Literary Terms

Question 1

Define Allegory

Answer 1

When an author uses an allegory, an idea is explained through well-known figures or occurrences. The point an author makes sometimes takes on larger-than-life features. Although the meaning conveyed is not literal, it is easy for readers to relate to.

Question 2

Define Alliteration

Answer 2

With alliteration, a series of words either in a row or very close to one another all begin with the same sound. The sound, not the letter, is the key.

Question 3

Define Analogy

Answer 3

a comparison between one thing and another, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Question 4

Define Antogonist

Answer 4

a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.

Question 5

Define Character:

Answer 5

the creation or construction of a fictional character.

Question 6

Define Conflict

Answer 6

a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.

Question 7

Define Connotation

Answer 7

an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Question 8

Define Denotation:

Answer 8

the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

Question 9

Define Flashback

Answer 9

A flashback is when memories of a past trauma feel as if they are taking place in the current moment.

Question 10

Define Diction

Answer 10

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

Question 11

Define Foreshadowing

Answer 11

be a warning or indication of (a future event).

Question 12

Define Hyperbole

Answer 12

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Question 13

Define Imagery

Answer 13

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

Question 14

Define Irony

Answer 14

the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Question 15

Define Metaphore

Answer 15

A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in “a sea of troubles” or “All the world’s a stage”

Question 16

Define mood narrator

Answer 16

The tone of a piece of literature is the speaker’s or narrator’s attitude towards the subject, rather than what the reader feels, as in mood. Mood is the general feeling or atmosphere that a piece of writing creates within the reader. Mood is produced most effectively through the use of setting, theme, voice and tone.

Question 17

Define Onomatopoeia

Answer 17

the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g. cuckoo, sizzle ).

Question 18

Define Personification

Answer 18

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something non-human, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

Question 19

Define Setting

Answer 19

the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place.

Question 20

Define simile

Answer 20

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g. as brave as a lion ).

Question 21

Define Soliloquy

Answer 21

an act of speaking one’s thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.

Question 22

Define Stereotype

Answer 22

a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Question 23

Define Symbol:

Answer 23

a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process, e.g. the letter or letters standing for a chemical element or a character in musical notation.

Question 24

Define Syntax

Answer 24

the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Question 25

Define Theme

Answer 25

the subject of a talk, piece of writing, exhibition, etc.; a topic.

Question 26

Define Tone

Answer 26

the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.

Question 27

Antithesis:

Answer 27

A device used to create contrast by placing two parallel but opposite ideas in a sentence

Purpose: Antithesis literally means opposite, but the rhetorical definition calls for parallel structures of contrasting words or clauses. These opposing words or clauses are placed in close proximity within a sentence in order to create a focal point for the reader.

Example: A well-known example of antithesis is “Speech is silver, but silence is gold.” The two opposites, speech and silence, are compared to one another by using the stratified value of silver and gold.

Question 28

What is Dramatic Irony?

Answer 28

Dramatic irony is when we have more information about the circumstances than a character.

Ex. When you know a trap has been set and watch someone walk into it.

That is dramatic irony.

Within dramatic irony, there is only one subtype: tragic irony. The difference between these two types of irony is slight but it’s an important distinction to make. Basically, tragic irony is dramatic irony with tragic consequences — it’s as easy as that.

There are also distinct stages of dramatic irony, or the order of operations when deploying dramatic irony. Dramatic irony needs to be introduced, it needs to develop over time, and it needs to be released. To successfully incorporate dramatic irony, these stages are essential.

Question 29

What is verbal Irony?

Answer 29

Verbal irony is when someone says something, but means the opposite.

Ex. When you get an “F” on your term paper and say, “Wow, I did a really good job on my term paper!”

That is verbal irony.

Within this verbal irony general definition, there are 4 types of verbal irony:

• Sarcasm
• Understatement
• Overstatement
• Socratic irony

Each one brings a particular element so understanding which one to use and for what purpose is essential.

Question 30

What is situational irony?

Answer 30

Situational irony is when we expect one thing, but get the opposite.

Ex. When you buy a can of Coke but it has Pepsi inside.

Within this general definition, there are 4 subtypes of situational irony:

• Cosmic irony
• Poetic irony
• Structural irony
• Historical irony

Each one brings a particular element so understanding which one to use and for what purpose is essential.

