Literary Lang. Terms

Question 1

ad hominem

Answer 1

Latin for “against the man,” and refers to the logical fallacy (error) of arguing
that someone is incorrect because they are unattractive, immoral, weird, and so on.

Question 2

Example of what?:
A professor is presenting their latest research on quantum mechanics to a group of
colleagues. At the end of the presentation, a person whispers to the other: “I don’t
believe a word. Did you know that he has been cheating on his partner for years?”

Answer 2

ad hominem

Question 3

allegory

Answer 3

a story within a story. It has a “surface story” and another story hidden underneath.

Question 4

Example of what?:
Dr. Seuss wrote The Sneetches as an _______ for racism and other forms of
prejudice. The story is all about creatures who are treated as inferior because they don’t
have stars on their bellies. It’s written in a child-friendly, playful style, but it still contains
an important political message.

Answer 4

allegory

Question 5

alliteration

Answer 5

words that begin with the same sound are placed close together.

Question 6

Example of what?:
Sally sells seashells by the seashore.

Answer 6

alliteration

Question 7

allusion

Answer 7

basically a reference to something else. It’s when a
writer mentions some other work or refers to an earlier part of the current work.

Question 8

Example of what?:
You’re acting like such a Scrooge!

Answer 8

allusion

Question 9

ambiguity

Answer 9

Ambiguity ( ‘am-bih-GYOO-ih-tee’) is an idea or situation that can be understood
in multiple ways.

Question 10

Example of what?:
“The murderer killed the student with a book.” We know what all these words mean
individually, but altogether they are ambiguous; was the book used as a murder
weapon? Or was the victim carrying a book during the attack?

Answer 10

ambiguity

Question 11

analogy

Answer 11

An analogy is a literary technique in which two unrelated objects are compared for
their shared qualities. This is not done for poetic purposes, but to make rational arguments.

Question 12

Example of what?:
Raising children requires the same dedication you would give to a garden. Nurture
them, feed them, introduce them to both light and dark, and have patience; and soon
you will see them grow into blooming wonders.

Answer 12

analogy

Question 13

anaphora

Answer 13

when a certain word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of
clauses or sentences that follow each other. This repetition emphasizes the phrase while
adding rhythm to the passage, making it more memorable and enjoyable to read.

Question 14

Example of what?:
I’m sick and tired of you letting me down. I’m sick and tired of you making me mad.
And I’m sick and tired of you doing such silly things!

Answer 14

anaphora

Question 15

anecdote

Answer 15

a very short story that is significant to the topic at hand; usually
adding personal knowledge or experience to the topic.

Question 16

Example of what?: Mom and Dad discuss whether or not to get a dog for the family. Dad says:
You know, when I was a kid, my dog was my best friend. He made my childhood better.
Mom contemplates his anecdote and then agrees that they should get a dog.

Answer 16

anecdote

Question 17

antithesis

Answer 17

the opposite of a statement, concept, or idea. In literary
analysis, an antithesis is a pair of statements or images in which the one reverses the other.
The pair is written with similar grammatical structures to show more contrast.

Question 18

Ex: That’s one small step for a man – one giant leap for mankind. (Neil Armstrong, 1969,
said upon walking on the moon for the first time)

Answer 18

antithesis

Question 19

aphorism

Answer 19

a short statement of a general truth, insight, or good advice. It’s
roughly similar to a “saying.”

Question 20

Example of what?:
“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.“

Answer 20

aphorism

Question 21

archetype

Answer 21

An archetype (ARK-uh-type) is an idea, symbol, pattern, or character-type, in a
story. It’s any story element that appears again and again in stories from cultures around the
world and symbolizes something universal in the human experience.

Question 22

Example of what?:
Hero, Trickster, Lost Love, the Mentor, and Fire.

Answer 22

archetype

Question 23

assonance

Answer 23

the repetition of the same or similar
vowel sounds within words, phrases, or sentences.

Question 24

Example of what?:
She seems to beam rays of sunshine with her eyes of green. (4 forms of the same
sound).

