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Literary Terms
Literary Terms
Literary Terms
Literary Terms
Literary Terms
100
The unintentional humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in context.
What is Malapropism?
100
Final syllable of first word rhymes with final syllable of second word (scald recalled)
What is masculine rhyme?
100
"Philosophical investigation into the nature of beauty and the perception of beauty especially in the arts; the theory of art or artistic taste."
What is Aesthetics?
100
A term from classical rhetoric that describes a situation in which you introduce subjects in the order A B and C and then talk about them in the order C B and A.
What is Chiasmus?
100
A controversial argument especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine.
What is Polemic?
200
Harsh, non-melodic, unpleasant sounding arrangement of words.
What is Cacophony?
200
Repetition of the same word or words at the start of two or more lines.
What is anaphora?
200
"A brief statement which expresses an observation on life usually intended as a wise observation. Benjamin Franklin's ""Poor Richard's Almanac"" contains numerous examples one of which is Drive thy business; let it not drive thee."
What is Aphorism?
200
"A work ""designed to impart information advice or some doctrine of morality or philosophy."
What is Didactic?
200
The study of the meaning of language as opposed to its form.
What is Semantics?
300
Pleasant, easy to articulate words
What is Euphony?
300
An extended witty, paradoxical, or startling metaphor?
What is conceit?
300
The omission of a conjunction from a list ('chips beans peas vinegar salt pepper')
What is Asyndeton?
300
A brief quotation which appears at the beginning of a literary work.
What is Epigraph?
300
Theories regarding symbolism and how people glean meaning from words sounds and pictures.
What is Semiotics?
400
Poetry with the primary purpose of teaching or preaching.
What is didactic poetry?
400
Symbolism; one thing is used as a substitute for another with which it is closely identified (the White House)
What is metonymy?
400
A Greek word that implies rule or law and is used in literature as the source which regulates which selection of authors or works would be considered important pieces of literature.
What is Canon?
400
A pithy sometimes satiric couplet or quatrain which was popular in classic Latin literature and in European and English literature of the Renaissance and the neo-Classical era.
What is Epigram?
400
An imaginary and indefinitely remote place of ideal perfection especially in laws government and social conditions. An imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives; an imaginary place or state where everything is as bad as it possibly can be: or a description of such a place.
What is Utopia/Dystopia?
500
The latter two syllables of first word rhyme with latter two syllables of second word (ceiling appealing)
What is feminine rhyme?
500
Symbolism; the part signifies the whole, or the whole the part (all hands on board)
What is synecdoche?
500
"Meaning ""purgation"" It describes the release of the emotions of pity and fear by the audience at the end of a tragedy. In his Poetics Aristotle discusses the importance of it. The audience faces the misfortunes of the protagonist which elicit pity and compassion. Simultaneously the audience also confronts the failure of the protagonist thus receiving a frightening reminder of human limitations and frailties."
What is Catharsis?
500
In literature a word of phrase preceding or following a name which serves to describe the character. For example in the Iliad: Zeus-loved Achilles.
What is Epithet?
500
A small illustrative sketch
What is Vignette?