World Literature - Literary Terms

Front 1

Allegory

Back 1

a story in which people, things, and actions represent an idea or generalization about life; they often havea strong moral or lesson.

Hint 1

In "Birches" by Robert Frost, climbing suggests the value of learning.

Front 2

Alliteration

Back 2

the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words.

Hint 2

The Queen Anne "lace" "lying" "like" "lilies".

Front 3

Allusion

Back 3

a literary reference to a familiar person, place, thing, or event.

Hint 3

"If patient Penelope had received such letters from her lord Ulysses, she would not have woven endlessly, but rushed to him and vocered him with kesses. Maddened with love as Helen once was maddened.

Front 4

Analogy

Back 4

a comparison of two or more similar objects, suggesting that if they are alike in certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways as well.

Hint 4

"He enters a battle gravely, with sorrow and with great compassion, as if he were attending a funeral."

Front 5

Anecdote

Back 5

a short summary of a humorous event used to make a point.

Hint 5

None

Front 6

Antagonist

Back 6

the person or thing working against the protagonist, or hero, of the work.

Hint 6

In the novel "To Kill A Mockingbird," Bob Ewell opposes Atticus Finch; therefore he is referred to as the _____.

Front 7

Antithesis

Back 7

using opposite ideas in the same thought or sentence to emphasize a point.

Hint 7

"It was the best of times; it was the worst of times"

Front 8

Assonance

Back 8

the repetition of vowel sounds without repeatin consonants.

Hint 8

And a hare ran across the road.

Front 9

Autobiography

Back 9

and author's account or story of her/his own life.

Hint 9

Ben Franklin listed his virtues in this type of genre _____.

Front 10

Biography

Back 10

the story of a person's life writeen by another person.

Hint 10

Wathching A&E videos covering the lives of Nelson Mandela and Julius Caesar is a form of _____ in film.

Front 11

Blank Verse

Back 11

an unrhymed for of poetry -- each line normally consists of 10 syllables in which every other syllable is stressed.

Hint 11

Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. This is an example of poetry known as _____.

Front 12

Characterization

Back 12

the method an author uses to reveal characters and their personalities.

Hint 12

"Everone was fond of him; He was so noble and well behaved That he never wished to do anything wrong."

Front 13

Climax

Back 13

usually the most intense point in a story -- a series of struggles or conflicts build a story or play toward this.

Hint 13

In "To Kill a Mockingbird" when Bob Ewell attacks the Finch children, this scene is known as the _____ of the play.

Front 14

Comedy

Back 14

literature in which human errors or problems appear funny - these stories end on a happy note.

Hint 14

The play "Cyrano de Bergerac" belongs to the literary genre called _____.

Front 15

Conflict

Back 15

the problem or struggle n a story that triggers the action - there are five basic types.

Hint 15

In Ibsen's play, "A Doll House," Nora must choose between her family and her independence. This is a major _____ for her character.

Front 16

Consonance

Back 16

the repetition of consonant sounds. Although it's similar to alliteration, consonance is not limited to the first letters of words.

Hint 16

That music hath a far more pleasing sound (William Shakespeare)

Front 17

Couplet

Back 17

a pair of lines of verse of the same length that usually rhyme.

Hint 17

If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, uye women, if you can

Front 18

Diction

Back 18

an author's choice of words based on their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

Hint 18

"He stood up, adjusted his robes and plunged his hand once more into the bag." The use of the word "plunged" instead of "put" is a writhing choice called _____.

Front 19

Drama

Back 19

the form of literature known as play; but drama also refers to the type of serious play that is often concerned with the leading character's relationship to society.

Hint 19

The stories of "Cyrano do Bergerac," "A Doll's House," and "Julius Caesar" belong to the literary genre called _____.

Front 20

End Rhyme

Back 20

the rhyming of words that appear at the ends of two or more lines of poetry.

Hint 20

"nature is less than art as well I know,
Whose many a lively statue proves it so."

Front 21

Epic

Back 21

a long narrative poem that tells of the deeds and adventureers of a hero.

Hint 21

The story of the Assyrian king Gilgamesh belongs to the literary genre called _____.

Front 22

Epithet

Back 22

a word or phrase used in place of a person's name; it's characteristic of that person.

Hint 22

"Alexander the Great"
"Material Girl"
"Ms. Know-It-All"

Front 23

Exposition

Back 23

writing that is intended to explain something that might oherwise be difficult to understand; in a play or novel, it would be the portion thaat gives the background or situation surrounding the story.

Hint 23

None

Front 24

Fable

Back 24

a short fictionaal narratie that teaches a lesson; it usually includes animals that talk and act like people.

Hint 24

Aesop's story of "The Dog and the World" belongs to the literary genre called _____.

Front 25

Flashback

Back 25

returning to an earlier time (in a story) for the purpose of making something in the present clearer.

Hint 25

"Thoughts of Hanoi," Nguyen Thi Vinh thinks back to the way Hanoi was before the war. This is an example of a _____.

Front 26

Foreshadowing

Back 26

giving hints or clues of what is to come later in a story.

