Malcolm
English 11
Literary Terms
1.
Allegory – A story with 2 levels of meaning: literal and symbolic
2.
Alliteration – Repetition of a consonant sound at beginning of words.
3.
Allusion – Reference to well-known people, places, events, work of literature, etc.
4.
Ambiguity – When a statement contains 2 or more possible meanings. (“I promise I’ll give you a ring tomorrow.”)
5.
Ambivalence – The state of having 2 opposing feelings toward a person or thing at the same time. (“Can’t live with you, can’t live without you.”)
6.
Analogy – The comparison of a new idea to a well-known idea to aid in comprehension
7.
Anapest – In a line of poetry, the metrical pattern of U U /
8.
Anecdote – A brief story about an interesting, unusual, or humorous event
9.
Antagonist – Character or force in conflict with the main character. (The Joker, The Green
Goblin)
10.
Antanaclasis – Stylistic repetition of a word utilizing different definitions of the word each time (“We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang together.”)
11.
Antithesis – The use of phrases with opposite meanings in close conjunction. (“One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”)
12.
Aphorism – A general truth or observation about life, often witty. (An apple a day keeps the doctor away.)
13.
Apostrophe – figure of speech in which the writer directly addresses the reader or an absent/abstract idea. (Build thee more stately mansions, oh my soul.)
14.
Aside – In drama, a short passage that an actor speaks to the audience and the other characters pretend they cannot hear.
15.
Assonance – repetition of vowel sounds. (Ashley asked for applesauce after her anchovies.)
16.
Autobiography – Work of nonfiction in which the author writes about his/her own life.
17.
Ballad – A songlike poem that tells a story; often adventurous or romantic. Types:
Traditional Ballad, Folk Ballad, Popular Ballad
18.
Biography – Work of nonfiction in which the author tells the life story of another person
19.
Blank Verse – poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter a.
U / U / U / U / U /
20.
Cacophony – Greek for “bad sound.” Words that do not have pleasing sounds – D’s, G’s,
Ch’s, K’s, T’s, X’s. (Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll) (Tolkien’s names)
21.
Caesura – Latin for “cutting/slicing.” A pause within a line of poetry
22.
Canto – A sub-division in a narrative poem similar to a chapter in a novel
23.
Catalog – The creation of a long list for poetic or rhetorical effect (Dec. of Independence =
“He has…”)
24.
Character – any representation of an individual being presented in a narrative work
25.
Characterization – The process of establishing personality traits in characters
26.
Classical – Refers to works of art, architecture, philosophy, and literature produced by
Ancient Greeks or Ancient Romans
27.
Climax – Moment in a literary work in which the problem reaches its highest point and is afterward resolved
28.
Colloquialism – A word or phrase using everyday, common speech – rarely to be used in formal writing. (Swag)
29.
Conceit – An elaborate or unusual comparison. (“Life is like a box of chocolates.” “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”)
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Malcolm
English 11
Literary Terms
30.
Conflict – The opposition between 2 forces in any literary composition.
31.
Connotation – the range of different meanings or feelings a word can have. (House/Home,
(Horse/Steed)
32.
Consonance – Repetition of 2 or more consonant sounds separated by different vowel sounds. (pitter/patter, live/love)
33.
Couplet – A 2-lined rhyming stanza
34.
Creation Myth: Explains how the world or it’s inhabitants came to be. Never say that they are fiction or untrue. (“Navajo Origin Legend,” “Echo and Narcissus”).
35.
Criticism – the studies concerned with defining, classifying, interpreting, and evaluating literature.
36.
Dactyl - In a line of poetry, the metrical pattern of / U U
37.
Deism – late 1600’s-late 1700’s: Religious revival during the Enlightenment in Europe that stressed a freethinking and logical approach to religion and understanding God.
38.
Denotation – the primary definition of a word disregarding any emotion
39.
Denouement – French word meaning “unknotting.” The resolution and solving of problems after the climax of a literary work
40.
Deus ex Machina – Latin for “a god from a machine.” An unlikely solution to all problems at the end of a work. (Jurassic Park. Dodgeball.)
41.
Dialogue - The conversations spoken between 2 or more characters in a work of literature.
42.
Diction - A writer’s or speaker’s distinctive word choice that characterizes his/her style of expression
43.
Didacticism – the use of literature to teach and instruct. Poetry that teaches history. (Ireland by Frank Delaney)
44.
