literary terms

Question 1

alliteration

Answer 1

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of 2 or more neighboring words

Question 2

allusion

Answer 2

a passing reference, without explicit identification, to a literary or historical person/place/event, or literary work

Question 3

anachronism

Answer 3

a thing belonging to a different time period (esp. something that is conspicuously old fashioned)

Question 4

analogy

Answer 4

comparing similarities

Question 5

metaphor

Answer 5

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

Question 6

simile

Answer 6

a metaphor/analogy that uses like/as

Question 7

anecdote

Answer 7

Offering a brief narrative episode

Question 8

aphorism

Answer 8

a concise observation and pointed statement that contains a general truth

Question 9

cliché

Answer 9

a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought; overly familiar

Question 10

connotation

Answer 10

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning

Question 11

denotation

Answer 11

dictionary definition; objective meaning; literal meaning taken at surface value

Question 12

diction

Answer 12

refers to the author’s word choice

Question 13

ellipsis

Answer 13

when one or more words are omitted from a sentence

Question 14

hyperbole

Answer 14

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

Question 15

imagery

Answer 15

visually descriptive or figurative language

Question 16

ironic satire

Answer 16

the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite of what the writer intends to achieve a humorous effect or to add emphasis

Question 17

shift

Answer 17

a sudden change—a contrast—in mood, tone, point of view, diction, or theme

Question 18

parallel structure

Answer 18

the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence

Question 19

syllogism

Answer 19

a form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion

Question 20

enthymemes

Answer 20

when a premise in a syllogism is missing, the syllogism becomes an enthymeme

Question 21

syntax

Answer 21

the way sentences are grammatically constructed

Question 22

verisimilitude

Answer 22

the appearance of being true or real