Literary Terminology

Question 1

Allusion

Answer 1

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event.

“His smile was as enigmatic as the Mona Lisa.”

Question 2

Aside

Answer 2

A remark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters.

“She whispered to the audience, ‘Little do they know, I have a plan.’”

Question 3

Blank Verse

Answer 3

Unrhymed iambic pentameter.

“To be or not to be, that is the question.”

Question 4

Character

Answer 4

A person, animal, or being in a story.

“Harry Potter is a beloved character in J.K. Rowling’s series.”

Question 5

Comedy

Answer 5

A literary work, especially a play, that is light and often humorous or satirical in tone.

“Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ is a classic comedy.”

Question 6

Conflict

Answer 6

A struggle between opposing forces in a story or play, usually resolved by the end of the work.

“The central conflict in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is the feud between the Montagues and Capulets.”

Question 7

Dramatic Irony

Answer 7

When the audience knows something that the characters do not.

“In ‘Oedipus Rex,’ the audience knows Oedipus’s true identity long before he does.”

Question 8

Epic

Answer 8

A long narrative poem detailing the adventures and deeds of a hero.

“Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ is an epic poem.”

Question 9

Epic Hero

Answer 9

A brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events.

“Odysseus is an epic hero in ‘The Odyssey.’”

Question 9

Epithet

Answer 9

A descriptive phrase expressing a quality or characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

“Achilles is often referred to as ‘swift-footed Achilles’ in ‘The Iliad.’”

Question 9

Epic Simile

Answer 9

An extended simile that is used typically in epic poetry to intensify the heroic stature of the subject.

“The comparison of the warriors to lions in ‘The Iliad’ is an example of an epic simile.”

Question 10

Imagery

Answer 10

Visually descriptive or figurative language.

“The golden sun set behind the purple mountains, casting a rosy hue across the landscape.”

Question 11

Inversion

Answer 11

The normal order of words is reversed, typically for emphasis or poetic effect.

“In the dark of night, she roamed the empty streets.”

Question 12

Malapropism

Answer 12

The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect.

“He said the pineapple of perfection instead of the pinnacle of perfection.”

Question 13

Metaphor

Answer 13

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

“Time is a thief that steals our moments.”

Question 14

Mood

Answer 14

The atmosphere or emotional condition created by the piece, within the setting.

“The mood of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven’ is dark and melancholic.”

Question 15

Point of View

Answer 15

The perspective from which a story is narrated.

“The novel ‘1984’ is told from a third-person point of view.”

Question 16

Pun

Answer 16

A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

“I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough.”

Question 17

Setting

Answer 17

The time and place in which the story takes place.

“The setting of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is early 19th-century England.”

Question 18

Soliliquy

Answer 18

A long speech expressing the thoughts of a character alone on stage.

“Hamlet’s ‘To be, or not to be’ soliloquy is one of Shakespeare’s most famous.”

Question 19

Sonnet

Answer 19

A poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes.

“Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 begins with ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’”

Question 20

Symbol

Answer 20

A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

“In ‘The Great Gatsby,’ the green light symbolizes Gatsby’s hopes and dreams.”

Question 21

Syntax

Answer 21

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

“The syntax of the poem is complex, with a unique word order.”

Question 22

Tone

Answer 22

The general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.

“The tone of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is both somber and hopeful.”

Question 23

Tragedy

Answer 23

A play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character.

“Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ is a classic tragedy.”