literary terms Flashcards
alliteration
the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
allusion
an expression meant to bring something to mind without saying it
assonance
the use of similar sounding syllables close to each other, but not rhyming
hyperbole
heavy exaggeration
imagery
use of descriptive words to paint a scene
metaphor
comparison saying something IS something else
simile
comparison saying something IS LIKE something else
theme
overarching lesson
tone
the way language or word choice evokes emotion
catharsis
the feeling after releasing a strong emotion
chorus
a group of characters that speak to the audience and highlight the underlying messages and themes
deity
a god or goddess
epic hero
the main character of an epic poem that tells the story of a grand quest in which they use their extraordinary or superhuman abilities to achieve great things
tragic hero
the central character of a play, film, etc., depicted as a noble figure who experiences a tragic downfall
epic poetry
long narrative poem that defines the values, morals, and social systems of a culture
