Literary terms Flashcards
Allusion
An indirect, but pointed or meaningful reference
Antagonist
One who opposes and actively competes with another
Couplet
Two successive rhyming lines in a verse that has the same meter to form a complete thought
Analogy
A point by point comparison between two things that are alike
Aside
A characters dialogue that cannot be heard by the other characters
Blank Verse
An unrhyming verse written in iambic pentameter
Characterization
The act of creating and describing characters
Climax
The point of great intensity in any series or progression
Personification
A figure of speech that gives human qualities to an object, animal, or idea
Simile
Uses like or as the compare two unrelated things
Situational irony
Contrast between what a reader/character expects and what actually happens
Soliloquy
When a character speaks his or her thoughts out loud
Foil
A character that contrasts with another character
Verbal irony
When someone knowingly exaggerates or says one thing and means another
Theme
The central idea of a work of literature
Pun
A play on the sound of words to achieve a certain effect
Symbol
Something that represents something else by association or resemblance
Oxymoron
Two opposite ideas are joined to create an effect
Protagonist
The leading character
Conflict
The struggle between two opposing forces
Diction
A writer’s choice of words for clarity, effectiveness, and precision
