Lit Terms 41-60

Explication: The act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text, which usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language.

Fable: A very short story, often featuring animals, that teaches a practical lesson about how to succeed in life, exemplified by Aesop's Fables.

Farce: A type of comedy characterized by exaggerated and improbable situations, often involving stereotyped characters, such as in the works of Molière.

Figurative Language: Language that uses figures of speech, such as similes and metaphors, to convey meanings that are not literal, enhancing the expressiveness of the text.

Flashback: A narrative technique that interrupts the chronological flow of a story to depict events that occurred earlier, providing background or context to the current narrative.

Foil: A character who contrasts with another character, often highlighting particular qualities of the main character, such as Dr. Watson in contrast to Sherlock Holmes.

Foreshadowing: The use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the narrative, creating suspense and anticipation for the reader.

Free Verse: A form of poetry that does not adhere to a regular meter or rhyme scheme, allowing for greater freedom of expression, as seen in Walt Whitman's works.

Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or effect, such as in the phrase, 'I could sleep for a year.'

Hypotactic: A sentence structure that uses connecting words to show the relationship between clauses, enhancing clarity and logical flow, e.g., 'I am tired because it is hot.'

Imagery: The use of descriptive language that evokes sensory experiences, painting vivid pictures in the reader's mind, such as in the line, 'The golden sun dipped below the horizon.'

Inversion: The reversal of the normal word order in a sentence, often used for emphasis or poetic effect, e.g., 'In the night sky shimmered the stars.'

Irony: A literary device that highlights a discrepancy between appearances and reality, often used to create humor or emphasize a point.

Verbal Irony: Occurs when a speaker says one thing but means another, often sarcastically, as in the statement, 'What a beautiful day!' during a storm.

Situational Irony: Happens when there is a stark contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs, such as a fire station burning down.

Dramatic Irony: A situation in which the audience knows more about the circumstances than the characters, creating tension, as seen in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Juxtaposition: A rhetorical device that places contrasting ideas or images close together to highlight their differences, creating an effect of surprise or insight, as in Ezra Pound's poetry.

Local Color: A literary technique that emphasizes the characteristics of a specific region, including its customs, dialect, and landscape, enriching the narrative with authenticity.

Litotes: A form of understatement that emphasizes a positive statement by negating its opposite, such as saying 'not bad' to mean 'good'.

Imagery: The use of vivid and descriptive language to create mental images, enhancing the reader's experience and connection to the text.