Major Literary Terms

Question 1

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one

Answer 1

allegory

Question 2

the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words

Answer 2

alliteration

Question 3

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference

Answer 3

allusion

Question 4

uncertainty or inexactness of meaning in language

Answer 4

ambiguity

Question 5

a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification

Answer 5

analogy

Question 6

a thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another

Answer 6

antecedent

Question 7

a pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Answer 7

aphorism

Question 8

addresses an imaginary character in his speech

Answer 8

apostrophe

Question 9

the pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art

Answer 9

atmosphere

Question 10

a unit of grammatical organization next below the sentence in rank and in traditional grammar said to consist of a subject and predicate

Answer 10

clause

Question 11

(of language) used in ordinary or familiar conversation; not formal or literary

Answer 11

colloquial

Question 12

a fanciful expression in writing or speech; an elaborate metaphor

Answer 12

conceit

Question 13

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning

Answer 13

connotation

Question 14

the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests

Answer 14

denotation

Question 15

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing

Answer 15

diction

Question 16

intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive

Answer 16

didactic

Question 17

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

Answer 17

euphemism

Question 18

when an author exploits a single metaphor or analogy at length through multiple linked vehicles, tenors, and grounds throughout a poem or story

Answer 18

extended metaphor

Question 19

language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation

Answer 19

figurative language

Question 20

a word or phrase used in a nonliteral sense to add rhetorical force to a spoken or written passage

Answer 20

figure of speech

Question 21

the features shown by texts that allow them to be put into a specific genre

Answer 21

generic conventions

Question 22

a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter

Answer 22

genre

Question 23

a religious discourse that is intended primarily for spiritual edification rather than doctrinal instruction; a sermon

Answer 23

homily

Question 24

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

Answer 24

hyperbole

Question 25

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work

Answer 25

imagery

Question 26

deduce or conclude (information) from evidence and reasoning rather than from explicit statements

Answer 26

infer (inference)

Question 27

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language

Answer 27

invective

Question 28

the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect

Answer 28

irony

Question 29

a type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases

Answer 29

loose sentence

Question 30

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable

Answer 30

metaphor

Question 31

the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the track for horse racing

Answer 31

metonymy

Question 32

a temporary state of mind or feeling

Answer 32

mood

Question 33

a spoken or written account of connected events; a story

Answer 33

narrative

Question 34

the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named (e.g., cuckoo, sizzle )

Answer 34

onomatopoeia

Question 35

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g., faith unfaithful kept him falsely true )

Answer 35

oxymoron

Question 36

a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory

Answer 36

paradox

Question 37

the state of being parallel or of corresponding in some way

Answer 37

parallelism

Question 38

an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect

Answer 38

parody

Question 39

overly concerned with minute details or formalisms, especially in teaching

Answer 39

pedantic

Question 40

a stylistic device employed at the sentence level, described as one that is not complete grammatically or semantically before the final clause or phrase

Answer 40

periodic sentences

Question 41

the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form

Answer 41

personification

Question 42

a particular attitude or way of considering a matter

Answer 42

point of view

Question 43

can be a single adjective, or it can be a phrase that includes an adjective and any modifiers

Answer 43

predicate adjective

Question 44

a word in the nominative case that completes a copulative verb, such as son in the sentence Charlie is my son

Answer 44

predicate nominative

Question 45

written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure

Answer 45

prose

Question 46

the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques

Answer 46

rhetoric

Question 47

a strategy--a way or method of presenting a subject—through writing or speech

Answer 47

rhetorical modes

Question 48

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.

Answer 48

sarcasm

Question 49

the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues

Answer 49

satire

Question 50

the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning

Answer 50

semantics

Question 51

a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed

Answer 51

style

Question 52

the adjective, noun, or pronoun that follows a linking verb

Answer 52

subject complement

Question 53

a clause, typically introduced by a conjunction, that forms part of and is dependent on a main clause (e.g., “when it rang” in “she answered the phone when it rang”)

Answer 53

subordinate clause

Question 54

an instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn (whether validly or not) from two given or assumed propositions (premises), each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion (e.g., all dogs are animals; all animals have four legs; therefore all dogs have four legs )

Answer 54

syllogism

Question 55

a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract

Answer 55

symbol

Question 56

the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language

Answer 56

syntax

Question 57

the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person's thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic

Answer 57

theme

Question 58

a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved

Answer 58

thesis

Question 59

the general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc

Answer 59

tone

Question 60

the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another

Answer 60

transition

Question 61

the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is

Answer 61

understatement

Question 62

a natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick and inventive way to create humor

Answer 62

wit