Name: _______________________________
LITERATURE TERMS – Quick Reference
Poetic Forms
1. Alliterative Verse- a poetic form that that uses alliteration to unify lines of poetry
2. Ballad- a poem that usually tells a story and has a musical rhythm (originally oral poems)
3. Blank Verse- unrhymed iambic pentameter
4. Elegy- a poem written to honor someone who has died
5. Epic Poem- a long narrative poem in elevated language that follows a hero through a journey
6. Free Verse- a poem that is free of any rules or set structures
7. Iambic Pentameter- a single line of poetry consisting of 10 syllables (unstressed then stressed)
8. Lyric Poem- a poem that expresses personal emotions through use of one speaker (not the poet)
9. Narrative Poem- a poem that tells a story (often chronological order)
10. Ode- a long, lyric poem expressing emotions in a dignified style
11. Pastoral- poems that deal with rural life (the countryside) and is often romanticized
12. Sonnet- a 14-line poem usually written in iambic pentameter with a defined rhyme scheme
Narrative Forms
13. Allegory- a story that is symbolic for other events or ideals
14. Anecdote- a short tale that narrates an interesting or amusing biographical event
15. Autobiography- a book written about the life of a person by the person writing the book
16. Biography- a book written about the life of a person by a different person
17. Character Sketch- a written description of a character in a story
18. Fable- a moral story that often uses animals, plants, etc. that are given human characteristics
19. Myth- a traditional story, usually of a hero, often based on events that cannot be proven
20. Novel- a long narrative that develops multiple characters through a sequence of events
21. Short Story- a narrative that is usually fictional and is traditionally under 10,000 words
Dramatic Forms
22. Comedy- a work that aims to amuse the audience where the main characters face no disasters
23. Tragedy- a complex work where the tragic hero falls due to some character flaw
Other Literary Forms
24. Aphorism- a statement about general truth or observation
25. Epigram- a short, witty work or statement dealing with a single subject or thought
26. Farce- a light, humorous play that often mocks an idea or other work
27. Gothic- a type of fiction that usually deals with unusual settings or supernatural events
28. Historical Fiction- a fictional work centered on actual historical events
29. Legend- a non-historical story handed down by tradition often accepted as being true
30. Morality Tale- allegorical play where the main character has to decide between good and evil
31. Proverb- a simple saying that is known and repeated (fortune cookies)
32. Romance- a story that followed a chivalrous character through a physical and emotional quest
33. Satire- a story that pokes fun at something in an effort to change it
34. Tall Tale- a story with unbelievable events that are told to impress or persuade into truth
Dramatic Conventions
35. Aside-when a character speaks on stage and the others on stage do not hear them
36. Soliloquy-when a character is ALONE on stage and speaks to the audience, revealing thoughts
37. Catharsis-An emotional discharge that brings a moral/spiritual relief from tension and anxiety
38. Comic Relief-a humorous scene/character/dialogue that relieves a tragic scene or action
39. Fate/Wyrd-an unavoidable series of events; the way things are meant to be
40. Tragic Hero-a character that passes through a series of misfortunes leading to a catastrophe
41. Tragic Flaw-the defining characteristic of a tragic hero that leads to the misfortune and demise
Figurative Language
42. Allusion-a reference to an outside/well known historical/biblical/mythological event or figure
43. Analogy-a similarity of alike features between two things
44. Apostrophe-the act of mentioning something or someone that is not present
45. Imagery-sensory description that creates a picture in the reader’s mind
46. Kenning-a compound (2-part) word that describes an object or activity
47. Metaphor (extended)-a metaphor that is continued throughout a work of literature
48. Metaphor (implied)- direct comparison between two or more things
49. Metonymy-Using a vaguely suggestive, physical object to embody a more general idea
50. Personification-assigning human traits to non-human objects
51. Simile-an indirect comparison between two or more things (using “like” or “as … as”
52. Symbolism-use of words/places/objects that mean something other than what they seem
53. Synecdoche-a part representing the whole/or the whole of an object representing a part
Sound Devices
54. Alliteration -the repetition of initial (first) consonant sounds
55. Approximate/Slant Rhyme-words that should rhyme, but don’t
56. Assonance-repetition of interior/dominant vowel sounds
57. Cacophony- the use of words that combine sharp, harsh, hissing, or unmelodious sounds
58. Caesura- A pause separating phrases within lines of poetry
59. Consonance- examples include rider, reader, raider, and ruder.
60. Diction- The choice of a particular word as opposed to others (specific vocab creating tone)
61. Euphony- Attempt to group words together so the consonants permit an easy flow of sound
62. Iamb- a lightly stressed syllable followed by a heavily stressed syllable
63. Iambic Pentameter-a poetic line of 10 syllables arranged into 5 iambs
64. Internal Rhyme- a word in the middle of a line rhymes with a word at the end of the line
65. Meter- varying pattern of stressed syllables alternating with syllables of less stress
66. Mood- a feeling, emotional state, or disposition of mind that the reader feels
67. Onomatopoeia- The use of sounds that are similar to the noise they represent
68. Refrain- A line or set of lines at the end of a stanza or section of a longer poem or song
69. Repetition- the simple repeating of a word in order to emphasize
70. Rhyme- a matching similarity of sounds in two or more words
71. Rhythm- The varying speed, loudness, pitch, and expressiveness of speech, especially poetry
72. Scansion- The act of "scanning" a poem to determine its meter
73. Tone- The means of creating a relationship or conveying an attitude
Character Terms
74. Protagonist-The main character in a work
75. Antagonist- the character against whom the protagonist struggles or contends
76. Caricature- portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person
77. Characterization (Direct)-when we learn about a character directly from the narrator
78. Characterization (Indirect)-when we learn about a char. through actions/dialogue