Hint 26

In Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," Caesar's sacrifice of a heartless animal is and example of _____.

Front 27

Free Verse

Back 27

poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme.

Hint 27

Among the rain
And lights
I saw the figure 5
In gold
On a red
Fire truck

This poem is written in _____.

Front 28

Haiku

Back 28

a form of Japanese poetry that has three lines: the first line has five syllables, the second has seven syllables, and the third has five syllables - the subject of the haiku has traditionally been nature.

Hint 28

Melting snow:
And on the village
Fall the children

This type of poem is known as a _____.

Front 29

Hubris

Back 29

derived from the Greek word "hybris," means "excessive pride" - in Green tragedy, it's often viewed as the flaw that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero.

Hint 29

In sophocle's play "Oedipus," the main character's tragic flaw is excessive pride or _____.

Front 30

Hyperbole

Back 30

an exaggeration or overstatement.

Hint 30

The pagans die by hundreds, by thousands:

Front 31

Imagery

Back 31

the use of words to create a certain picture in the readers mind; imagery is usually based on sensory details.

Hint 31

"The sky was dark and gloomy, the air was damp and raw, the steets were wet and sloppy."

Front 32

Internal Rhyme

Back 32

rhyme that occurs within a line of verse.

Hint 32

"the grains beyond age, the dark veins of her mother"

Front 33

Irony: Dramatic

Back 33

when the audience sees a character's mistakes, but the character doesn't.

Hint 33

In the novel "Beloved," Sethe meets her dead child and thinks she is just a wanderer- the reader recognizes that she is her dead baby.

Front 34

Irony: Verbal

Back 34

when the writer says one thing and means another.

Hint 34

"What a nice person you are," Tom told his sister when she slammed the door in his face.

Front 35

Irony: Situational

Back 35

when there is a great difference between the purpose of a particluar action and the result.

Hint 35

In "A Mystery of Heroism," the main character risks his life to get water and then he sills it.

Front 36

Metaphor

Back 36

a metaphor that is alluded to throughout a literary work.

Hint 36

The nightmare is wrenched from the madman's breast, along with rootless heart.

Front 37

Mood

Back 37

the feeling a text arouses in the reader: happiness, peacefulness, sadness, etc.

Hint 37

When Edgar Allan Poe creates a feeling of floom in "The Raven" he is creating the _____.

Front 38

Moral

Back 38

particular value or lesson the author is trying to get across to the reader.

Hint 38

Knowing others is intellignece;
Knowing yourself is true wisdom.

Front 39

Pathos

Back 39

a Greek reeot meaning "suffering" or "passion;" it usually describes the part in a play or story that is intended to elicit pity or sorrow from the audience or reader.

Hint 39

Whe Oedipus emerges from the palace with his etes gored out of his sockets, this is called the scene of _____.

Front 40

Personification

Back 40

metaphorical figure of speech in which animals, ideas, and things are represented as having human qualities.

Hint 40

See the tired moon comes down to her bed on the black sea.

Front 41

Plot/Plot Line

Back 41

the action or sequence of event in a story; it usually is a series: exposition, rising action, climax, faling action, and resolution, as the story develops.

Hint 41

climax is one element of the _____.
resolution is one element of the _____.
falling action is on element of the _____.
rising action is one element of the _____.

Front 42

First Person Narrative
(Point of View)

Back 42

the most objective point of view, allowing the story teller to record the action from his or her own point of view, being unaware of any of the characters' thoughts or feelings.

Hint 42

"For me, the store porch was the most interesting place that I could think of. I was not allowed to sit around there, naturally. "

Front 43

Protagonist

Back 43

the main character or hero of the story.

Hint 43

In "To kill A Mockingbird," Atticus Finch is the main character or _____ of the story.

Front 44

Pseudonym

Back 44

this term is also referred to as "pen name" - it means "false name" and applies to the name a writer uses in place of his or her given name.

Hint 44

Samuel Clemens took the name Mark Twain; this was his _____.

Front 45

Quest

Back 45

features a main character who is seeking to find something or achieve a goal; in the process, this character encounters and overcomes a series of obstacles, returning wiser and more experienced.

Hint 45

In "Epic of Gilgamesh," Gilgamesh goes on a search or _____ for everlasting life.

Front 46

Plot/Plot Line

Back 46

the action or sequence of event in a story; it usually is a series: exposition, rising action, climax, faling action, and resolution, as the story develops.

Hint 46

climax is one element of the _____.
resolution is one element of the _____.
falling action is on element of the _____.
rising action is one element of the _____.

Front 47

First Person Narrative
(Point of View)

Back 47

the most objective point of view, allowing the story teller to record the action from his or her own point of view, being unaware of any of the characters' thoughts or feelings.

Hint 47

"For me, the store porch was the most interesting place that I could think of. I was not allowed to sit around there, naturally. "

Front 48

Protagonist

Back 48

the main character or hero of the story.

Hint 48

In "To kill A Mockingbird," Atticus Finch is the main character or _____ of the story.

