LITERARY TERMS CROSSWORD 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 Across 1. Figure of speech that is an exaggeration or overstatement 3. The moment of sudden understanding 7. Story in which characters, things, or actions represent or lead to a strong moral or lesson 9. Feeling of the story (happy, sad, tense, suspenseful, etc.) 10. Story longer than a short story but not as long or complex as a novel 12. Sequence of events in a story 14. Long narrative poem that tells the great deeds of a hero 15. Words or phrases that convey the opposite meaning or expected outcome 18. Often-repeated idea in a story 20. The lesson of a story 23. Person, place, thing, or event that stands for something else 24. Kind of writing that expresses a person's viewpoint 25. Literary device used to make fun of human weaknesses 23 25 Down 2. Statement that seems contrary to truth but may be true 4. Story that uses humorous excessive exaggeration to mock something 5. Person telling the story 6. Literary reference to a familiar thing 8. Category or type (of literature) 9. Humorous play on words resulting from two similar words being misused 11. Short verse written in memory of someone 13. Figure of speech in which two unlike things are compated using 'like' or 'as' 16. Combination of contradictory terms (jumbo shrimp) 17. Direct conversation between characters 19. Story in which the hero is destroyed 21. Characterized by mystery, castles, supernatural events, old mansions, etc. 22. Series of events in search of something Copyright 2009 Teacher's Pet Publications, Inc. LITERARY TERMS CROSSWORD 1 ANSWER KEY 1 H 2 Y P E R B O L E 3 A E 4 P I P 5 H A N Y 6 R A 7 A A A R R 8 L L E G O R Y 9 D L E M 10 O U N X S R O O D R 11 O V E L L P A D L Y A T 12 I E I A 13 S O 15 I P L O T 14 T 16 R O E P I C T I R 17 N Y D A R 18 M X I P A H M O F 19 I Y T P 20 L E M 21 O R A L I 22 23 O A O Q S R G G U M O E U E D Y E Y M B O L T H 24 N G 25 S S A Y S T Across 1. Figure of speech that is an exaggeration or overstatement 3. The moment of sudden understanding 7. Story in which characters, things, or actions represent or lead to a strong moral or lesson 9. Feeling of the story (happy, sad, tense, suspenseful, etc.) 10. Story longer than a short story but not as long or complex as a novel 12. Sequence of events in a story 14. Long narrative poem that tells the great deeds of a hero 15. Words or phrases that convey the opposite meaning or expected outcome 18. Often-repeated idea in a story 20. The lesson of a story 23. Person, place, thing, or event that stands for something else 24. Kind of writing that expresses a person's viewpoint 25. Literary device used to make fun of human weaknesses A T I R E C Down 2. Statement that seems contrary to truth but may be true 4. Story that uses humorous excessive exaggeration to mock something 5. Person telling the story 6. Literary reference to a familiar thing 8. Category or type (of literature) 9. Humorous play on words resulting from two similar words being misused 11. Short verse written in memory of someone 13. Figure of speech in which two unlike things are compated using 'like' or 'as' 16. Combination of contradictory terms (jumbo shrimp) 17. Direct conversation between characters 19. Story in which the hero is destroyed 21. Characterized by mystery, castles, supernatural events, old mansions, etc. 22. Series of events in search of something Copyright 2009 Teacher's Pet Publications, Inc. LITERARY TERMS Word List No. Word Clue/Definition 1. ALLEGORY Story in which characters, things, or actions represent or lead to a strong moral or lesson 2. ALLUSION Literary reference to a familiar thing 3. ANALOGY Comparison of two or more similar objects 4. ANECDOTE Short summary of a humorous event to make a point 5. ANTAGONIST Person or thing working against the main character or hero of a story 6. AUTOBIOGRAPHY Author's own account of his/her own life 7. BIOGRAPHY Story of a person's life written by someone else 8. CONFLICT The problem; something vs. something else 9. DENOUEMENT Outcome of the story 10. DIALOGUE Direct conversation between characters 11. EPIC Long narrative poem that tells the great deeds of a hero 12. EPIPHANY The moment of sudden understanding 13. EPITAPH Short verse written in memory of someone 14. ESSAY Kind of writing that expresses a person's viewpoint 15. EXAGGERATION Stretching the truth 16. EXPOSITORY Kind of writing that explains something 17. FABLE Short, fictional story usually involving animals that teaches a lesson 18. FLASHBACK An event from the past presented in the present, out of order in the story 19. FORESHADOWING Giving hints or clues about what will come later in the story 20. GENRE Category or type (of literature) 21. GOTHIC Characterized by mystery, castles, supernatural events, old mansions, etc. 22. HYPERBOLE Figure of speech that is an exaggeration or overstatement 23. IMAGERY Words chosen to paint a vivid picture in the reader's mind 24. IRONY Words or phrases that convey the opposite meaning or expected outcome 25. MALAPROPISM Humorous play on words resulting from two similar words being misused 26. METAPHOR Figure of speech that is a comparison without using 'like' or 'as' 27. MOOD Feeling of the story (happy, sad, tense, suspenseful, etc.) 28. MORAL The lesson of a story 29. MOTIF Often-repeated idea in a story 30. NARRATOR Person telling the story 31. NOVEL Lengthy, fictional, written story 32. NOVELLA Story longer than a short story but not as long or complex as a novel 33. OMNICIENT Point of view in which the reader knows all thoughts, feelings, and actions of all the characters 34. OXYMORON Combination of contradictory terms (jumbo shrimp) 35. PARADOX Statement that seems contrary to truth but may be true 36. PARODY Story that uses humorous excessive exaggeration to mock something 37. PERSONIFICATION Figure of speech where an inanimate object or animal is given human characteristics 38. PLOT Sequence of events in a story 39. PROTAGONIST Main character of the story 40. QUEST Series of events in search of something 41. SARCASM Using false praise to mock someone or something 42. SATIRE Literary device used to make fun of human weaknesses 43. SETTING Where the action takes place 44. SIMILE Figure of speech in which two unlike things are compated using 'like' or 'as' 45. SOLILOQUY Monologue revealing the thoughts of a character, usually alone on a stage 46. STEREOTYPE Characterizing a person by the general qualities of a group of people, without individuality 47. SYMBOL Person, place, thing, or event that stands for something else 48. THEME Main idea; the point; a statement (usually about life or the human condition) 49. TRAGEDY Story in which the hero is destroyed 50. UNDERSTATEMENT Figure of speech in which something is emphasized by presenting it as less than what it is Copyright 2009 Teacher's Pet Publications, Inc.