Question 31

Oxymoron

Answer 31

A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

Purpose: An oxymoron is a juxtaposition of two opposing words with the intended effect of creating emphasis through the nonsensical nature of this device. Oxymoron is used to characterize conflicting emotions, thoughts, or occurrences.

Example: An easy example of oxymoron is a two-word, adjective and noun construction such as original copy

Question 32

Pathos

Answer 32

A quality that evokes pity or sadness

Purpose: Pathos is a term used to identify an appeal to the pathetic. A writer may want a reader to sympathize with a character and employ a pathetic appeal to inspire feelings of pity, sympathy, or sadness.

Example: Examples of pathetic appeals are, once more, bound to diction. Look for clues in word choice that indicate an appeal to the emotions of an individual. A good, though sometimes sad, example of pathos is a call for donations to cancer research which features the stories or pictures of survivors and sufferers.

Question 33

ballad meter: (peotry)

Answer 33

a four-line stanza rhymed abcd with four feet in lines one and three and three feet in lines two and four.

O mother, mother make my bed.

O make it soft and narrow.

Since my love died for me today,

I’ll die for him tomorrow.

Question 34

blank verse: (peotry)

Answer 34

unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Blank verse is the meter of most of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as that of Milton’s Paradise Lost.

Question 35

cacophony: (peotry)

Answer 35

a harsh, unpleasant combination of sounds or tones. It may be an unconscious flaw in the poet’s music, resulting in harshness of sound or difficulty of articulation, or it may be used consciously for effect, as Browning and Eliot often use it.

See, for example, the following line from Browning’s “Rabbi Ben Ezra”:

Irks care the crop-full bird? Frets doubt the maw-crammed beast?

Question 36

caesura: (poetry)

Answer 36

a pause, usually near the middle of a line of verse, usually indicated by the sense of the line, and often greater than the normal pause.

For example, one would naturally pause after “human”in the following line from Alexander Pope:

To err is human, to forgive divine.

Question 37

conceit

Answer 37

• an ingenious and fanciful notion or conception, usually expressed through an elaborate analogy, and pointing to a striking parallel between two seemingly dissimilar things.
• A conceit may be a brief metaphor, but it also may form the framework of an entire poem.

A famous example of a conceit occurs in John Donne’s poem “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning,”in which he compares his soul and his wife’s to legs of a mathematical compass.

Question 38

didactic poem (poetry):

Answer 38

a poem which is intended primarily to teach a lesson. The distinction between didactic poetry and non-didactic poetry is difficult to make and usually involves a subjective judgement of the author’s purpose on the part of the critic or the reader.

Alexander Pope’s Essay onCriticism is a good example of didactic poetry.

Question 39

dramatic poem

Answer 39

dramatic poem-a poem which employs a dramatic form or some element or elements of dramatic techniques as a means of achieving poetic ends. The dramatic monologue is an example.

Question 40

Elegy (poetry)

Answer 40

elegy-a sustained and formal poem setting forth the poet’s meditations upon death or another solemn theme.

Examples include Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”; Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s“In Memoriam”; and Walt Whitman’s “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d.”

Question 41

End-Stopped (Poetry):

Answer 41

end-stopped-a line with a pause at the end. Lines that end with a period, a comma, a colon, a semicolon, an exclamation point, or a question mark are end-stopped lines.

True ease in writing comes from Art, not Chance,

As those move easiest who have learn’d to dance.

Question 42

enjambment (poetry)

Answer 42

enjambment-the continuation of the sense and grammatical construction from one line of poetry to the next. Milton’s Paradise Lost is notable for its use of enjambment, as seen in the following lines:

. . . .Or if Sion hill

Delight thee more, and Siloa’s brook that flow’d

Fast by the oracle of God, . . . .

Question 43

extended metaphor (poetry)

Answer 43

extended metaphor-an implied analogy, or comparison, which is carried throughout a stanza or an entire poem.

In “The Bait,”John Donne compares a beautiful woman to fish bait and men to fish who want to be caught by the woman. Since he carries these comparisons all the way through the poem, these are considered “extendedmetaphors.