Dimeter - A line of poetry consisting of 2 feet of any metrical pattern
45.
Drama – A form of literary composition meant to be acted on stage.
46.
Dramatic Irony – a situation in which the audience/reader knows something that the character(s) do not know
47.
Dynamic Character – a character that goes through emotional changes throughout the story –
(Reverend Hale)
48.
Elegy – A formal poem that laments the death of someone
49.
Empathy – the ability to transfer oneself into another person’s situation in order to identify with his/her feelings
50.
End Rhyme – when the last word of 2 or more lines rhyme
51.
End-stopped – When lines of poetry end in punctuation, ending the thought & the line at the same spot
52.
Enjambment – In poetry, when complete thoughts “run over” to the next line by not having punctuation at the end of a line.
53.
Epic – A long, narrative poem that tells the tale of a larger-than-life hero. (The Odyssey,
Beowulf)
54.
Epilogue – A conclusion added to a literary work to explain, give moral or theme, or give advice. (Puck’s speech to the audience at the end of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”)
55.
Epithet – An adjective or adjectival phrase used to define a distinctive quality of someone or something. (Larger-than-life hero, Silver-snarling trumpets, Fleet-footed Achilles)
56.
Euphemism – An inoffensive way to say something that may be offensive or embarrassing.
(“Pass away.” “Sleep with.” “Go to the restroom.”)
2

Malcolm
English 11
Literary Terms
57.
Euphony – Opposite of cacophony; use of words/language with pleasing sounds – L’s, M’s,
W’s
58.
Exposition – Background information that is essential to the plot. (Learning about Abigail &
John Proctor’s affair.)
59.
External Conflict: Man vs. Man, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Nature
60.
Fable – A brief story told to illustrate general truths about human nature; many times using animals as main characters. (Tortoise & the Hare)
61.
Feminine Rhyme – when 2 or more rhyming lines end in an unstressed syllable
62.
Figure of Speech – The use of words that differs from their standard meaning to achieve a special meaning. “I’m blue.” “He broke wind.” “Dude, she’s ripped.”
63.
Flashback – The telling/showing of events that happened before the opening of a work.
64.
Foil – A character in a work that serves to stress and highlight a particular trait of another character. (Bart/Lisa. Mac/PC. Parris/Hale)
65.
Foot – The combination of stressed & unstressed syllables that makes up 1 metric unit in a line of poetry
66.
Foreshadowing – Providing hints of things yet to come.
67.
Free Verse – Poetry with no meter, no fixed rhyme scheme, and varying lengths of lines.
Based on natural rhythms of phrases & normal pauses.
68.
Genre – A type or category of literature & film marked by certain shared features
69.
Gothic – from Goths – the barbaric Germanic tribes of Europe that contributed to the fall of
Rome; Architecture: characterized by pointed arches and vaults, flying buttresses, stained glass, and gargoyles; Literature: poetry, short stories, or novels designed to thrill readers by providing mystery and blood-curdling accounts of villainy, murder, and the supernatural
70.
Humanism – 1300’s-1500’s Renaissance intellectual and artistic movement that revived classical Greek and Roman studies of grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and philosophy
71.
Hyperbole – extreme exaggeration
72.
Iamb – In a line of poetry, the metrical unit of U /
73.
Imagery – The use of words to create mental pictures
74.
Innuendo – the subtle reference to inappropriate ideas
75.
Internal Conflict: Man vs. Self
76.
Internal Rhyme – when words rhyme within a line of poetry
77.
Irony – A contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually happens.
78.
Litotes – a figure of speech in which a negative idea is purposefully understated by expressing what it is not. (“He is not the brightest man in the world.”)
79.
Local Color Writing – Writing that includes detailed representations of setting, dialect, dress,
& customs of a particular region. (Rudyard Kipling’s India in The Jungle Book, To Kill a
Mockingbird)
80.
Lyric Poetry – A short poem narrated by a single speaker expressing his/her feelings on something
81.
Masculine Rhyme – when 2 or more rhyming lines end in a stressed syllable
82.
Metaphor – A comparison stated in a way that suggests one thing is another. (“Her smile shines like the sun. Her smile is the sun.”)
83.
Metaphysical Poetry – Early 1600’s British poetry about abstract subjects using a highly complex structure
84.
Meter – The rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.
