Literary Terms Flashcards
epic poem
a long narrative poem, in which heroes perform valorous deeds.
framestory
a story in which people tell eachother stories
alliteration
a pattern of sound that includes the repetition of consonant sounds. (beginrijm)
- made it easier to remember for reciting
fable
a short allegorical story describing the actions of animals who have been given humn characteristics
- there is always a clear moral to the story
mock epic
form of satire that adaps the style of the elevated herioc style of the classical epic poem to a trivial subject
allegory
a narrative that serves as an extended methaphor
dramatic monologue
a literary device that is used when a character reveals his or her innermost thoughts and feelings (soliloguy)
methaphor
it says that one thing is something else, but literally it is not (does not mean exactly what it says)
simile
makes a comparison between two otherwise unlike objects or ideals (connect them with ‘like’ or ‘as’)
allusion
a reference in a literary work to a person, place or thing in history or another work of literature
antagonist
a character in a story or poem who deceives, frustrates or works against the main character in some way
ballad
a narrative folk song (middle ages, orally)
connotation
an association that comes along with a particular word. (bv. gold is luxury)
denotation
the exact meaning of a word, without the feelings or suggestions that the word may imply. (bv. gold is a yellow element)
elegy
a type of literature defined as a song or poem, that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for one who died
epigram
a short poem or verse that seeks to ridicule a thought or event, usually with witticism or sarcasm
gothic
a literary style that usually portrayed fantastic tales dealing with horror and other ‘dark’ subjects
hyperbole
a figure of speech that is grossly exaggerated description or statement
irony
a term referring to how a person, situation, statement or circumstance is not as it would actually seem
metonymy
a figure of speech substitudes one term with another that is being associated with that term
myth
any story that attempts to explain how the world was created or why the world is the way that it is
narrative
a collection of events that tells a story placed in a particular order and recountedd through either telling or writing
narrative poem
a poem that tells a story, can come in many forms and styles
parable
a brief and often simple narrative that illustrates a moral or religious lesson
personification
a figure of speech where animals, ideas or inorganic objects are given human characteristics
