| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Elegy | a sad or mournful poem |
| Foreshadowing | use of clues that suggests events that have yet to occur |
| Genre | a division or type of literature (3: poetry, prose, genre) |
| Hyperbole | a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement |
| Irony | a contrast between what is stated and what is meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens |
| Meter | its rhythmical pattern. # of stresses, or beats, in a line |
| Narration | writing that tells a story |
| Onomatopoeia | use of words that imitate sounds (buzz) |
| Oxymoron | a figure of speech that combines 2 opposing or contradictory ideas |
| Metaphor | figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else |
| Paradox | a statement that seems to be contradictory but that actually presents a truth |
| Lyric poetry | poetry that expresses authors feelings |
| Allusion | an indirect reference to a famous literary work or event |
| Alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words |
| Consonance | repetition of consonant sounds at the ends or words in a series |
| Assonance | repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words |
| Blank verse | unrhymed, iambic pentameter – 5 meters. Every line is 10 beats |
| Symbolism | a person, place, or thing that has meaning in itself and also represents something larger than itself |
| Allegory | characters, events, settings that represent abstract qualities or ideas |
| Antagonist | a character or force in conflict with the main character |
| Aphorism | a general truth or observation about life |
| Aside | a speech delivered to the audience so that others supposedly don't hear |
| Ballad | songlike poem that tells a story |
| Caesura | a pause or break in the middle of a line of poetry |
| Climax | high point of interest or action in a literary work |
| Conceit | an ingenious or complex metaphor |
| Exposition | writing or speech that explains, informs, or presents information |
| Figurative language | writing or speech not meant to be taken literally |
| Free verse | poetry that lacks a regular rhythmical pattern or meter (no rhyme scheme) |
Combine with other sets
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