Literary Terms 1
A form of extended metaphor in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative stand for something outside the narrative itself.
Allegory
a comparison between two things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification.
Analogy
Sentence in which the arrangement of ideas in the second clause is a reversal of the first
Chiasmus
a mild word or expression substituted for a harsher one.
Euphemism
Reveals a kind of truth which at first seems contradictory.
Paradox
Word play
Pun
the repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession
Alliteration
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.
Anaphora
What is an extreme exaggeration? Hint: The opposite of understatement.
Hyperbole
What is an unexpected twist or contrast between what happens and what was intended or expected to happen?
Irony
A word that sounds like the sound they represent.
Onomatopoeia
Where authors ask questions to which they or the audience already know the answers
Rhetorical Question
What is a reference to another literary work called?
Allusion
is a rhetorical device that uses a noun or pronoun to identify or explain another noun or pronoun
Appositive
What is the total effect of related sensory images in a work of literature?
Imagery
A recurring important idea or image
Motif
a statement with two parts which seems contradictory
Oxymoron
A comparison of two unlike things using like or as.
Simile
What is the presentation of two contrasting images called? Hint: The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs.
Antithesis
A formal invocation, sometimes to an absent or deceased person
Apostrophe
The arrangement of words, phrases, or clauses of increasing importance
Climax
What is a direct comparison between dissimilar things called?
Metaphor
the repetition of similar grammatical structures
Parallelism
a type of metaphor in which the part stands for the whole
synecdoche
a Statement which has two or more possible meanings
Ambiguity
The omission of conjunctions between clauses, often resulting in a hurried rhythm
Asyndeton
Deliberate omission of a word or words, which are readily implied by the context
Ellipsis
What is a figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea called?
Metonymy
The assigning of human qualities to inanimate objects or concepts.
Personification
The apparent emotion or attitude of the speaker or author
Tone