Answer 24

assonance

Question 25

caesura (see-ZOO-ra)

Answer 25

refers to a break or pause in the middle of a
line of verse. It can be marked as || in the middle of the line, although generally it is not
marked at all – it’s simply part of the way the reader or singer pronounces the line.

Question 26

Example of what?:
“Oh, say can you see || by the dawn’s early light…”

Answer 26

Caesura

Question 27

catharsis

Answer 27

meaning “cleansing” in Greek, refers to a literary theory that cleansing
our emotions was the purpose of a tragedy. Catharsis applies to any form of art or media that
makes us feel strong negative emotions. Afterward, we can walk out of the theater feeling
better. Catharsis is roughly synonymous with the idea of “blowing off steam.”

Question 28

Example of what?:
If you listen to a death metal song in which the singer screams the lyrics, it might
help lessen your own feelings of needing to scream.

Answer 28

Catharsis

Question 29

cliché

Answer 29

A cliché (pronounced ‘klee-SHAY’) is a saying, image, or idea which has been used
so much that it sounds terribly uncreative.

Question 30

Example of what?:
As white as snow, happily ever after, don’t judge a book by its cover.

Answer 30

Cliche

Question 31

connotation

Answer 31

a feeling or idea that a word has, in addition to its literal or
main meaning (the denotation) - basically, the emotions or meanings that are implied.

Question 32

Example of what?:
Here are some word groups where each word has a different feeling or idea 1)
Stench, smell, aroma, scent, odor, and 2) Proud, confident, arrogant, egotistical.

Answer 32

Connotation

Question 33

consonance

Answer 33

the repetition of a consonant
sound in a line or sentence, creating rhythm. Alliteration is consonance limited to just sounds
at the beginning of words.

Question 34

Example of what?:
Are you asking me to come up with examples of consonance? I’ll find it in the lyrics.

Answer 34

Consonance

Question 35

conundrum

Answer 35

A conundrum (pronounced ko-NUN-drum) is a difficult problem, one that is
impossible or almost impossible to solve - anything from moral dilemmas to riddles.

Question 36

Example of what?:
1. What can be swallowed, or can swallow a person? Pride
2. Imagine you got into only two colleges – one was a better school with better faculty,
but the other has a reputation for being more fun and has a more socially active student
body. Which school should you pick? Which one would make you happy in the future?

Answer 36

Conondrum

Question 37

deux ex machina

Answer 37

Latin for “a god from the machine.” It’s when
some new character, force, or event suddenly shows up to solve a seemingly hopeless
situation. The effect is usually unexpected, and it’s often disappointing for audiences.

Question 38

Example of what?:
In the original story, Little Red Riding Hood is simply eaten by the wolf. But some
later authors, deciding that this was too sad for young children, decided to add a random
woodsman who appears right at the end and kills the wolf.

Answer 38

deux ex machina

Question 39

diction

Answer 39

Diction (pronounced DIK-shun) refers to word choice and phrasing in any written or
spoken text.

Question 40

Example of what?:
formal, informal, elementary teacher, police officer, sarcastic, flowery. The King
James Bible has very distinct diction, with words like “yea” and “thy.”

Answer 40

diction

Question 41

double entendre

Answer 41

A double entendre is much like what it sounds like—a double meaning or
interpretation for a word, phrase, or figure of speech. Usually, the first meaning is
straightforward, but another meaning is slightly inappropriate or risqué.

Question 42

Example of what?:
At a local farmer’s market, a woman is working at a fruit stand. A man walks up…
Man: “Wow, those are some huge melons you’ve got there. Did you grow them yourself?
Can I see one?”
Woman: “EXCUSE ME?”
Man points to a pile of watermelons behind her.
Man: “The watermelons, can I see one?”
Woman: “Oh, yes, of course. Here you go.”

Answer 42

double entendre

Question 43

dramatic irony

Answer 43

occurs when the audience knows something the characters
don’t — so the characters might get an unexpected outcome, but for the audience, it’s not
unexpected at all.

Question 44

Example of what?:
In the last scene, we saw the intruder sneak into the bedroom, so we feel anxious for
the little girl who walks in five minutes later.