Question 44

euphony (poetry)

Answer 44

euphony-a style in which combinations of words pleasant to the ear predominate. Its opposite is cacophony.

The following lines from John Keats’ “Endymion”are euphonious:

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep F

ull of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing

Question 45

eye rhyme (poetry)

Answer 45

eye rhyme-rhyme that appears correct from spelling, but is half-rhyme or slant rhyme from the pronunciation.

Examples include “watch”and “match,”and “love”and “move.”

Question 46

feminine rhyme (poetry)

Answer 46

• feminine rhyme-a rhyme of two syllables, one stressed and one unstressed, as “waken”and “forsaken”and “audition”and “rendition.”
• Feminine rhyme is sometimes called double rhyme.

Question 47

heroic couplet (poetry)

Answer 47

heroic couplet-two end-stopped iambic pentameter lines rhymed aa, bb, cc with the thought usually completed in the two-line unit.

See the following example from Alexander Pope’s “Rape of the Lock”:

But when to mischief mortals bend their will,

How soon they find fit instruments of ill!

Question 48

lyric poem (poetry)

Answer 48

lyric poem-any short poem that presents a single speaker who expresses thoughts and feelings.

• Love lyrics are common, but lyric poems have also been written on subjects as different as religion and reading.
• Sonnets and odes are lyric poems.

Question 49

masculine rhyme (poetry)

Answer 49

masculine rhyme-rhyme that falls on the stressed and concluding syllables of the rhyme-words.

Examples include “keep”and “sleep,”“glow”and “no,”and “spell”and “impel.”

Question 50

metonymy (poetry)

Answer 50

metonymy-a figure of speech which is characterized by the substitution of a term naming an object closely associated with the word in mind for the word itself.

In this way we commonly speak of the king as the “crown,”an object closely associated with kingship.

Question 51

Mixed metaphores (poetry)

Answer 51

mixed metaphors-the mingling of one metaphor with another immediately following with which the first is incongruous. Lloyd George is reported to have said, “I smell a rat. I see it floating in the air. I shall nip it in the bud.”

Question 52

narrative poem (poetry)

Answer 52

narrative poem-anon-dramatic poem which tells a story or presents a narrative, whether simple or complex, long or short. Epics and ballads are examples of narrative poems.

Question 53

rhyme royal (poetry)

Answer 53

rhyme royal-a seven-line stanza of iambic pentameter rhymed ababbcc, used by Chaucer and other medieval poets.

Question 54

Scansion (poetry)

Answer 54

scansion-a system for describing the meter of a poem by identifying the number and the type(s) of feet per line.

Question 55

sonnet (poetry)

Answer 55

sonnet-normally a fourteen-line iambic pentameter poem.

1. The conventional Italian, or Petrarchansonnet is rhymed abba, abba, cde, cde
2. the English, or Shakespearean, sonnet is rhymed abab, cdcd, efef, gg
3. the Spenserian sonnet is rhymed abab bcbc cdcd,ee

Question 56

strategy (or rhetorical strategy) (poetry)

Answer 56

strategy (or rhetorical strategy)-the management of language for a specific effect. The strategy or rhetorical strategy of a poem is the planned placing of elements to achieve an effect.

• The rhetorical strategy of most love poems is deployed to convince the loved one to return to the speaker’s love.
• By appealing to the loved one’s sympathy, or by flattery, or by threat, the lover attempts to persuade the loved one to love in return.

Question 57

synecdoche (poetry)

Answer 57

synecdoche-a form of metaphor which in mentioning a part signifies the whole. For example, we refer to “foot soldiers”for infantry and “field hands”for manual laborers who work in agriculture.

Question 58

villanelle (poetry)

Answer 58

villanelle-a nineteen-line poem divided into five tercets and a final quatrain.

• The villanelle uses only two rhymes which are repeated as follows: aba, aba, aba, aba, aba, abaa.
• Line 1 is repeated entirely to form lines 6, 12, and 18, and line 3 is repeated entirely to form lines 9, 15, and 19; thus, eight of the nineteen lines are refrain.
• Dylan Thomas’s poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”is an example of a villanelle.

Question 59

What is the portagonist?

