Literary Terms Test 1

Question 1

a major unit of action in a drama or play. Each act can be further divided into smaller sections called scenes.

Answer 1

act

Question 2

a story in which people, things and actions represent an idea about life; they often have a strong moral or lesson.

Example: The Tortoise and the Hare from Aesop’s Fables: From this story, we learn that the strong and steady win the race.

Answer 2

allegory

Question 3

the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words (tongue twisters).

Answer 3

alliteration

Question 4

a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. They are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events.

Example: She fell for him, knowing well that he was nothing less than a “casanova”.

Answer 4

allusion

Question 5

a comparison of two or more like objects that suggests if they are alike in certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways as well.

Answer 5

analogy

Question 6

a brief account of an interesting incident or event that usually is intended to entertain or to make a point.

Answer 6

anecdote

Question 7

opposite of

Answer 7

antithesis

Question 8

addressing something/someone that is unable to answer

Answer 8

apostrophe

Question 9

an actor’s speech, directed to the audience, that is not supposed to be heard by other actors on stage. It is used to let the audience know what a character is about to do or what he or she is thinking.

Answer 9

aside

Question 10

repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry.

Example: The cat ran after the alligator who was trying to assist an alarmed armidillo…

Answer 10

assonance

Question 11

emotional tone pervading the work

Answer 11

atmosphere

Question 12

the writer of a book, article or other text.

Answer 12

author

Question 13

a poem that tells a story and is meant to be sung or recited.

Answer 13

ballad

Question 14

unrhymed iambic pentameter

Answer 14

blank verse

Question 15

a pause or a sudden break in a line of poetry

Answer 15

caesura

Question 16

a person who is responsible for the thoughts and actions within a story, poem, or other literature. They are extremely important because they are the medium through which a reader interacts with a piece of literature. Every one has his or her own personality, which a creative author uses to assist in forming the plot of a story or creating a mood.

Answer 16

character

Question 17

a character in a story or poem who deceives, frustrates, or works against the main character, or protagonist, in some way. They doesn’t necessarily have to be a person. It could be death, the devil, an illness, or any challenge that prevents the main character from living “happily ever after.”

Answer 17

antagonist

Question 18

a picture or imitation of a person’s habits, physical appearance or mannerisms exaggerated in a comic or absurd way.

Answer 18

caricature

Question 19

a character who serves as a contrast or a conflict to another character

Example: Mercutio to Romeo

Answer 19

foil

Question 20

a character whose actions are inspiring or noble; often the main character in a story

Answer 20

hero/heroine

Question 21

a rhetorical or literary figure in which words, grammatical constructions, or concepts are repeated in reverse order, in the same or a modified form; e.g. “Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds.”

Answer 21

chiasmus

Question 22

a type of figurative language containing an overused expression or a saying that is no longer considered original.

Answer 22

cliché

Question 23

the tension or problem in the story; a struggle between opposing forces.

Answer 23

conflict

Question 24

the idea and feeling associated with a word as opposed to its dictionary definition or denotation.

Answer 24

connotation

Question 25

the repetition of consonant sounds anywhere within a line of poetry. Alliteration is a specific type of this.

Answer 25

consonance

Question 26

a rhymed pair of lines in a poem

Example: Once I dive into these pages
I may not come out for ages

Answer 26

couplet

Question 27

is the opposite of connotation in that it is the exact or dictionary meaning of a word.

Answer 27

denotation

Question 28

a form of language that is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people.

Answer 28

dialect

Question 29

the conversation between characters in a drama or narrative. It occurs in most works of literature.

Answer 29

dialogue

Question 30

choice and use of words and phrases in writing

Answer 30

diction

Question 31

instructional tone

Answer 31

didactic

Question 32

a drama or play is a form of literature meant to be performed by actors before an audience. In a drama, the characters’ dialogue and actions tell the story. The written form of a play is known as a script.

Answer 32

drama

Question 33

a literary device that is used when a character reveals his or her innermost thoughts and feelings, those that are hidden throughout the course of the story line, through a poem or a speech. This speech, where only one character speaks, is recited while other characters are present onstage. It often comes during a climactic moment in a work and often reveals hidden truths about a character, their history and their relationships.

Answer 33

dramatic monologue

Question 34

a type of literature defined as a song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for one who has died

Answer 34

elegy

Question 35

ability to understand and share the feelings of others

Answer 35

empathy

Question 36

causing a pause at the end of a line of verse

Example:
“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying”

Answer 36

end-stopped

Question 37

in poetry, the running over of a line or thought into the next of verse

Example: “And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night”

Answer 37

enjambment

Question 38

a short poem or verse that seeks to ridicule a thought or event, usually with witticism or sarcasm

Example: “The nicest feeling in the world is to do a good deed anonymously-and have someone find out.”

Answer 38

epigram

Question 39

a long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero whose actions reflect the ideals and values of a nation or group.

Answer 39

epic

Question 40

a sudden moment of understanding that causes a character to change or to act in a certain way

Answer 40

epiphany

Question 41

a short poem or verse written in memory of someone

Answer 41

epitaph

Question 42

a short work of nonfiction that deals with a single subject

Answer 42

essay

Question 43

a mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrasing

Example: “passed away” instead of “died”

Answer 43

euphemism