LIT Terms 1

imagery—the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses

implication—a suggestion an author or speaker makes (implies) without stating it directly.

NOTE: the author/sender implies the reader/audience infers.

inductive reasoning—deriving general principles from particular facts or instances (“Every cat I

have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals).

inference—a conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence.

invective—an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack.

irony—the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between

what is expected and what actually occurs.

jargon—the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession.

juxtaposition — placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast.

legend—a narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually

supernatural elements.

limerick—light verse consisting of five lines of regular rhythm in which the first, second, and

fifth lines rhyme, and the second and third lines rhyme.

limited narrator — a narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single

character and restricts information to what is seen, heard, thought, or felt by that one character

literary license—deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect

(intentional sentence fragments, for example.)

litotes — a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite

(describing a particularly horrific scene by saying, “It was not a pretty picture.”)

malapropism—the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar

(“The doctor wrote a subscription.”)

maxim—a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage.

metaphor — a direct comparison of two different things.

metonymy— substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it.

(“The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting.]”)

mood—the emotional atmosphere of a work.

motif—a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works.

motivation—a character’s incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which

impels a character to act.

myth—a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain

natural events.

narrative—a story or narrated account.

narrator—the one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient.

non sequitur— an inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, “does

not follow.”)

omniscient narrator—a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner

thoughts and feelings of the characters

onomatopoeia—a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds.

oxymoron—an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined parable— a

simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson.

paradox—an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

parallelism —the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms.

paraphrase — a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the

purpose of clarity.

parody — a humorous imitation of a serious work.

parenthetical—a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain.

pastoral—literature that deals with people living off the land, revealing the challenges and blessings of

nature.

pathos—the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity.

pedantic— characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship.

personification—endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics.

philippic—a strong verbal denunciation.

point of view—the vantage point from which a story is told.

polysyndeton—the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural.

pun—a play on words, often using words with similar sounds but different meanings.

resolution—the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax.

rhetoric—the art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner.

rhetorical question—a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer.

rhetorical devices — literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression.

riddle—a question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum.

romantic — a term describing a character or literary work that reflects the characteristics of

Romanticism, the literary movement beginning in the late century that stressed emotion,

imagination, and individualism.

round character—a character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes

in the course of a work.

sarcasm—harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule.

satire—the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions

scapegoat—a person or group that bears the blame for another.

simile—a comparison of two things using “like,” “as,” or other specifically comparative words.

simple sentence—a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause

solecism—nonstandard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules.

style—the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work.

surrealism— an artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by

incongruous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control.

syllepsis—a construction in which one word is used in two different senses (“After he threw the

ball, he threw a fit.”)

syllogism—a three-part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise.

and a minor premise (“All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore, Socrates is mortal”.)

symbol—an object that is used to represent something else.

synecdoche—using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to

a car simply as “wheels.”)

synesthesia— describing one kind of sensation in terms of another (“a loud color” or “a sweet sound.”)

syntax—the manner in which words are arranged into sentences.

tautology—needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding (“widow woman,” “free gift.”)

theme—a central idea of a work.

thesis—the primary position taken by a writer or speaker.

tone—the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience topic—the subject

treated in a paragraph or work.

tragedy—a work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant

struggle and which ends in ruin or destruction.

trilogy — a work in three parts, each of which is a complete work in itself.

trite—overused and hackneyed.

turning point—the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs.

understatement—the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than

it actually is—a deliberate under-emphasis.

usage—the customary way language or its elements are used.

vernacular—the everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard

usage.