Literary Terms Flashcards
Epic
A long narrative that tells the tale of a hero.
Epic Hero
The main character in an epic that shows courage, strength, and loyalty.
Archetype
A basic plot, character, or IDE that reoccurs in literature of many cultures.
Example: good vs evil, Cinderella story, hero’s quest.
Archetypal Setting
A setting the occurs in many different cultures
Examples: the tree connecting heaven and earth, a garden being paradise.
Alliteration
The repetition of the first sounds in words.
Enjambment
When the meaning of a line of poetry carries over to the next line.
Imagery
Language used to create word pictures by appealing to one or more of the five senses.
Parallelism
A style of writing that involves stating an idea in the first half of a verse and then using similar grammatical structure to repeat or negate it in the second half.
Symbolism
When objects represent something deeper than their surface meaning.
Metaphor
A comparison of two unlike things.
Didactic Literature
Teaches lessons on ethics, or principles regarding right and wrong conduct, often reflects the values of the society that produces it.
Frame narrative
A narrative containing a story within a story.
Antithesis
The use of strongly contrasting language, images, or ideas.
Folk Tale
- Has a moral lesson.
- Magical or supernatural element.
- Characters who contain 1 or 2 main traits.
- A clear desperation between good and evil.
Aphorism
Short, pointed statements expressing a truth about human experience.