3

Malcolm
English 11
Literary Terms
85.
Metonymy – Using an object to represent a larger idea. (“You will be serving the crown.”
“The pen is mightier than the sword.”)
86.
Monologue - A long speech by a character delivered to others in a play or movie.
87.
Monometer – A line of poetry consisting of 1 foot of any metrical pattern
88.
Mood – The overall feeling or predominate atmosphere of a literary work
89.
Motif – A purposefully recurring element in a work of literature or in many works of literature. (Romeo and Juliet situation)
90.
Muse - The nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who had the power to inspire artists, poets, singers, and writers. That which inspires an artist to create. (“You are my muse.”)
91.
Myth – An unverifiable tale that explains the actions of gods and heroes or the causes of natural phenomena.
92.
Narrative Poetry – Poetry that tells a story – has plots, themes, setting, characters
93.
Naturalism – Mid 1800’s American literary movement seeking to depict life as accurately as possible. Preceded Realism - very similar, but more philosophical. Tried to show how humans can be studied through their relationship with their surroundings.
94.
Neoclassical – Style of art, literature, and music that stresses reason, balance, and order in imitation of Ancient Greek and Roman art
95.
Nobel Prize – An international, annual prize started in 1901 awarding Physics, Chemistry,
Medicine, Economics, Literature, and Peace
96.
Nom de Plume – French for “name of the pen.” A fictitious name that an author uses to conceal his/her identity. AKA: Pen name. (Diedrich Knickerbocker, Mark Twain, Silence
Dogood)
97.
Novel – An extended work of fictional prose featuring major and minor characters in a complicated plot
98.
Octave – An 8-line stanza
99.
Ode – A long, elaborate poem written for or dedicated to a specific subject and treating it reverently
100.
Omniscient Point of View – 3 rd
person point of view. The telling of a story from the perspective of someone who knows everything. The narrator is not one of the characters, but seems to be looking on everything from above.
101.
Onomatopoeia – The use of words that are similar to the sound they represent. (Buzz, click, grunt, Bam!)
102.
Oxymoron – a statement that contradicts itself. (Icy Hot, Jumbo Shrimp, Smart Jock)
103.
Parable – A short story designed to teach a moral lesson
104.
Paradox – The use of contradiction that actually makes sense. (“Without laws, we can have no freedom.” “Cowards die many times before their deaths.”)
105.
Parody – An imitation of the style of a particular work in hopes of making fun of it.
(Scary Movie, SpaceBalls)
106.
Pathos – A writer’s or speaker’s attempt to inspire deep emotion in the audience – usually sadness
107.
Pentameter - A line of poetry consisting of 5 feet of any metrical pattern
108.
Perfect Rhyme – when 2 or more rhyming sounds are exact
109.
Personification – Giving human characteristics to non-human things
110.
Plagiarism – Accidental or intentional intellectual theft in which any writer or speaker steals an original idea from someone else and presents it as his/her own.
4

Malcolm
English 11
Literary Terms
111.
Plain Style – A style of expression characterized by its clarity, simplicity, straightforwardness, and lack of ornamentation – appealed to Puritans and Quakers
112.
Plot – The structure and sequence of events in a literary work
113.
Poet Laureate – A poet officially appointed by a national government (or organization) expected to compose poems for the nation (or organization) for special occasions
114.
Point of View – The vantage point from which a story is told; 1 st
person or 3 rd
person.
115.
Primary Source – the main work of literature that a student is analyzing
116.
Prologue - a section of any introductory material before the first chapter or the main material of a work
117.
Prose – Any composition of writing that is not poetry or drama. AKA: “Normal” writing.
118.
Protagonist – The main character in a literary work who is the primary focus of attention
119.
Pseudonym – (Greek) A fictitious name that an author uses to conceal his/her identity.
AKA: Nom de plume, pen name
120.
Psychological Novel - work of fiction in which the thoughts, feelings, and motivations of the characters are of greater interest than the external action of the story
121.
Pulitzer Prize - an American award regarded as the highest honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical compositions. Administered by Columbia University in
New York City. 13 awards each year.
122.
Pun – A joke that exploits the different possible meanings a word can have. [Romeo and
Juliet: “Romeo’s vile death.” (vile=vial)]
123.
Pyrrhic – In a line of poetry, the metrical pattern of U U
124.
Quatrain – A 4-line stanza
125.
