Literary Terms Flashcards
Allegory
A fictional work in which the characters represent ideas or concepts
Ex) “Mr. Wordly Wiseman”
Allusion
Reference to another thing, idea, or person
Analogy
Asks the reader to think about the correspondence or resemblance between two things that are essentially different
Antithesis
An opposition or contrast of ideas that is often expressed in balanced phrases or clauses
Apostrophe
When a character or a thing is elevated to such a high status that it appears godlike
Elegy
Work of music, literature, dance, or art that expresses sorrow. Mourns the loss of something.
Euphemism
A mild or pleasant sounding expression that substitutes for a harsh, indelicate, or simply a less pleasant idea
Ex) using “departed” rather than “dead”
Hyperbole
Exaggeration used to emphasize
Irony
When a situation produces an outcome that is the opposite of what is expected
Alliteration
Repetition of constant sounds, usually at the beginning of words
Litotes
A special form of understatement, where the surface denial serves, through ironic contrast, to reinforce underlying assertion.
Exs) “He’s no fool” means “He is wise” or “Not uncommon” means “frequent”
Metaphor
Comparison without using like or as
Metonymy
A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it
Ex) “The Crown forbids grazing in the commons”
Mood
The prevailing or dominant feeling of a work, scene, or event
Oxymoron
Combines two contradictory words in one expression
Onomatopoeia
An effect created by words that have sounds that reinforce their meaning
Paradox
A seeming contradiction that in fact reveals some truth
Ex) “he lifted himself up by his bootstraps”
Parallelism
Repetition of similar grammatical components
Personification
Ideas or objects are described as having human qualities
Rhetorical question
A question that is asked for the sake of argument
Simile
Comparison using like or as
Synecdoche
A form of a metaphor. A part of something used to signify the whole
Ex) “all hands on deck”
Tone
AKA: attitude- the way the author presents a subject.
Ex) can be serious, scholarly, humorous, mournful or ironic
Loose sentences
When a main clause comes first, followed by further dependent grammatical units. A loose sentence makes sense if brought to a close before the period.