Answer 44

Dramatic Irony

Question 45

equivocation

Answer 45

Commonly known as “doublespeak,” equivocation (pronounced ee-QUIV-oh-
KAY-shun) is the use of vague language to hide one’s meaning or to avoid committing to a
point of view. It’s often used to avoid admitting guilt, without lying openly.

Question 46

Example of what?:
During a school-closure controversy, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel used the
phrase “optimize school resource utilization” instead of “close schools.”

Answer 46

equivocation

Question 47

ethos

Answer 47

one of the three basic argumentative appeals, in which a speaker establishes their
credibility and knowledge, as well as their good moral character.

Question 48

Example of what?:
Someone writing an op-ed on the importance of childhood literacy first establishes
their decades of experience as an educator. An ad for shampoo features a well-known
celebrity hairdresser who vouches for the product.

Answer 48

ethos

Question 49

euphemism

Answer 49

polite, mild phrases which substitute unpleasant ways of
saying something sad or uncomfortable.

Question 50

Example of what?:
We have to let you go, Tyler (meaning fire) or friendly fire (one army accidentally
killing its own soldiers).

Answer 50

Euphemism

Question 51

exposition

Answer 51

the first paragraph or paragraphs in which the
characters, setting (time and place), and basic information is introduced.

Question 52

Example of what?:
A movie starts by panning over the city or countryside and showing the main
character doing something such as walking, working, or waking up.

Answer 52

exposition

Question 53

fallacy

Answer 53

a mistaken belief, especially one based on an unsound argument.

Question 54

Example of what?:
“The notion that the camera never lies is a _______”

Answer 54

fallacy

Question 55

hamartia

Answer 55

the tragic flaw or error that reverses a protagonist’s fortune from good
to bad. Hamartia, pronounced hah-mahr-tee–uh, is derived from the Greek phrase
hamartanein meaning “to err” or “to miss the mark.”

Question 56

Example of what?:
________ includes character flaws such as excessive ambition, greed, or pride which
result in tragic consequences.

Answer 56

Hamartia

Question 57

homophone

Answer 57

Greek for “same sound.” It’s when two or more
words have the same sound, but different meanings.

Question 58

Example of what?:
to, too, two, or bear, bare.

Answer 58

Homophone

Question 59

hubris

Answer 59

means “excessive pride” or “overconfidence. It’s when somebody gets so confident
that they start to believe they’re invincible. As a result, they make foolish decisions that
ultimately bring about their defeat.

Question 60

Example of what?: Advertisements for Titanic said she was “practically unsinkable,”

Answer 60

hubris

Question 61

hyperbole

Answer 61

a figure of speech in which an author or speaker purposely and obviously
exaggerates to an extreme.

Question 62

idiom

Answer 62

a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning different from the words used.

Question 63

imagery

Answer 63

Language used by poets, novelists, and other writers to create images in the mind
of the reader. Imagery includes figurative and metaphorical language to improve the reader’s
experience through their senses.

Question 64

inference

Answer 64

An inference is the process of drawing a conclusion from supporting evidence. It’s
when you go beyond the evidence and reach some further conclusion

Question 65

innuendo

Answer 65

when you say something which is polite and innocent on the surface, but
indirectly hints at an insult or rude comment, a dirty joke, or even social or political criticism.

Question 66

Example of what?: I’ve found a way to get some “extra help” on the test.

Answer 66

innuendo

Question 67

irony

Answer 67

when there are two contradicting meanings of the same situation, event, image,
sentence, phrase, or story.

Question 68

Example of what?:
A popular visual representation of irony shows a seagull sitting on top of a “no
seagulls” sign.

Answer 68

irony

Question 69

juxtaposition

Answer 69

the placement of two or more things
side by side, often in order to bring out their differences.

Question 70

Example of what?:
A butler spends his days in a beautiful mansion dressed in a tuxedo, but returns
home to a closet-sized apartment in a rundown part of town.

