Grade 12 Litterary Terms

Question 1

Crisis

Answer 1

The turning point in the action. It is unclear if the protagonist will succeed or fail. Leads to climax (usually)

Question 2

Nemesis

Answer 2

Retributive justice (when a character gets what they deserve)

Question 3

Diction

Answer 3

Words chosen by an author. Diction can help create tone i.e casual or formal?

Question 4

Soliloquy

Answer 4

A dramatic convention (usually associated with Shakespeare) in which a character, usually alone on stage, utters his/her thoughts aloud.

Question 5

Character Foil

Answer 5

A person who, through strong contrast, underscores or enhances the distinct characteristics of another.

Question 6

Hamartia

Answer 6

(From the Greek) a character’s tragic flaw. Associated with Shakespearean tragic heros.

Question 7

Hubris

Answer 7

Excessive Pride. A common tragic flaw found in literature.

Question 8

Cacophony

Answer 8

Harsh sounds that are used to create an settling effect. In writing, cacophonie sounds are usually achieved using constants. “He grunted in a gruff voice”. The hard “G” sounds with the “t” and “f” sounds create a dissonant and unharmonious effect.

Question 9

Euphony

Answer 9

Soft, gentle (almost musical sounding) words that produce a soothing effect. Long vowel sounds tend to be euphonic. “Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness”

Question 10

Idiom

Answer 10

An expression that means something other than what is literally expressed by its words. e.g. “Kick the bucket” means die.

Question 11

Cliche

Answer 11

An old, worn out expression that has lost all of its original meaning and impact. Cliches typical have a negative connotation (unlike idioms). “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” AVOID THIS ONE AT ALL COSTS IN YOUR WRITING

Question 12

Understatement

Answer 12

The presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important/significant than it actually is. e.g. “President Trump has been known to spend a bit of time on Twitter.”

Question 13

Antithesis

Answer 13

The exact opposite or contrast to something else. Prime Minister Trudeau seems to be the antithesis of President Trump.

Question 14

Catharsis

Answer 14

The emotional cleansing/purging that takes place at the end of a work of literature. (Originally in Classical Greek Tragedy)

Question 15

Peripeteia

Answer 15

(From Greek Tragedy) A sudden reversal of fortune that often occurs in literature. Especially in literary tragedy.

Question 16

Anagnorisis

Answer 16

(From Greek tragedy) Refers to the moment in a literary work in which the hero makes a critical discovery or has realization about the truth (often comes too late for a tragic hero. Fate has “already been sealed”)

Question 17

Allegory

Answer 17

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Question 18

Non-fiction prose

Answer 18

Works written in sentences and paragraphs that are about true facts.