Literary Terms Quiz
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44 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 characterization | the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character |
| climax | the highest point; the greatest moment or event, turning point |
| conflict | clash of purposes, in novel, story, and PLAY. |
| epiphany | sudden perceptions (moment of understanding) |
| figure of speech | an expression that strives for literary effect rather than conveying a literal meaning |
| foil | someone who serves as a contrast or challenge to another character |
| foreshadow | suggest what will come later in a story, novel, or play, hints, or events of same nature |
| image | picture aroused in mind, words that summon a image |
| imagery | words that summon up an image in the mind |
| irony | using a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal meaning, dramatic, verbal |
| metaphor | a figure of speech that suggests a resemblance between two different things WITHOUT using a word of comparison |
| motive | reasons for a character acting a certain way. |
| pathos | a feeling of sympathetic pity, also the qualities in a literary work that cause such a feeling |
| plot | everything that happens in a story, novel, or play |
| point of view | vantage point of story |
| protagonist | person who is main character/hero |
| antagonist | working against hero |
| romanticism | favors the imagination, emotions, and individual originality |
| satire | literary tone used to make fun of human vice or weakness |
| setting | time and place |
| simile | comparison USING like or as |
| stream of consciousness | thoughts and feelings of writer recorded as they occur |
| symbol | stands for an idea |
| theme | underlying idea of a work |
| tone | attitude of author towards reader |
| total effect | final, overall impression, left to the reader |
| allegory | narrative technique that characters represents abstract things, message or lessons |
| allusion | reference to familiar literary person or event |
| colloquialism | word or phrase that is accepted in casual conversation but not for communication |
| conceit | clever, metaphor, elaborate comparison |
| diction | selection and arrangement of words in a literary work, 4 types |
| doppelganger | character duplicated, opposite personalities, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde |
| Enlightenment | 18th century philosophical movement, reason, |
| farce | comedy, humor |
| Harlem Renaissance | 1920's movement of black writers and artists |
| hyperbole | exaggeration |
| motif | reoccurring theme |
| Naturalism | literary movement in late 19th early 20th century, determinism |
| neoclassicism | age of reason, revival of attitudes and style in classic literature. |
| oxymoron | 2 contradictory terms |
| parody | imitation of serious literary work inappropriate subject |
| tragic flaw | leads to downfall, usually hubris, pride |
| Transcendentalism | American philosophical and religious movement, 1835 |
| style | manner of writing |
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