Answer 70

juxtaposition

Question 71

logos

Answer 71

the appeal to logic, means to appeal to the audience's sense of reason or logic

Question 72

motif

Answer 72

a symbolic image or idea that appears frequently in a story. Motifs can be
symbols, sounds, actions, ideas, or words.

Question 73

Example of what?:
Bad weather: Throughout the story, there is surprisingly bad weather—snow,
freezing rain, and even a tornado. These weather conditions further emphasize the
larger theme of nature’s power over humans.

Answer 73

motif

Question 74

nemesis

Answer 74

is an enemy, often a villain.

Question 75

onomatopoeia

Answer 75

refers to words whose
pronunciations imitate the sounds they describe

Question 76

Example of what?:
Dogs bark, ruff, woof, arf, and howl. Cats meow, hiss, and purr. Frogs croak, chirp,
and ribbit. Cows go moo. Horses neigh and whinny. Lions roar. The rooster goes cock-a-
doodle-do!

Answer 76

onomatopoeia

Question 77

oxymoron

Answer 77

An oxymoron is a figure of speech that puts together opposite elements. The
combination of these contradicting elements serves to reveal a paradox, confuse, or give the
reader a laugh.

Question 78

Example of what?:
My room is an organized mess, or controlled chaos if you will. Same difference.

Answer 78

Oxymoron

Question 79

paradox

Answer 79

a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the
same time. Paradoxes are quirks in logic that demonstrate how our thinking sometimes goes
haywire, even when we use perfectly logical reasoning to get there.

Question 80

Example of what?:
This statement is a lie. (This is the most famous of all logical ________ because it’s
so simple. These five simple words are self-contradictory: if the statement is true, then
it’s a lie, which means it’s not true. But if it’s not true, then it’s a lie, which makes it true.
Yikes!)

Answer 80

paradox

Question 81

parallelism

Answer 81

also known as parallel structure, is when phrases in a sentence have similar or
the same grammatical structure. In its most basic usage, parallelism provides a phrase with
balance and clarity. Parallelism also serves to give phrases a pattern and rhythm.

Question 82

parody

Answer 82

a work that’s created by imitating an existing original work in order to make fun of
or comment on an aspect of the original. Parodies can target celebrities, politicians, authors, a
style or trend, or any other interesting subject.

Question 83

pathos

Answer 83

One of the three basic argumentative appeals, which appeals to emotion.

Question 84

Example of what?:
ASPCA commercials of neglected animals; encouraging audiences to donate money

Answer 84

pathos

Question 85

personification

Answer 85

a kind of metaphor in which you describe an inanimate object, abstract
thing, or non-human animal in human terms

Question 86

situational irony

Answer 86

the irony of something happening that is very different from what was
expected

Question 87

Example of what?:
a fire station burning down

Answer 87

situational irony

Question 88

soliloquy

Answer 88

a kind of monologue or an extended speech by
one character. The character is simply “thinking out loud” or talking to an empty room.

Question 89

Example of what?:
Remember when Romeo was standing under Juliet’s Balcony in Act 2 Sc. 2
professing his love for her to the night sky?

Answer 89

soliloquy

Question 90

stereotype

Answer 90

Stereotyping is assuming that “they’re all alike.” It’s looking at a whole group of
people and assuming that they all share certain qualities.

Question 91

synecdoche (si-nek-duh-kee)

Answer 91

a figure of speech that allows a part to stand
for a whole or for a whole to stand for a part.

Question 92

Example of what?:
You refer to your car as your “wheels” or a handful of quarters, dimes, and pennies
as the “change” needed to pay the meter

Answer 92

synecdoche

Question 93

trope

Answer 93

The word trope can refer to any type of figure of speech, theme, image, character, or
plot element that is used many times.

Question 94

understatement

Answer 94

Understatement is when a writer presents a situation or thing as if it is less
important or serious than it is in reality.

Question 95

vernacular

Answer 95

everyday speech. It’s just the way people talk
in day-to-day life. The opposite of vernacular is formal writing.

Question 96

Example of what?:
The word “y’all” is very common vernacular in more Southern states.

Answer 96

vernacular