Literary Terms and Figurative Language – Flashcards
45 test answers
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answers 45question
analogy
answer
compares two different things to point out how they are similar
Unlock the answer
question
antagonist
answer
the character or force in conflict with the main character
Unlock the answer
question
apostrophe
answer
a figure of speech in which a writer speaks directly to an idea, a quality, an object, or a person who is not present (i.e. "O cruel Fate, why do you torture me so?")
Unlock the answer
question
aside
answer
a short speech delivered to the audience by an actor in a play and spoken in an undertone to suggest that the rest of the characters on stage are unable to hear it
Unlock the answer
question
assonance
answer
the close repitition of similar vowels in conjunction with dissimilar consonant sounds (i.e. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?)
Unlock the answer
question
ballad
answer
a song-like poem that tells a story, often one dealing with adventure or romance
Unlock the answer
question
climax
answer
the high point (turning point) of interest or suspense in a literary work
Unlock the answer
question
connotation
answer
the set of associations that a word calls to mind (i.e. naked−negative, nude−positive)
Unlock the answer
question
couplet
answer
a pair of consecutive rhyming lines (i.e. It lives unmoved, equated with the stream / as flowers are fit for air, man for his dream.)
Unlock the answer
question
denotation
answer
the literal or exact meaning of a word; the definition of a word
Unlock the answer
question
drama
answer
a story written to be performed by actors
Unlock the answer
question
epic
answer
a long narrative poem about the exploits of a god or hero (i.e. "The Odyssey")
Unlock the answer
question
euphemism
answer
a pleasant way to say something inherently unpleasant (i.e. pleasantly plump instead of fat)
Unlock the answer
question
exposition
answer
writing or speech that explains, informs, or presents information; the beginning part of the plot that lays out the basic characters and situations
Unlock the answer
question
fable
answer
a brief story, usually with animal characters, that teaches a lesson or a moral (i.e. "The Tortoise and the Hare")
Unlock the answer
question
foil
answer
a character who provides a contrast to another character (i.e. jealous Cassius and shrewd Antony are both foils for the idealistic Brutus in "Julius Caesar"; conniving, vindictive Abagail is a foil for honest, forgiving Elizabeth Proctor in "The Crucible")
Unlock the answer
question
foreshadowing
answer
the use of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur. Use of this technique helps to create suspense, keeping readers wondering about what will happen later in the story.
Unlock the answer
question
haiku
answer
a type of Japanese poem divided into three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, often on the subject of nature
Unlock the answer
question
hyperbole
answer
deliberate exaggeration or overstatement that is not meant to be taken literally (i.e. Jeff is as strong as fifty men.)
Unlock the answer
question
hubris
answer
excessive pride, exaggerated sense of self-worth (i.e. Julius Caesar had this quality in spades)
Unlock the answer
question
imagery
answer
the descriptive language used in literature to re-create sensory experiences. The images in a work supply details of sight, sound, taste, touch, smell, or movement.
Unlock the answer
question
irony
answer
the general name given to literary techniques that involve differences between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention; an unexpected twist (situational, dramatic type)
Unlock the answer
question
metaphor
answer
a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else; a direct comparison between two unlike things (i.e. Death is a long sleep in which none of us will awake.)
Unlock the answer
question
monologue
answer
a speech, especially in a play, made by one character (i.e. Marc Antony's funeral oration in "Julius Caesar")
Unlock the answer
question
mood
answer
also known as "atmosphere," mood is the feeling created in the reader in a literary work or passage. It is often suggested by descriptive details, and can be described in a single word (i.e. frightening, sad, light-hearted)
Unlock the answer
question
myth
answer
a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or heroes or the causes of natural phenomena
Unlock the answer
question
narrative poem
answer
tells a story in verse
Unlock the answer
question
onomatopoeia
answer
the use of words that imitate sounds (i.e. woof, buzz, murmur, rattle, hum)
Unlock the answer
question
oxymoron
answer
a figure of speech that puts together two opposing or contradictory ideas (i.e. freezing fire, sweet sorrow, active sleep)
Unlock the answer
question
parable
answer
a brief story, usually with human characters, that is told to teach a lesson. Many writers make allusions to famous Biblical these (i.e. the story of David and Goliath)
Unlock the answer
question
parody
answer
an imitation of another work that exaggerates or distorts features of the work to make fun of it or to simply amuse readers (i.e. the movie "Scary Movie" is one of "Scream")
Unlock the answer
question
personification
answer
a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human qualities (i.e. Justice is blind; My cat is laughing at me.)
Unlock the answer
question
protagonist
answer
the main character in a literary work, considered to be the "good" character or the hero
Unlock the answer
question
satire
answer
a type of writing that ridicules or criticizes the faults of individuals or groups (i.e. "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift)
Unlock the answer
question
simile
answer
a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two subjects using "like" or "as"
Unlock the answer
question
soliloquy
answer
a long speech made by a character who is alone (no other characters on stage)
Unlock the answer
question
sonnet
answer
a 14-line poem focused on a single theme, often love (i.e. "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day" by William Shakespeare and "Puritan Sonnet" by Elinor Wylie)
Unlock the answer
question
synecdoche
answer
a figure of speech that uses part of something to stand for the whole thing (i.e. All hands on deck; Give me a hand with this ladder)
Unlock the answer
question
theme
answer
the central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work. It is NOT a condensed summary of the plot. Instead, it is a GENERALIZATION about human beings or about life that the literary work communicates.
Unlock the answer
question
tone
answer
the writer's attitude toward his or her audience or subject. It may often be described as a single adjective.
Unlock the answer
question
tragedy
answer
a type of drama or literature that shows the downfall or destruction of a noble or outstanding person (i.e. "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar")
Unlock the answer
