Major Literary Terms

Question 1

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

Answer 1

allusion

Question 2

uncertainty or inexactness of meaning in language

Answer 2

ambiguity

Question 3

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

Answer 3

analogy

Question 4

a thing or event that existed before or logically precedes another

Answer 4

antecedent

Question 5

statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner

Answer 5

aphorism

Question 6

detaches himself from the reality and addresses an imaginary character in his speech

Answer 6

apostrophe

Question 7

refers to the feeling, emotion, or mood a writer conveys to a reader through the description of setting and objects

Answer 7

atmosphere

Question 8

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

Answer 8

clause

Question 9

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

Answer 9

colloquial

Question 10

a fanciful expression in writing or speech; an elaborate metaphor

Answer 10

conceit

Question 11

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

Answer 11

connotation

Question 12

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

Answer 12

denotation

Question 13

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

Answer 13

diction

Question 14

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

Answer 14

didactic

Question 15

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 15

euphemism

Question 16

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

Answer 16

extended metaphor

Question 17

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

Answer 17

figurative language

Question 18

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

Answer 18

figure of speech

Question 19

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

Answer 19

generic conventions

Question 20

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

Answer 20

genre

Question 21

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

Answer 21

homily

Question 22

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

Answer 22

hyperbole

Question 23

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work

Answer 23

imagery

Question 24

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

Answer 24

infer (inference)

Question 25

insulting, abusive, or highly critical language

Answer 25

invective

Question 26

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

Answer 26

irony

Question 27

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

Answer 27

loose sentence

Question 28

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 28

metaphor

Question 29

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 29

metonymy

Question 30

a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions

Answer 30

mood

Question 31

a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth

Answer 31

paradox

Question 32

the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same; or similar in their construction, sound, meaning or meter

Answer 32

parallelism

Question 33

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

Answer 33

parody

Question 34

someone who is concerned with precision, formalism, accuracy, minute details in order to make an arrogant and ostentatious show of learning

Answer 34

pedantic

Question 35

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 35

periodic sentence

Question 36

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

Answer 36

personification

Question 37

a particular attitude or way of considering a matter

Answer 37

point of view

Question 38

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

Answer 38

predicate adjective

Question 39

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

Answer 39

predicate nominative

Question 40

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

Answer 40

prose

Question 41

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

Answer 41

rhetoric

Question 42

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

Answer 42

rhetorical modes

Question 43

the use of irony to mock or convey contempt

Answer 43

sarcasm

Question 44

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 44

satire

Question 45

the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning

Answer 45

semantics

Question 46

a manner of doing something

Answer 46

style

Question 47

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

Answer 47

subject complement

Question 48

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 48

subordinate clause

Question 49

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 49

syllogism

Question 50

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

Answer 50

symbol

Question 51

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

Answer 51

syntax

Question 52

a literary technique in which the normal order of words is reversed in order to achieve a particular effect of emphasis or meter

Answer 52

syntactical inversion

Question 53

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

Answer 53

theme

Question 54

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

Answer 54

thesis

Question 55

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

Answer 55

tone

Question 56

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

Answer 56

transition

Question 57

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

Answer 57

understatement

Question 58

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

Answer 58

wit