America Lit - Literary Terms

Tragic Hero

A character who goes through a series of trails leading to a final catastrophe which is caused by the character’s own flaw(s)

Satire

Mockery for the purpose of change

Foil

Character which is used to contrast the main character to highlight certain aspects of its character

Symbolism

Use of an concrete object to represent an abstract idea

Ambiguity

Doubleness or inconclusiveness of meaning (unresolved puzzles)

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden message (moral/political)

Hubris

Excessive pride

Crucible

A severe test or trial

Ambivalence

Coexistence of conflicting feelings or attitudes of an author or reader

Aphorism

A tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds

Carpe Diem

Latin for “seize the day”

Yawp

Loud cry or yell

Vernacular

Speech specific to a certain era or area/slang

Alliteration

Repetition at the beginning of words

Allusion

Subtle reference to a person, place, event, or another passage of literature

Didactic

Intended to teach a lesson

Maxim

A short statement of truth

Tragedy

Drama in which the character experiences a downfall due to character flaws

Etymology

The study of the origin of words

Nostalgia

Fondness for the past

Elegy

Poem of remembrance or lament

Unreliable Narrator

One who does not fully grasp (or lies about) significant events he/she comments on

Dynamic Character

Basic character changes during the story

Paradox

A seeming contradiction

Antipathy

A feeling of dislike

Slant Rhyme

Rhyme with similar sounding words

Stream-of-consciousness

Writing that mimics the thoughts through the mind

Chiaroscuro

The juxtaposition of light and dark

Universal “I”

When a personal pronoun is used to stand for a group of people