Key Terms Group A

Question 1

Allegory

Answer 1

a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events (Plato’s Cave, Animal Farm)

Question 2

Allusion

Answer 2

a brief or indirect reference to a person, event, or literary work (Bible, Shakespeare, Greek Mythology)

Question 3

Alliteration

Answer 3

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of several words (The beautiful bouquet blossomed in the bright sun.)

Question 4

Ambiguity

Answer 4

When an author leaves out details/information or is unclear about an event so the reader will use his/her imagination to fill in the blanks

Question 5

Anaphora

Answer 5

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or phrases (It was the best of times, it was the worst of times)

Question 6

Anecdote

Answer 6

A short story or joke told at the beginning of a speech to gain the audience’s attention and illustrate an intended moral (back in my day..)

Question 7

Antagonist

Answer 7

The protagonist’s adversary, not always “the bad guy or the villain” (Darth Vader, The Joker)

Question 8

Apostrophe

Answer 8

When a character speaks to a character or object that is not present or is unable to respond. This can mean addressing inanimate objects or the natural world.

Question 9

Asyndeton

Answer 9

the omission of conjoining conjunctions (such as “and,”, “or,” “but”) when not grammatically necessary for emphasis or to maintain meter
(reduce, reuse, recycle/Live,laugh,love)

Question 10

Assonance

Answer 10

The repetition of the same vowel sound in a phrase or line of poetry (The rain stays mainly on the plains)