Literary Terms - 6Th Set

Front 1

paradox

Back 1

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common
sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.

Front 2

parallelism

Back 2

Also referred to as parallel construction or parallel structure, this term
comes from Greek roots meaning “beside one another.” It refers to the grammatical or
rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural
similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element
such as a preposition or verbal phrase.

Front 3

parody

Back 3

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific
aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. It exploits peculiarities of an author’s expression
(propensity to use too many parentheses, certain favorite words, etc.) Well-written
parody offers enlightenment about the original, but poorly written parody offers only
ineffectual imitation.

Front 4

pedantic

Back 4

An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly
scholarly, academic, or bookish (language that might be described as “show-offy”;
using big words for the sake of using big words).

Front 5

personification

Back 5

A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts,
animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.
Personification is used to make these abstractions, animals, or objects appear more
vivid to the reader.

Front 6

plot

Back 6

The unified structure of incidents in a literary work.

Front 7

point of view

Back 7

In literature, the perspective from which a story is told. There are two general divisions of point of view, and many subdivisions within those. (1) first person narrator tells the story with the first person pronoun and is a character in the story. (2) third person narrator relates the events with the third person pronouns. There are two main subdivisions to be aware of: a. third person omniscient, in which the narrator, with godlike knowledge, presents the thoughts and actions of any or all characters b. third person limited omniscient, in which the narrator presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character, presenting only the actions of all the remaining characters.
In addition, be aware that the term point of view carries an additional meaning. When you are asked to analyze the
author’s point of view, the appropriate point for you to address is the author’s attitude.

Front 8

prose

Back 8

one of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction,
including all its forms. In prose the printer determines the length of the line; in poetry, the
poet determines the length of the line.

Front 9

protagonist

Back 9

The main character of a literary work

Front 10

pun

Back 10

A play on words where the juxtaposition of meanings is ironic or humorous.

Front 11

pyrrhic

Back 11

A metrical foot with two unstressed syllables

Front 12

quatrain

Back 12

A four-line stanza in a poem, the first four lines and the second four lines in a
Petrachan sonnet. A Shakespearean sonnet contains three quatrains followed by a
couplet.

Front 13

repetition

Back 13

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language,
such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

Front 14

resolution

Back 14

The sorting out or unraveling of a plot at the end of a play, novel, or story.

Front 15

reversal

Back 15

The point at which the action of the plot turns in an unexpected direction for
the protagonist.