Honors English 1 - Literary Terms

allusion

n. a reference to a classic text

types:
- mythology
-biblical
-Shakespearean

symbolism

n. a person, place or thing that represents a big idea

myth

A traditional story involving supernatural beings or events that explains some natural (ocean, volcanoes, rainbows, weather, natural disaster, etc.) or social (things that go on in lives of humans) phenomenon.

epithet

a short, descriptive nickname

epic

long narrative poems that tell of the adventures of heroes who embody the values of their particular civilizations (ex. The Odyssey)

epic simile

comparing extraordinary events to everyday occurrences using "like" or "as" (ex. "Athena the bright-eyed goddess flew like a bird in soaring flight")

simile

comparing two unlike things using "like" or "as"

metaphor

a direct comparison between two unlike things, often using "to be" verbs (are, am, is, was, were, been, being)

anecdote

a short personal story that introduces a big idea

hubris

a Greek term meaning excessive pride

en media res

- literally means "in the middle"
- it is how The Odyssey starts
- Homer invented it

shift

abrupt change in mood, tone, or plot

imagery

descriptive writing that appeals to one of the five senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing)

juxtaposition

placing two opposite things (physical entities) side by side so that a comparison can be made

detail

are DETAILS (can give insight about how someone feels about something) provided about a subject

anaphora

repetition at the beginning of consecutive sentences or phrases (ex. He shall ride the silver seas, / He shall cut the glittering wave)

anadiplosis

when the word that ends a sentence beings the following sentence (ex. I like ice cream. Ice cream is good.)

mood

- how the reader feels when reading a text
- mood is fairly subjective (opinionated)
- mood is affected by detail, imagery, metaphors, similes, etc.

tone

-the way a speaker feels about a subject
-to find tone, play close attention to detail

diction

-singular word choice used to describe a subject
-often comes down to adjectives, adverbs, etc.
-essentially the way one chooses to compile their words and phrases in speech or writing