Literary Terms Test 2 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

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.”

A

extended metaphor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

a brief tale that teaches a lesson about human nature. They often feature animals as characters.

Ex. “Aesop’s _____”

A

fable

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

a work of literature that contains at least one fantastic or unreal element

Ex. Eragon

A

fantasy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

prose writing that tells an imaginary story. It includes both short stories and novels.

A

fiction

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

expressions that are not literally true. see simile, metaphor, hyperbole, understatement, irony, oxymoron, cliché, metonymy

A

figurative language or figure of speech

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

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.

A

flashback

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

when the writer provides clues or hints that suggest or predict future event in a story.

A

foreshadowing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

poetry without regular patterns of rhyme and rhythm. Often used to capture the sounds and rhythms of ordinary speech.

A

free verse

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

a type of category of literature. The four main ones include: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama.

A

genre

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect.

A

hyperbole

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

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.”

A

imagery

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

“in the middle of,” scenes that begin this way already have established action or situations.

A

in media res

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

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.”

A

irony

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

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

A

lyric poetry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

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)

A

malapropism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

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.”

A

metaphor

17
Q

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.

A

meter

18
Q

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.

A

metonymy

19
Q

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 ___

A

mood

20
Q

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

A

motif

21
Q

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.

A

narrative

22
Q

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.

A

nonfiction

23
Q

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

A

novel

24
Q

A lyric poem of some length, usually of serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal structure.

A

ode

25
Q

the use of words whose sound suggest their meaning

ex. buzz, bang, hiss

A

onomatopoeia

26
Q

a form of figurative language combining contradictory words or ideas

ex. jumbo shrimp, bittersweet

A

oxymoron

27
Q

a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson

Ex. ____(s) of Jesus

A

parable

28
Q

a statement that seems to contradict itself but is, nevertheless is true

Ex. The child is father of the man.

A

paradox

29
Q

The use of similar grammatical constuctions to express ideas that are related or equal in importance.

Ex: The sun rises. The sun sets.

A

parallelism

30
Q

A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author’s work for comic effect or ridicule.

Ex. A Very Potter Musical

A

parody

31
Q

a work of literature portraying an idealized version of country life; focus on nature

Ex. “Ode on a Grecian Urn” by John Keats

A

pastoral

32
Q

Evokes pity or sympathy

Ex. the Humane Society commercials on TV

A

pathos

33
Q

A role or characters adopted by an author or an actor.

Ex. “Dan Stevens’s Matthew Crawley had a very different _____ compared to Stevens’s new role of the Beast in Beauty in the Beast.”

A

persona

34
Q

A figure of speech where animals, ideas or inanimate objects are given human characteristics.

Ex. “The wind whistled throughout the day.”

A

personification