79. Dynamic/Round-one whose personality changes or evolves over the course of a narrative
80. Static/Flat-a simplified character that does not change or alter his or her personality
81. Stereotype-A character who is so ordinary or unoriginal that the character seems like an
oversimplified representation of a type, gender, class, religious group, or occupation
Name: _______________________________
Language Devices/Misc Terms
82. Carpe Diem-Latin for "seize the day" meaning to live each day like it is your last
83. Cliché-a dated, overused phrase that is widely understood
84. Colloquialism/Vernacular-A word or phrase used in plain/relaxed speech
85. Conceit-An elaborate or unusual comparison
86. Connotation-associations with a word; context definition of a word
87. Couplet-two lines of poetry with end rhyme; often the end of a Shakespearean sonnet
88. Denotation-the dictionary meaning of a word
89. Dialect-language that is specific to a particular region or culture
90. Dramatic Irony-when the reader knows something the characters do not; creates suspense
91. Flashback-when the action of a story suddenly shifts to events that happened in the past
92. Foil-a character who is the exact opposite of another character to make their traits more clear
93. Foot-A basic unit of meter consisting of a set number of strong stresses and light stresses
94. Foreshadowing-events early in a work that hints at what is to come later in the work
95. Hyperbole-extreme exaggeration
96. In Media Res-Latin for “in the middle”; a story that starts in the middle of the plot
97. Inversion/Anastrophe-the adjective appears after the noun
98. Literal vs. Figurative Language-Literal is at face value, Figurative is the use of words in
order to achieve some special meaning or effect
99. Masculine Rhyme-Rhymes that end with a heavy stress on the last syllable in each word
100. Motif-a type of incident, reference, or verbal formula, which appears frequently
101. Narrator-The "voice" that speaks or tells a story
102. Oxymoron/ Paradox-Using opposite words in a way that makes sense (jumbo shrimp)
103. Parallelism-When the writer establishes similar patterns of grammatical structure and length
104. Persona-A representation of oneself that might or might not reflect one's inner self
105. Plot-The structure and relationship of actions and events in a work of fiction
106. Point of View-The way a story is told and who tells it
107. 1st Person-the narrator speaks as "I" and the narrator is a character in the story
108. 3rd Person Limited-the narrator reports speech and action, but never comments on the thoughts of
other characters
109. 3rd Person Omniscient-a narrator who knows everything
110. Pun-A play on two words similar in sound but different in meaning
111. Rhetorical Question-one asked in order to get a definite answer (usually "no")
112. Setting-the particular physical location in which events takes place
113. Situational Irony-when what happens is the exact opposite of what the reader expects
114. Speaker-The narrative voice in a poem
115. Stage Directions-indicates actions or activity for the actors to engage in during a play
116. Stanza-Poetic paragraph- sets of lines in poetry
117. Stream of Consciousness-Writing in where a character's thoughts are in a random order
118. Stress-the emphasis, length and loudness that mark one syllable as more strong than another
119. Subplot-A minor, secondary plot that takes place at the same time as the main plot
120. Theme-A central idea or statement that unifies and controls an entire literary work
121. Understatement-the opposite of exaggeration
122. Verbal Irony-sarcasm; when a character says one thing but means something opposite
American Literature
Major Themes
123. American Dream-expresses desires for self-improvement, freedom, and self-sufficiency
124. Loss of Innocence-characters realize the harsh realities of life
125. Coming of Age -a change from ignorance/youth to maturity
126. Relationship with Nature-nature has ultimate power over characters
127. Relationship with Society-social classes/structure has power over characters
128. Relationship with Science-laws of science or desire of knowledge has power
129. Alienation and Isolation-dominant feelings of being alone or misunderstood
130. Survival of the Fittest-idea where only the strongest survive
131. Disillusionment-to cause to lose naïve faith or trust
132. Rebellion and Protest-going against the norms of society and expectations
Literary Time Periods
133. Colonialism/Puritanism-religion centered works that persuade masses or congregations
134. Revolutionary Movement-focus on logic and structuring of the new democratic government
135. Romanticism/Dark Romanticism-focus on artistic expression of complex emotions
136. Transcendentalism-focus on individuality, self-reliance, and nature
137. Regionalism/Naturalism-focus on a particular American region and its culture
138. Realism- verisimilitude, or the realistic expression of life
139. Symbolism/Modernism-focus on experimentation and renewed roles for people
140. Harlem Renaissance-a movement lead by African Americans; birthplace of Jazz culture
141. Postmodernism-focus on breaking away from traditions and norms
British Literature
Literary Time Periods
142. Anglo-Saxon-nomadic/Germanic tribes and the epic tales they shared orally
143. Medieval-focus on chivalry, knights, and a survey of the people’s roles during the time
144. Renaissance-rebirth, flowering time of art and expression
145. Restoration/Neoclassical-focus on philosophy and expression; highly optimistic
146. Romantic-focus on nature, imagination, and individuality in England
147. Victorian-focus on a longing for the morality of the medieval world; sentimental novels
148. Modern/Postmodern-focus on experimentation of form in poetry and stories
Literary Archetypes
149. Hero/Heroine-The courageous figure, the one who is always running in and saving the day
150. Trickster-a spirit or animal that plays tricks and goes against morals
151. Faithful Companion-the loyal sidekick to the hero/heroine
152. Outsider/Outcast-a character that separates themselves or are not accepted by others
153. Rugged Individualist-a character who relies only on their own strengths to survive
154. Innocent-a character that lacks experience and purity
155. Villain-evil character that exists to create conflicts
156. Caretaker-a character that supports and nurtures other characters
157. Earth Mother-a character that is closely related to fertility and nature
158. Rebel-a character who rejects the values of a society
159. Misfit-a character that does not feel a connection with any certain group or society