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Literary Terms
Literary Terms for EOC
106
English
9th Grade
04/07/2011

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Term
Alliteration
Definition
repetition of the beginning consonant sounds (like a tongue twister)
Term
allusion
Definition
reference to something outside the work, usually mythical, Biblical, or historical
Term
anecdote
Definition
short summary of a funny event
Term
antagonist
Definition
character against the main character, usually the bad guy or villian
Term
apostrophe
Definition
the direct address of someone or something not present of real
Term
archetype
Definition
a recurring and familiar pattern in literature, like a journey or a wise old man
Term
aside
Definition
a character speaks to the audience and not to the other characters (there are other characters on stage)
Term
assonance
Definition
repetition of an internal vowel sound, as in "How now brown cow?"
Term
autobiography
Definition
a story about a person written by that person in 1st person point-of-view.
Term
ballad
Definition
a poem that contains four-line stanzas, usually deals with love, adventure, and romance
Term
biography
Definition
an author's account or story of another person's life
Term
blank verse
Definition
unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter
Term
Characterization
Definition
the process of creating a character; can be done indirectly or directly
Term
Direct Characterization
Definition
the author tells you exactly what the character is like
Term
Indirect Characterization
Definition
the author tells you the actions, behaviors, and comments of a character and allows you to draw your conclusions
Term
Chronological Order
Definition
the sequence in which things happen (first, second, third,...)
Term
Cinquain
Definition
a five-line poem that does not rhyme
Term
Cliche
Definition
an old saying; a word or frase that is overused (ex. busy as a bee)
Term
Climax
Definition
high point of suspense
Term
Comparison vs. Contrast
Definition
a style of writing in which similarities and differences between 2 things are discussed
Term
Concrete Poetry
Definition
a poem writtin in a shape that suggests it's subject matter
Term
Conflict
Definition
a struggle between a character and something else
Term
External Conflict
Definition
a struggle between a character and some outside force (man vs. nature, man vs. man, man vs. society)
Term
Internal Conflict
Definition
a struggle inside of a character (man vs. himself)
Term
Connotation
Definition
personal meaning of a word (connotative language)
Term
Denotation
Definition
dictionary meaning of a word
Term
Dialogue
Definition
conversation between two or more characters
Term
Dramatic Poetry
Definition
poetry in which one or more characters are speaking, not the author
Term
End Rhyme
Definition
rhyming words that appear at the ends of two or more lines of poetry
Term
epic poetry
Definition
a long narrative poem about a hero and gods and goddesses
Term
epithet
Definition
a word or phrase used in place of a person's name to help characterize that person
Term
expository writing
Definition
type of writing presents facts, gives directions, defines terms; purpose is to offer info or explain something
Term
extended metophor
Definition
a metophor that may go on for several lines or for the length of a poem
Term
fantasy
Definition
highly imaginary characters and events
Term
fiction
Definition
think "false fiction"
Term
figurative language
Definition
language not meant to be taken literally (word-for-word)
Term
first person point of view
Definition
the narrator is a character in the story; uses "I, me, our, we, my"
Term
flashback
Definition
a story's sequence is interrupted and a chacter goes back to an earlier time
Term
foreshadowing
Definition
one event hints at a later event
Term
free verse
Definition
poetry that has no rhyme, rhyme, meter, or stanzas
Term
genre
Definition
a type or writting (short story, poem, drama, novel, biography, essay...)
