Literary Terms - Final

Question 1

Meter

Answer 1

A systematic arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

Question 2

Mood

Answer 2

(Atmosphere) The feeling created in a reader by a literary work or passage.

Question 3

Summarizing

Answer 3

Briefly stating the main ideas and supporting details in your own words.

Question 4

Single effect

Answer 4

Effect in which every character, incident, and detail contributes to an overall impression.

Question 5

Gothic style

Answer 5

Characterized by remote settings, violent or macabre acts, tormented characters, and the presence of supernatural elements (Edgar Allan Poe).

Question 6

Parable

Answer 6

A short, simple story with a moral message.

Question 7

Symbol

Answer 7

Something that has meaning in and of itself and also stands for something else.

Question 8

Theme

Answer 8

A central message or insight revealed by a literary work.

Question 9

Transcendentalism

Answer 9

The philosophy that asserts that knowledge of fundamental reality is beyond the reach of human senses.

Question 10

Style

Answer 10

The manner in which a writer puts his or her thoughts into words.

Question 11

Metaphor

Answer 11

Comparing of two unlike things, without the use of “like” or “as.”

Question 12

Slant rhyme

Answer 12

Occurs when two words have similar, but not identical, vowel sounds.

Question 13

Free verse

Answer 13

Poetry that has irregular meter and line length.

Question 14

Diction

Answer 14

Involves the writer’s choice and arrangement of words.

Question 15

Realism

Answer 15

Depicts ordinary people coping with everyday realities.

Question 16

Naturalism

Answer 16

Focuses on people’s helplessness in the face of chance.

Question 17

Refrain

Answer 17

Repeated at regular intervals in a poem or song.

Question 18

Autobiography

Answer 18

The account of a person’s life written in his or her own words.

Question 19

Tone

Answer 19

Reflects the author’s attitude toward the subject.

Question 20

Humor

Answer 20

Writing meant to evoke laughter.

Question 21

Regionalism

Answer 21

A literary movement that depicts and analyzes the unique qualities of a geographical area and its people.

Question 22

Local color

Answer 22

Capture the attitudes or customs of a geographical area.

Question 23

Conflict

Answer 23

A struggle between two opposing forces.

Question 24

Irony

Answer 24

A discrepancy between what is states and what is meant.

Question 25

Dramatic irony

Answer 25

When the reader knows more than the character does about the character’s circumstances.