Realism – 1800’s – 1900’s: A literary movement in America & Europe that developed out of Naturalism; portrays life in a faithful, accurate manner, unclouded by false ideals
126.
Refrain - A repeating line or set of lines at the end of stanzas or sections of a poem
127.
Renaissance – 1300’s – 1500’s: An intellectual and artistic “rebirth” in Europe. Sought to rediscover the Classic culture and art of Ancient Rome and Greece.
128.
Rhetoric: The art of persuasive argumentation; the use of eloquence and charismatic language
129.
Rhetorical Question – A question asked that is not meant to be answered.
130.
Rhyme – the similarity of sound in 2 or more words
131.
Romanticism – 1800-1830: An artistic & philosophical movement in Europe that rejected the logic & reason of the Enlightenment. Stressed emotion, following instincts, imagination, and individuality; Major poets: Keats, Byron, Wordsworth; Inspired Transcendentalism in
America
132.
Sarcasm – The act of saying one thing, but meaning another
133.
Satire – A humorous but intelligent attack or critique of any social or cultural phenomenon that is seen as a problem in hopes of change. (The Daily Show, The Simpsons,
“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathon Swift)
134.
Scansion – The marking of stressed & unstressed syllables in poetry
135.
Secondary Source – any work written about the Primary source
136.
Setting – The time and place of any work
137.
Simile – A comparison using the words like or as that suggests one thing is similar to another
138.
Situational – when accidental events occur that are oddly appropriate for what the character deserves, i.e. poetic justice
5

Malcolm
English 11
Literary Terms
139.
Slant Rhyme – when 2 or more rhyming sounds are approximate & forced into the pattern
140.
Soliloquy – A character’s solo speech at a point in the play when he believes himself to be alone, often revealing thoughts, feelings, secrets, plans.
141.
Sonnet – A poem consisting of 14 lines of iambic pentameter. (English/Shakespearean: abab cdcd efef gg) (Italian/Petrarchan: abba abba cde cde)
142.
Spondee – In a line of poetry, the metrical pattern of / /
143.
Stanza – a group of lines in poetry separated from others by a space; similar to a paragraph in prose
144.
Static Character – a character that does not change through the story
145.
Stream of Consciousness – A style of writing in which the narrative follows the flow of thoughts that a character is having. Appears random & seems to have no structure or chronology.
146.
Style – The characteristic way an author uses words to create a desired effect
147.
Suspension of Disbelief - Simply enjoying a work of fiction by setting aside your doubt of the believability of unrealistic elements…AKA: “Just go with it.”
148.
Symbol – An object or character that represents itself and something greater. (The eagle in The Iroquois Constitution, traffic lights)
149.
Synecdoche – A figure of speech in which an object is represented by a part of it. (“All hands on deck!” “Get your butt over here!” Football announcer – “…brought down by a whole host of blue jerseys.”)
150.
Tall Tale – A story told about a hero who solves problems in a humorous way. The character is identifiable to everyday people. Details are exaggerated to describe things to be greater than they are. (Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, John Henry)
151.
Tautology – Saying the same thing twice in different ways so that it appears accidental;
(“I saw it with my own eyes.” “PIN Number.” “HIV Virus”)
152.
Tetrameter - A line of poetry consisting of 4 feet of any metrical pattern
153.
Theme – the central idea or lesson to be learned of a work of literature
154.
Tone – The author’s attitude toward his/her subject. (Playful, sarcastic, optimistic)
155.
Transcendentalism – Early 1800s: An American literary, artistic, and philosophical movement equivalent to the Romantic Period in Europe. Stressed emotion, instincts, “back to basics,” imagination, individuality, non-conformity, and nature
156.
Trimeter - A line of poetry consisting of 3 feet of any metrical pattern
157.
Trochee – In a line of poetry, the metrical pattern of / U
158.
Unreliable Narrator - A narrator of a story whose perception of reality cannot be trusted due to ignorance or emotional imbalance. The author expects the alert reader to notice these inconsistencies.
159.
Verbal Irony – the difference in meaning between what a person says and the way it is interpreted
160.
Verse – A composition written in meter (a.k.a. poetry)
161.
Zeugma – An expression in which 1 word applies to 2 phrases with slightly different meanings. (She stole my heart and my cat. My teeth and ambitions are bared. Are you getting fit or having one?)
6