literary terms quiz Flashcards
Alliteration:
Repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of words (“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”)
Allusion:
A reference to a well-known person, place, work of art, etc.
Anecdote:
A short amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
Protagonist:
The main character in a story; the character that the action follows.
Antagonist:
The obstacle or challenge the protagonist attempts to overcome (weather, enemy, etc.)
Soliloquy:
A character sharing thoughts with the audience; thinking out loud; “breaking the 4th wall.”
Aside:
A short soliloquy. A character in a play makes a short comment to the audience.
Climax:
The high point of the rising action of a story.
Monologue:
One character speaking, usually for a long time.
Dialogue:
Multiple characters having a conversation.
Epic:
A long narrative poem or story about heroes.
Foreshadowing:
A hint about what will come later in a story.
Genre:
A type or kind of literature (poetry, drama, novel, etc.)
Irony:
The opposite of what you expect (different from “coincidence”).
Metaphor:
A figure of speech used for comparison; use of figurative language for description.
Simile:
A comparison using the word “like” or “as.”
Moral:
A lesson taught by a story.
Parable:
A story that teaches a moral lesson.
Novel:
A long work of fiction; a fictional book.
Onomatopoeia:
Words that imitate sounds (Buzz, Hiss, Roar.)
Oxymoron:
Two words that are opposite in meaning combined to make a new meaning. (“Jumbo Shrimp,” “Alone Together.”)
Personification:
Attributing human or living characteristics to non-human or non-living things. Naming your car is an example of personification.
Parody:
A work of art imitating another work of art for comic effect.
Plot:
What happens in a story. The action and conclusion of a story.
Prose:
Ordinary, non-poetic writing.
Stanza:
A division of lines in a poem or song. The poetic version of what would be called a “paragraph” in prose writing.
