Literary Terms A-D

Question 1

alliteration

Answer 1

the repetition of sounds, especially at the beginning of words

Question 2

antagonist

Answer 2

the person, force, or idea working against the protagonist

Question 3

antihero

Answer 3

a character who is pathetic rather than tragic, who does not take responsibility for his or her destructive actions

Question 4

aside

Answer 4

in drama, when a character speaks directly to the audience or another character concerning the action on stage, but only the audience or character addressed in the aside is meant to hear

Question 5

autobiography

Answer 5

the true account of a person’s life written by that person

Question 6

ballad

Answer 6

a poem that tells a story, usually rhyming abcb

Question 7

blank verse

Answer 7

poetry in which the structure is controlled only by a metrical scheme (also called metered verse)

Question 8

characters

Answer 8

people created by an author to carry the action, language, and ideas of a story or play

Question 9

climax

Answer 9

the turning point or high point of action and tension in the plot

Question 10

closet drama

Answer 10

a play that is meant only to be read, not performed

Question 11

comedy

Answer 11

humorous literature that has a happy ending

Question 12

commentary

Answer 12

literature written to explain or illuminate other works of literature or art

Question 13

complication

Answer 13

the series of events that “complicate” the plot and build up to the climax

Question 14

** conflict**

Answer 14

a struggle or clash between two people, forces, or ideas

Question 15

connotation

Answer 15

implied or suggested meaning

Question 16

** context**

Answer 16

the words and sentences surrounding a word or phrase that help determine the meaning of that word or phrase

Question 17

couplet

Answer 17

a pair of rhyming lines in poetry

Question 18

** denotation**

Answer 18

exact or dictionary meaning

Question 19

** denouement**

Answer 19

the resolution or conclusion of the action

Question 20

dialect

Answer 20

language that differs from the standard language in grammar, pronunciation, and idioms (natural speech versus standard English); language used by a specific group within a culture

Question 21

dialogue

Answer 21

the verbal exchange between two or more people; conversation

Question 22

** diction**

Answer 22

the particular choice and use of words

Question 23

drama

Answer 23

literature that is meant to be performed

Question 24

** dramatic irony **

Answer 24

when a character’s speech or actions have an unintended meaning known to the audience but not to the character