Literary Terms Test 2 Flashcards
a figure of speech that compares two essentially unlike things in great length
Ex. “Life is a mountain, filled with switchbacks and rock slides and few straight paths to the top.”
extended metaphor
a brief tale that teaches a lesson about human nature. They often feature animals as characters.
Ex. “Aesop’s _____”
fable
a work of literature that contains at least one fantastic or unreal element
Ex. Eragon
fantasy
prose writing that tells an imaginary story. It includes both short stories and novels.
fiction
expressions that are not literally true. see simile, metaphor, hyperbole, understatement, irony, oxymoron, cliché, metonymy
figurative language or figure of speech
an interruption of the chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) of an event of earlier occurrence. It is a narrative technique that allows a writer to present past events during current events, in order to provide background for the current narration.
flashback
when the writer provides clues or hints that suggest or predict future event in a story.
foreshadowing
poetry without regular patterns of rhyme and rhythm. Often used to capture the sounds and rhythms of ordinary speech.
free verse
a type of category of literature. The four main ones include: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.
genre
a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect.
hyperbole
the use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses. Writers use sensory details to help readers imagine how things look, feel, smell, sound, and taste.
Ex. “She looks as though she could be on the cover of Vogue, with her soft features and striking beauty.”
imagery
“in the middle of,” scenes that begin this way already have established action or situations.
in media res
a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens. It spices up a literary work by adding unexpected twists and allowing the reader to become a more involved with the characters and plot. There are many types of it.
Ex. “Missippi’s literary program shows improvement.”
irony
a song-like poem written mainly to express the feelings or emotions of a single speaker.
Ex.
“Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.”
-Sonnet No. 18, Shakespeare
lyric poetry
The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-surrounding one, often with unintentionally amusing effect.
Ex. “dance a flamingo” (instead of flamenco)
malapropism
A type of figurative language in which a comparison is made between two things that are essentially unalike but may have one quality in common. Unlike a simile, this does not contain an explicit word of comparison, such as “like” or “as”.
Ex. “Life is one long roller coaster.”
metaphor
the regular pattern of accented and unaccented syllables. Although all poems have rhythm, not all poems have regular this. Each unit of this is known as a foot. The conventional symbols used to identify accented and unaccented syllables are: “I” to indicate and accented syllable; and an “X” or a small symbol shaped like a “U” to indicate an unaccented symbol. The foot is the basic unit of this.
meter
the metaphorical substitution of one word or phrase for another related word or phrase. Example: “The pen is mightier than the sword.” The word “pen is used in place of “words” and the word “sword” is used to represent the idea of fighting or war.
Ex. The white house tells me what to do.
metonymy
A mood or atmosphere is the feeling that a literary work conveys to readers. It is created through the use of plot, character, the author’s descriptions, etc.
Ex. “It was a dark and stormy night…“-frightening ___
mood
A recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature. It may also be two contrasting elements in a work, such as good and evil. It is important because it allows one to see main points and themes that the author is trying to express, in order that one night be able to interpret the work more accurately.
Ex. Magic in Harry Potter
motif
Any writing that tells a story. Most novels and short stories are placed into the categories of first-person and third-person’s of these, which are based on who is telling the story and from what perspective.
narrative
Prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects or events. Some examples of it include autobiographies, newspaper articles, biographies, essays, etc.
nonfiction
A work of fiction that is longer and more complex than a short story. In one, setting, plot and characters are usually developed in great detail.
Ex. Lord of the Flies
novel
A lyric poem of some length, usually of serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal structure.
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