Answer 59

Every story has this type of character and evolves around it. It is the main character or the hero and is also called the protagonist. It appears in the story from the start to end. It is the one who fights with the situations and antagonist characters (we will be discussing this type next) and takes the story to the happy (or unhappy) ending.

A hero is at the center of the story and keeps the readers interested by showing his heroism and courage to stand by the truth and fighting against the evil and antagonist character. The protagonist often raises from nothing or comes out as a strong person after being a victim of a destructive event. Note that a fiction story doesn’t necessarily have to focus only on one hero character. Many stories have more than one protagonist or hero who help each other and plays equal roles until the end.

A good example of this type of character is Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling, which shows the heroic characteristics of a boy who faces the evils and threats against his life and still strongly maintains the good virtues and saves others’ lives in difficult situations.

Question 60

What is the antagonist?

Answer 60

Character opposing the main character (Antagonist)

In fiction, when there is a protagonist or a main character who plays a role of a hero who takes the stand for the good and truth, the antagonist plays against this heroic character and tries to stop him by posing threats to his and others’ lives. Note that an antagonist doesn’t always need to be a person or a group of people working to ensure the misery of the protagonist. It can also be a difficult situation or accidental event that works against the main and positive character.

This type of character is the life of a plot along with the main character and keeps readers interested by posing the questions and making them curious about what will happen next. We can also say that an antagonist, i.e. a negative person or a situation is essential for the rise of a hero. Thus, this type of character is very important while you are writing a fiction.

A great example of such a character is Lord Voldemort, the main antagonist character in the Harry Potter Series by J. K. Rowling, who killed Harry Potter’s parents. He also tries to kill Harry Potter in all parts of the series.

Question 61

Static or flat character:

Answer 61

Flat characters are not an eye-catching part of the story, but still play an important role in the flow and help the main character in his or her intention. This character doesn’t have strong characteristics or doesn’t reveal much about the self. It also stays static throughout the story and feels the gap in the storyline.

Such characters often have a very short role in the story, but sometimes the writer can make such character very interesting and memorable by giving it a special style and manner.

One of the static character examples is Mr. Filch in the Harry Potter Series. He is a caretaker of the Hogwarts school of magic. He is a flat character because of his role of finding the students who break the rules of the school.

Question 62

Changing or dynamic character:

Answer 62

Opposite to the flat character, a dynamic character plays a role that develops and changes during the events in the story. This character may change positively or negatively depending on the need of the story. It can be anything from a supporter of the main character to a partner of the antagonist and may change its direction from positive to negative or negative to positive.

This type of character often rises from a normal non-important person to an important one and makes a significant effect on the story.

Neville Longbottom is the best example of a dynamic character who converts himself from a simple student of the school to a leader of the students and leads the students in a fight against the evil character Lord Voldemort.

Question 63

Confidante character:

Answer 63

A protagonist character’s virtues often get highlighted the help of a confidante character. This type of character in whom the main character can trust on and it ultimately helps develop his heroic characteristics. A story often must have this character in order to support the development of the main character.

This character doesn’t need to be a person and can be an animal like a pat or any other object. There are some characters like Hermione, Remus Lupin, Hagrid, Ron, Albus Dumbledore and others who played a confidante role Harry Potter series and helped to bring the strong characteristics of Harry Potter as a hero.

Question 64

Foil character

Answer 64

This type of character plays a nasty and contrasting role that brings out the good qualities and highlights the caring nature of the other characters like a hero or the main character and other dynamic characters. It often plays a counterpart of the hero character and serves to add a dramatic effect to the story.

An antagonist’s characteristics are opposite to those of the protagonist, but a foil character works in contrast while comparing the personality of a hero with this character. It also helps a protagonist see the problems in a different way by bringing out another side of him. A reader will find this character helpful in understanding the main character.

An example of this type is Draco Malfoy who highlights and even helps make the good qualities and other virtues of Harry Potter stronger by being coward and nasty.

Question 65

Stock character

Answer 65

Unlike other characters, the characters of this type are of no much value in a story. They are usually stereotypical and are conventionally used repeatedly in the stories of a particular type. They are like any guy found in the stories who just take the space but doesn’t have any impact on the plot. They just come and go and are generally not recognized by the readers.