Front 49

Pseudonym

Back 49

this term is also referred to as "pen name" - it means "false name" and applies to the name a writer uses in place of his or her given name.

Hint 49

Samuel Clemens took the name Mark Twain; this was his _____.

Front 50

Quest

Back 50

features a main character who is seeking to find something or achieve a goal; in the process, this character encounters and overcomes a series of obstacles, returning wiser and more experienced.

Hint 50

In "Epic of Gilgamesh," Gilgamesh goes on a search or _____ for everlasting life.

Front 51

Plot/Plot Line

Back 51

the action or sequence of event in a story; it usually is a series: exposition, rising action, climax, faling action, and resolution, as the story develops.

Hint 51

climax is one element of the _____.
resolution is one element of the _____.
falling action is on element of the _____.
rising action is one element of the _____.

Front 52

First Person Narrative
(Point of View)

Back 52

the most objective point of view, allowing the story teller to record the action from his or her own point of view, being unaware of any of the characters' thoughts or feelings.

Hint 52

"For me, the store porch was the most interesting place that I could think of. I was not allowed to sit around there, naturally. "

Front 53

Protagonist

Back 53

the main character or hero of the story.

Hint 53

In "To kill A Mockingbird," Atticus Finch is the main character or _____ of the story.

Front 54

Pseudonym

Back 54

this term is also referred to as "pen name" - it means "false name" and applies to the name a writer uses in place of his or her given name.

Hint 54

Samuel Clemens took the name Mark Twain; this was his _____.

Front 55

Quest

Back 55

features a main character who is seeking to find something or achieve a goal; in the process, this character encounters and overcomes a series of obstacles, returning wiser and more experienced.

Hint 55

In "Epic of Gilgamesh," Gilgamesh goes on a search or _____ for everlasting life.

Front 56

Renaissance

Back 56

means "rebirth;" is the period of history following the Middle Ages, beginning in the late fourteenth century and continuing through the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; this term new refers to any period of time in which intellectual and artistic interest is revived or reborn.

Hint 56

William Shakespeare wrote during the historical period known as the _____.

Front 57

Repetition

Back 57

the repeating of a word, a phrase, or an idea for emphasis or for rhythmis effect: "someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door . . . "

Hint 57

There is time for being ahead,
A time for being behind;
Atime for being in motion
A time for being at rest.

Front 58

Rhyme

Back 58

the similarity or likenes of sound existing between two words: "sat" and "cat" are perfect rhymes because the vowel and final consonant sounds are exactly the same.

Hint 58

The tree stood firm, the reed began to bend.
The wind redoubled its efforts to blow-
So much so
That in the end
It uprooted the one that had touched the sky with its head,
But whose feet reached to the very region of the dead.

Front 59

Rising Action

Back 59

the series of struggles that builds up a story or play toward a climax.

Hint 59

In "To Kill a Mockingbird," the incidents in the plot line before the children are attacked are referred to as _____.

Front 60

Sarcasm

Back 60

the use of praise to mock someone or something.

Hint 60

"She's a real winner."

Front 61

Satire

Back 61

a literary tone used to make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting or changing the subject of the attack.

Hint 61

Don Quixote is an example of the genre _____.

Front 62

Setting

Back 62

the time and place in which the action of a literary work occurs.

Hint 62

The _____ of "Cry, the Beloved Country" is South Africa in the 1950's.

Front 63

Short Story

Back 63

a brief fictional work; it usually contains one major conflict and at least one main character.

Hint 63

"Rip Van Winkle" by Wahington Irving is the literary genre called _____.

Front 64

Simile

Back 64

a combination of two things that are unlike, usually using the words like or as

Hint 64

They shine like a heap of precious stones or like a pane cut out of an old church window.

Front 65

Soliloquy

Back 65

a speech delivered by a character when he or she is alone on stage; it is as though the character is thinking out loud.

Hint 65

In Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar," Mark Antony is alone in the senate and swears he will avenge Caesar's death in a speech known as a _____.

Front 66

Stereotype

Back 66

a form that does not change; this type of character has no individuality and fits the mold of that particular kind of person.

Hint 66

The wife in "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving fits the role of a nagging wife and is therefore an example of _____.

Front 67

Symbol

Back 67

a person, place, thing, or an event used to represent something else: dove/peace, white/good, black/evil

Hint 67

In Rostand's play, "Cyrano do Bergerac," the white plume of Cyrano's hat becomes a _____ of his unique style and his soul.

Front 68

Theme

Back 68

the statement about life that a writer is trying to get across in a piece of writing; in most cases this will be implied rather than directly spelled out.

Hint 68

In the novel, "Nector in a Sieve," the idea of suffering in silence becomes a major _____.

Front 69

Tragedy

Back 69

a literary work in which the hero is destroyed by some character flsw or by forces beyond his or her control.

Hint 69

The literary genre to which the play "Oedipus" belongs is _____.

Front 70

Tragic Hero

Back 70

a character who experiences an inner stuggle because of a character flaw; that struggle ends in the defeat of the hero.

Hint 70

In Sophocles play "Oedipus," the king looses his kingdom, family, and eyesight.