Lit. Terms Flashcards
Simile
A comparison of two unlike things using the words like or as
Satire
A literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satiric attack
Point of View
The vantage point from which the story is told
Mood
Is the feeling a piece of the literature arouses in the reader
Tone
The overall feeling or effect created by a writer’s use of words
Style
Is how the author uses words, phrases, and sentences to form his or her ideas
Motif
A term for an often-repeated idea or theme in literature
Flashback
Is returning to an earlier time (in a story) for the purpose of making something in the present more clear
Symbol
a person, place, thing, or event used to represent something else
Diction
An author’s choice of words based on their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness
Protagonist
The main character or hero of the story
3rd Person Limited
The story is told by someone outside of the story who knows the thoughts of only one character
1st Person
The story is told by one of the characters
Genre
Refers to a category or type of literature based on its style, form, and content
Local Color
The use of details that are common in a certain region of the country
Metonymy
Is the substituting of one word for another that is closely related to it
Foreshadowing
Is giving hints and clues of what is to come later in a story
Parody
Is a form of literature intended to mock a particular literary work or it style
Irony
Is using a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of it literal or normal meaning
Paradox
Is a statement that seems contrary to common sense yet may, in fact, be true
Antithesis
Is an opposition, or contrast, of ideas
Figurative Language
Is language used to create a special effect or feeling
Imagery
The words or phrases a writer selects to create a certain picture in the reader’s mind
Characterization
The message an author uses to reveal or describe characters and their various personalities
Dramatic Monologue
A literary work in which a character is speaking about him or herself as if another person were present
Conflict
The problem or struggle in a story that triggers the action
Oxymoron
A combination of contradictory terms as in~ Jumbo shrimp
Soliloquy
A speech delivered by a character when he or she is alone on stage
Pun
A word or phrase that is used in such a way as to suggest more than one possible meaning
Hyperbole
And exaggeration or overstatement
Metaphor
A comparison of two unlike things in which like or as is not used
Farce
A literature based on a highly humorous and highly improbable plot
Analogy
A comparison of two or more similar objects, suggesting that if they are like in certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways as well
Antagonist
The person or thing working against the protagonist of the work
Plot
The action or sequence of events in a story
3rd Person Omniscient
The story is told by someone outside the story who knows the thoughts of all the characters
Allegory
A story in which people things and actions represent an idea or generalization about life
Narrator
The person who is telling the story
Action
What happens in a story: the events or conflicts
Foil
Someone to serve as a contrast or challenge to another character
Dialogue
The conversation carried on by the characters in a literary work
Setting
The time and place in which the action of a literary work occurs
Theme
The statement about life a particular work is trying to get across to the reader
Understatement
Stating an idea with restraint to emphasize what is being talked about
Personification
A literary device in which the author speaks of or describes an animal, object, or idea as if it were a person