This type of characters sometimes fits in the flat character definition that comes in during any stereotypical situations as part of the society in the plot. They don’t develop and can’t get a special attention in the story, yet they can be easily identified. They are just the part of the culture like, for example, an unreliable servant in the Italian comedy that just makes fun and comments on something.

We can identify Professor McGonagall as an example of a stock character who is a teacher and seeks the students to follow the rules strictly. Her appearance is like that of a typical teacher with a conventional style of talking and has stereotypical manners.

Question 66

Round character

Answer 66

This is the character which contributes the most in making the story interesting and keeps the reader confused about the person’s actual nature. Harry Potter himself in the Harry Potter series will help you know what is a round character. This type of character acts subtly and changes in the face of conflict. This character develops itself and rather becomes complex as the story progresses as he or she doesn’t stick to the limited qualities.

This way, the character makes it difficult for the readers to fully understand and identify how the person will act in the story until the end of the story. You can call this character a main or major character or also a dynamic character due to the changes and development in the personality.

Another characteristic of the person with this type of character is that he or she seems more realistic by becoming inconsistent in his or her role throughout the story. It is even expected by the readers as they see realistic characters like those around in the real world more connecting with normal human-like characteristics.

Some of the great examples of the characters of this type are Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley in the Harry Potter series. They fit perfectly in this type as per the round character literary definition. We can also consider the other two as round characters in the same series. They are Ginny Weasley and Severus Snape.

Question 67

Evil character or villain

Answer 67

An evil character can have similar characteristics to those of an antagonist, but he or she acts actively with more intensity to harm the protagonist or the main character and others. This character does everything to create life-threatening situations for the hero in the story. Note that an evil-minded character doesn’t always work against the hero but often creates a harmful situation for the society, country or even for the world.

This type of character can be considered as a major character along with the main character as it takes the major portion of the story and drives the plot. An intense evil or villain character makes a hero or the main character more important and ideal that makes the story stronger and more interesting.

The main villain in the Harry Potter series, i.e. Lord Voldemort is an excellent example of this type of character. He acts as a powerful enemy and creates grave situations for the main and other characters throughout the series.

Question 68

Archetypal characters:

Answer 68

1. Ego
2. Heart
3. Self

Question 69

The Ego (archetypical character):

Answer 69

The hero: We have already discussed this type of character. He or she is the main character in the story who courageously fights against the difficulties and villains to prove his or her worth.

The innocent: This type of person tries to be happy by being non-harmful to others and expecting the same from them. He or she tries to connect with everybody but fears to be left out. This character generally has ordinary but solid virtues that keep him or her down to earth and gives a common and familiar touch.

The regular guy: This character is somewhat similar to the innocent and tries to be connected with others. This person also fears to be left out and disconnected. This makes him or her trying to keep superficial relationships.

The caregiver: As the term suggests, this type of character is caring and helps others. While compassion and generosity are their strengths, the martyrdom and selflessness are their weaknesses.

Question 70

The Soul (archetypical character):

Answer 70

The rebel: This type of characters lives their life according to their own rules and fight to change the world. They are radical and outrageous and bring revolution to overturn the system that is not working.

The creator: These characters are imaginative and believe in creativity. They contribute to the world and make other people’s life easier by developing useful things with their talent and skills.

The lover: This character loves to be in the relationship and love the people, situations and work around him or her. They can be a good friend, spouse or a team member.

The explorer: This character always seeks to go beyond the limits and explore the unexplored area of nature, life, and the world. Sometimes they end up being aimless and wandering around without any gain.

Question 71

The Self (archetypical character):

Answer 71

The magician: This type of character aims to understand the fundamental universal laws and tries to convert dreams into reality. They often work for the solutions to create a win-win situation.

The ruler: This type of character holds the control over everything around him or her and tries to make the family, community or the society according to his or her set of rules.

The jester: This type of character believes in enjoying life to the fullest as according to him or her, the life is short and the only chance to make the surroundings happy and joyful. They usually do so by being funny and making jokes and playing around the situation without taking it seriously and fit in the static character definition.

The sage: This type of character looks for the ways to find the truth and attain the ultimate place. The knowledge and intelligence they possess enable them to see the world analytically to know the truth to be free.

Question 72

Admonish:

Answer 72

Warn or reprimand someone firmly; advise or urge (someone) earnestly.