37: Literary Terms

Question 0

Anecdote

Answer 0

(N) a short autobiography account or snippet from someone’s past, usually humorous

Question 1

Allusion

Answer 1

(N) an indirect reference, often to a character or theme found in some work of literature

Question 2

Catharsis

Answer 2

(N) an emotional cleansing or release of emotional tensions, fears, or pity

Question 3

Euphemism

Answer 3

(N) a more pleasant word or phrase that replaces another that is too direct, distasteful, or offensive

Question 4

Hyperbole

Answer 4

(N) an exaggeration used to create an effect

Question 5

Irony

Answer 5

(N) an unexpected outcome or unanticipated twist of events presented in literature and in life

Question 6

Metaphor

Answer 6

(N) a figurative devise in which a direct comparison is made, without using like or as

Question 7

Oxymoron

Answer 7

(N) contradictory terms, appearing side by side, used for rhetorical effect

Question 8

Parable

Answer 8

(N) a brief story, told or written in order to teach a moral lesson

Question 9

Parody

Answer 9

(N) a work that imitates the style of another literary work; may be mocking or amusing; short, humorous parodies can be called spoofs

Question 10

Pathos

Answer 10

(N) the quality of a piece of writing that evokes pity, sympathy, or some other strong emotional response in the reader

Question 11

Prose

Answer 11

(N) writing that is not poetry or rhyming verse

Question 12

Satire

Answer 12

(N) a literary work, often humorous, intended to ridicule the public figures, behaviors, or political situations presented or alluded to in the work

Question 13

Vignette

Answer 13

(N) a brief descriptive passage in writing