Lit Terms
An illuminating discovery, realization, or discovery
What is ephiphany?
A long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation
What is an epic?
Paulo was suppose to be studying for his English II midterm, however, he stayed up late playing minecraft.
Paulo was supposed to be studying for his English II midterm; however, he stayed up playing Minecraft.
The problem in a story that is often categorized by person vs. person, person vs. technology, person vs. society, etc.
What is a conflict?
Used to control the citizens of society (often times these are advertisements or posters).
What is propaganda?
This painter cut off his own ear.
Who is Vincent Van Gogh
A word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically used in ordinary conversation.
What is colloquialism?
The full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader but unknown to the character.
What is dramatic irony?
In "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare Prospero relentlessly questions his daughter Miranda by asking "Dost thou mark me?" (1.2.96)
In The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Prospero relentlessly questions his daughter Miranda by asking, "Dost thou mark me?" (1.2.96).
The element in literature that introduces the key background in a story.
What is the exposition?
A figure of speech using like or as.
What is a simile?
The name of the goddess of love in Greek mythology.
Who is Aphrodite?
A central character who lacks the usual characteristics an audience associates with the usual hero. (Conventional characteristics include bravery, strength, honesty, integrity, etc.)
What is an antihero?
The protagonist of a tragedy. Most have virtuous or sympathetic qualities but ultimately suffer and die due to their tragic flaw.
What is a tragic hero?
Being a lifeguard at the pool is Evans dream summer job, because he got to be outdoors.
Being a lifeguard at the pool is Evan’s dream summer job because he gets to be outdoors.
The overall message that the author communicates through the story
What is theme?
A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. A direct comparison without using the comparative words "like" or "as."
What is a metaphor?
This company owns You Tube.
What is Google?
The choice and use of words in a text.
What is diction?
Two things being seen or placed close together with a contrasting effect.
What is juxtaposition?
Kara, the leading hitter on our softball team, and she is out sick for today’s game, I wonder what the captian will say.
Kara, the leading hitter on our softball team, is out sick for today’s game. I wonder what the captain will say.
The time and location of the story.
What is setting?
A phrase or expression that has a meaning that is not clear from the individual words in the phrase. Ex. It's raining cats and dogs.
What is an idiom?
The capital of Finland.
What is Helsinki?
The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing. There are three appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos.
What is rhetoric?
A figure of speech which presents a short story with a moral at the end.
What is a parable?
The so called “green-tech” company’s carbon emissions was actually through the roof consequently their eco-conscious clientele promptly withdrew their business.
The so-called “green-tech” company’s carbon emissions were actually through the roof; consequently, their eco-conscious clientele promptly withdrew their business.
The action that takes place in the story.
Attributing human characteristics to nonhuman things. This humanizes objects and makes them more relatable.
What is personification?
The only US state that ends in the letter g.
What is Wyoming?
Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.
What is hyperbole?
The irony of something happening that is very different to what was expected.
What is situational irony?
“I hope” said Farayd, “That Lana will nail her final ice skating performance”.
“I hope,” said Farayd, “that Lana will nail her final ice skating performance.”
The moments in the story that lead up to the climax.
What is rising action?
The use of descriptive words that sound or mimic the noise they are describing.
What is onomatopoeia?
The city in which LaGuardia Airport is located.
What is New York City?
A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular person or thing.
What is a stereotype?
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.
What is satire?
During the infamous balcony scene Romeo plays with the term “light” (2.2.2) to compare Juliet to the sun who is in competition with the moon, this reveals her command for attention and her beauty.
During the infamous balcony scene, Romeo plays with the term “light” to compare Juliet to the sun who is in competition with the moon, revealing her command for attention and her beauty (2.2.2).
The primary turning point and what your story has been building towards.
What is the climax?
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the start of one or more words near one another. It is often used to emphasize an emotion or reveal a stronger description.
What is alliteration?
The president who resigned after the infamous Watergate scandal.
Who is Richard Nixon?
A character who contrasts with the protagonist of the story. These often have some surface similarities but several major differences, allowing us to better study the protagonist.
What is a foil?
The structural reversal of the normal order of the words and phrases in a sentence.
What is inversion?
Our teacher told us that when Shirley Jackson published “The Lottery” in The New Yorker, readers were so upset by the short story that they wrote her, and the magazine hate mail. Many thought the repitition of the lottery was simply too gruesome.
Our teacher told us that when Shirley Jackson published “The Lottery” in The New Yorker, readers were so upset by the short story that they wrote her and the magazine hate mail. Many thought the repetition of the lottery was simply too gruesome.
When the story basically wraps everything up.
What is resolution?
A reference to a well-known person, place, thing or event of historical, cultural or literary merit. It requires the audience to use their background knowledge to understand the meaning.
What is an allusion?
The acronym CEO stands for this.
What is Chief Executive Officer?
An elaborate metaphor.
What is conceit?
The repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence.
What is parallel structure?
What do you think Jay Gatsby meant when he replied “Why of course you can [repeat the past]!” to Nick (Fitzgerald, 110)? Obviously he can’t mean it literally.
What do you think Jay Gatsby meant when he replied, “Why of course you can [repeat the past]!” to Nick (Fitzgerald 110)? Obviously, he can’t mean it literally.
This character is usually considered "the good guy."
What is the protagonist?
An extreme exaggeration.
What is hyperbole?
The job that the Seven Dwarfs had in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
What is a miner?
An act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any listeners, especially by a character in a play.
What is a soliloquy?
A speech or address to a person who is not present or to a personified object.
What is apostrophe?
Ray Bradbury’s opening line to Fahrenheit 451 “It was a pleasure to burn” is one of the most intriguing first lines that I’ve ever read (1). Written on it’s own line this opener immediately makes the reader question what is burning and can this narrator be trusted?
Ray Bradbury’s opening line to Fahrenheit 451, “It was a pleasure to burn,” is one of the most intriguing first lines that I’ve ever read (1). Written on its own line, this opener immediately makes the reader question what is burning and if this narrator be trusted.
The different perspectives that stories are written in.
What is point of view?
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood
As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood
What is a tongue twister? (or alliteration)
The name of Australia's largest airline.
What is Qantas Airways?