Literary Terms Flashcards
Allegory
A story that can be interpreted to have a hidden meaning
Allusion
Reference to something in the past.
Antithesis
A person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone/thing else
Dues ex machina
An unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation (ending of tartuffe)
Dramatic irony
When the audience knows something that the characters don’t
Hyperbole
Exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally
Invective
Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language
Oxymoron
When two opposite words are put in conjunction (jumbo shrimp)
Paradox
A statement or proposition that leads to a senseless, and impossible ending
Situational irony
Actions have an effect opposite of what was intended, leading to an unexpected ending
Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which part of something takes the place of the whole thing
Third person objective
Does not describe the feelings or thoughts of any characters
Unreliable third person
A character telling the story is not very reliable/credible due to the mental state of the narrator.
