Lit Terms 61-80

farce

A kind of comedy that depends on exaggerated or improbable situations, physical disasters, and sexual innuendo to amuse the audience.

figurative language

Language that uses figures of speech such as metaphor, simile, metonymy, personification, hyperbole to appeal to one’s senses.

first person

Point of view where a character tells the story using the pronoun 'I', providing a limited perspective.

flashback

An interruption of a narrative by the introduction of an earlier event or an image of a past experience.

flat character

A one-dimensional character who remains the same throughout the work, often serving as a symbol.

foil

A character whose contrasting traits highlight aspects of the main character.

foot

The basic unit of measurement in metrical verse, usually containing one accented syllable and one or two unaccented syllables.

foreshadowing

Hints or clues about what is to come later in the narrative.

free verse

Poetry that does not have regular rhythm or rhyme.

genre

The category into which a piece of writing can be classified, such as poetry, prose, or drama.

hamartia

A tragic flaw that leads to a character's downfall.

heroic couplet

A rhymed couplet written in iambic pentameter, often used in poetry.

hubris

Insolence, arrogance, or pride that usually leads to a character's downfall in Greek tragedy.

hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration for literary effect that is not meant to be taken literally.

iambic pentameter

A five-foot line consisting of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented syllable.

imagery

Language that appeals to the reader’s senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell.

in medias res

A narrative technique where the story begins in the middle of the action.

interior monologue

A literary technique that reveals a character’s unspoken thoughts and feelings.

internal rhyme

A rhyme that occurs within a line of poetry rather than at the end.

inversion

A switch in the normal word order for emphasis or to achieve a rhyme scheme.