Literary Terms Flashcards
describes an object or action in a way that isn’t literally true
ex. “early bird”, “couch potato”, beat a dead horse”
Metaphor
comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind
ex. “as busy as a bee”, “as blind as a bat”, as cold as ice”
similie
visual symbolism
imagery
the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
symbolism
attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman,
personification
one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite.
irony
placing two things side by side so as to highlight their differences.
juxtapostion
be a warning or indication of (a future event)
foreshadowing
the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.
ex. “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
alliteration
he attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object
ex. Winnie the Pooh, the Little Engine that Could, and Simba from the movie The Lion King.
anthropomorphism
a literary technique that serves as a companion piece to a story within a story, where an introductory or main narrative sets the stage
frame story
a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story.
flashback
a temporary state of mind or feeling.
mood
a modulation of the voice expressing a particular feeling or mood.
tone
a subject, a verb, and a completed thought
ex. Joe waited for the train
Simple sentence
sentence made up of two or more simple sentences joined with a conjunction.
ex. Nancy was out of oil, so she went to the grocery store
Compound sentence
a sentence that contains an independent clause with one or more subordinate clauses.
ex. Sarah didn’t get a treat after dinner, because she didn’t do her homework on time
Complex sentence
comprising at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
ex. Though Michael prefers watching romantic films, he rented the latest spy thriller, and he enjoyed it very much.
Compound-Complex sentence
Epic
long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation.
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
Epic Similie
an extended simile often running to several lines
an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
Epithet
excessive pride or self-confidence.
Hubris
the law/custom of offering protection and hospitality to strangers
Xenia
