Literary Terms Vocab

  1. Alliteration
    The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
  2. Allusion
    A passing reference to historical or fictional characters, places, or events, or to other works that the writer assumes the reader will know
  3. Analogy
    A comparison of similar things the purpose being to use something familiar to explain something unfamiliar.
  4. Anastrophe
    The inversion of the usual order of words
  5. Aside
    In drama, when actors speak to the audience, without being heard by the others on stage.
  6. Autobiography
    An account of all/part of a person's life written by that person.
  7. Ballad
    Narrative poetry that represents a single dramatic episode which is tragic or violent. Tell stories in unhappy love affairs, family feuds, murders etc.
  8. Biography
    An account of someone's life written by someone else.
  9. Blank Verse
    Poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.
  10. Caricature
    Descriptive writing that exaggerates specific features of appearance or personality, usually for comic effect.
  11. Catharsis
    The power of tragedy to purge emotions or pity and fear.
  12. Cliché
    An expression that has been over-used.
  13. Colloquialism
    A word or phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal writing, but sometimes inappropriate in formal writing.
  14. Connotation
    The images carried by a word, as opposed to the word's literal meaning.
  15. Dialect
    The version of a language  spoken by people of a particular region.
  16. Diction
    Word choice.
  17. Epiphany
    moment of revelation or profound insight
  18. Epithet
    Adjective or adjective phrase  applied to a person to emphasize a characteristic quality
  19. Figurative Language
    Language that contains figures of speech, are expressions that make comparisons meant to be interpreted imaginatively rather than literally.
  20. Free Verse
    Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter.
  21. Hyperbole
    Obvious extravagant exaggeration  or overstatement
  22. Imagery
    The making of "pictures in words"
  23. Metaphor
    An implied analogy in which one thing is imaginatively compared with another. Dissimilar things.
  24. Satire
    Form of literature that blends ironic humor and wit with criticism for the purpose of ridiculing.
  25. Simile
    Figure of speech that uses like, as, or as if, to compare two objects that share some aspect of similarity
  26. Soliloquy
    When a character in a play, alone on stage,  speaks his or her thoughts aloud.
  27. Syntax
    The ordering of words into phrases and sentences.
  28. Transition
    A word, phrase, or sentence of writing that serves as a link in writing.
  29. Vernacular
    The everyday spoken language of the people in a particular locality.
Author
Melany_G
ID
283483
Card Set
Literary Terms Vocab
Description
Vocab test
Updated