pause; grammar + meaning complete.

What is Enjambment?

A line that carries over without pause into the next.

What is Formal Poetry?

Follows set rhyme/meter patterns (e.g., sonnet, villanelle).

What is Blank Verse?

Poetry with meter but no rhyme scheme.

What is Free Verse?

Poetry without set rhyme or meter.

What is Consonance?

Repetition of consonant sounds.

What is Assonance?

Repetition of vowel sounds.

What is Alliteration?

Repetition of sounds at word beginnings.

What is Sibilance?

Repetition of hissing sounds (“s,” “sh,” “ch”).

What is a Rhyme Scheme?

Consistent end-rhyme pattern (e.g., ABAB).

What is End Rhyme?

Rhymes at line endings.

What is Internal Rhyme?

Rhymes within a line.

What is Slant Rhyme?

Near/approximate rhyme.

What is Eye Rhyme?

Words that look like they rhyme but don’t (e.g., bomb / tomb).

What is Masculine Rhyme?

Rhymes ends on a stressed syllable (e.g., confess / redress).

What is Feminine Rhyme?

Rhymes ends on an unstressed syllable; often two-syllable rhyme (e.g., motion / ocean).