Term
hero
Definition
a character whose actions are inspiring and overcomes great obstacles
Term
haiku
Definition
Japanese poetry that has three lines or three-line stanzas
Term
historical fiction
Definition
stories that center upon some significant historical events
Term
hyperbole
Definition
exaggeration for effect
Term
Iambic Pentameter
Definition
a line which contains ten syllables (every other syllable is stressed); five feet in each line
Term
Imagery
Definition
words which appeal to one or more of the five senses (taste, touch, smell, feel, hear)
Term
Irony
Definition
difference between the way things appear and the way they really are
Term
dramatic irony
Definition
the reader knows something the other characters do not know
Term
situational irony
Definition
the opposit of what you expect to happen occurs
Term
verbal irony
Definition
saying one thing but meaning another
Term
limerick
Definition
a five-line poem which rhymes
Term
lyric poetry
Definition
highly musical poetry which expresses the feelings or observations of the speaker
Term
metaphor
Definition
comparison of two things without using "like" or "as"
Term
meter
Definition
the repetion of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry
Term
monologue
Definition
a speech or performance given entirely by one person or one character
Term
mood
Definition
the emotion created in the reader by all or part of the literary work
Term
mystery
Definition
a story that involves the reader in guessing who committed the crime or deed
Term
myth
Definition
a fictional tale that explains of gods or heroes, or the causes of natural phenomenon, or both
Term
narrative poetry
Definition
poetry that tells a story
Term
non-fiction
Definition
prose that explains ideas or is about real people, places, objects, or events
Term
omniscient point of view
Definition
the narrator is not part of the story's actions but appears to know what everyone in the story is thinking or feeling
Term
onomatopoeia
Definition
words which imitate sounds
Term
oxymoron
Definition
opposites side by side; two words used together that contradict each other
Term
paradox
Definition
a statement that seems contrary to comon sense and yet is perhaps true
Term
parallelism
Definition
repetion of phrases that have similar grammatical patterns
Term
personification
Definition
giving human characteristics to a non-human thing
Term
persuasive writing
Definition
type of writing which presents info to support or prove a point; expresses an opinion and tries to convince the reader that the opinion is fact
Term
plot
Definition
the sequence of events in a literary work
Term
exposition
Definition
the part of a story or play that explains the background or makes conflict clear
Term
inciting incident
Definition
events which gets the story going and leads to the climax
Term
rising action
Definition
characters face or try to solve a problem
Term
falling action
Definition
the action that takes place in a story after the climax and that resolves the conflict
Term
resolution
Definition
problem is solved
Term
denouement
Definition
tying up loose ends
Term
point of view
Definition
vantage point from which a story is told
Term
limited third person point of view
Definition
the narrator is not part of the story's action and the narrator's knowledge is limited to what the protagonist thinks or feels
Term
ominiscient third person point of view
Definition
the narrator is not part of the story's actions but appears to know what everyone in the story is thinking or feeling
Term
poetic justice
Definition
when a character 'gets what he deserves'
Term
prologue
Definition
the opening lines of a drama that give background information
Term
prologue
Definition
the opening lines of a drama that give background information
Term
prose
Definition
the ordinary form of written language, not poetry, drama, or song
Term
protagonist
Definition
good guy; hero
Term
pseudonym
Definition
pen name
Term
pun
Definition
a play on words; a word that has a doouble meaning
Term
refrain
Definition
the regularly repeated group of lines in a poem or song
Term
repetition
Definition
a sound, word, or phrase that is used more than once
Term
rhetorical question
Definition
a question that is not meant to be answered
Term
rhyme
Definition
repetition of sounds at the ends of words
Term
rhyme scheme
Definition
pattern of rhyming words in a poem
Term
satire
Definition
literary device used to ridicule or make fun of a human weakness (ex Greed)
Term
science fiction
Definition
fictional stories that center upon scientific elements
Term
setting
Definition
time and place in which the action occurs
Term
simile
Definition
comparison of two things using "like" or "as"
Term
soliloquy
Definition
a speech delivered by a character when he is alone on stage
Term
sonnet
Definition
a fourteen-line poem that is written in iambic pentameter and rhymes
Term
stream of consciousness
Definition
a narrative technique that presents thoughts as if they were coming straight from a character's mind
Term
stanza
Definition
a group of lines in poetry that are separated by spaces
Term
style
Definition
an author's unique way of writing that involves word choice and sentence patterns
Term
symbol
Definition
something that represents itself and something else
Term
theme
Definition
main idea
Term
tone
Definition
writer's attitude about a topic
Term
tragedy
Definition
a play with an unhappy ending
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