Terminology pg.1

Question 1

allegory

Answer 1

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

Question 2

alliteration

Answer 2

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

Question 3

allusion

Answer 3

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

Question 4

analogy

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

anecdote

Answer 5

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

Question 6

aside

Answer 6

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

Question 7

assonance

Answer 7

repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry.

Question 8

ballad

Answer 8

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

Question 9

blank verse

Answer 9

unrhymed iambic pentameter.

Question 10

caesura

Answer 10

a pause or a sudden break in a line of poetry

Question 11

cliché

Answer 11

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

Question 12

consonance

Answer 12

the repetition of consonant sounds anywhere within a line of poetry.

Question 13

couplet

Answer 13

a rhymed pair of lines in a poem.

Question 14

dialect

Answer 14

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

Question 15

dramatic monologue

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

elegy

Answer 16

a literary song or poem that expresses sorrow or lamentation, usually for one who has died.

Question 17

enjambment

Answer 17

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

Question 18

epigram

Answer 18

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

Question 19

epic

Answer 19

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

Question 20

epiphany

Answer 20

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

Question 21

epitaph

Answer 21

a short poem or verse written in memory of someone

Question 22

extended metaphor

Answer 22

a figure of speech that compares two essentially unlike things in great length.

Question 23

fable

Answer 23

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

Question 24

figurative language or figure of speech

Answer 24

expressions that are not literally true, such as simile and metaphor

Question 25

flashback

Answer 25

an interruption of the chronological sequence of an event of earlier occurrence.