Literary Terms

The incoherence of character and action, failure to communicate and meaninglessness of existence are key feature of  ______ theatre: Absurd

______ is a work in which concrete elements stand for abstractions: Allegory

The repetition of consonant sounds especially at the beginnings of words is called______: Alliteration

______ is a short narrative that usually reports an amusing event in the life of an important person: Anecdote

A character or force which opposes the main character is called______: Antagonist

______ is a remark spoken in the presence of other characters but assumed not to be heard by them: Aside

The repetition of similar vowel sounds in stressed syllables is called______: Assonance

The repetition of consonant sounds in especially in stressed syllables is called______: Consonance

______ is a short narrative poem especially one that is sung or recited: Ballad

Blank verse has unrhymed iambic ______ that is unrhymed lines of ten syllables, with every second syllable stressed: Pentameter

An unpleasant combination of sounds is called______: Cacophony

A strong pause within a line of verse is called______: Caesura

The concluding action in drama especially tragedy is called______: Catastrophe

Conceit is a ______ extended metaphor: Complicated

______ shows the associations of a word or expression: Connotation

______ refers to literal or the dictionary meaning of a word: Denotation

______ means the resolution or the outcome of a plot: Denouement

Dues ex machina refers to any unexpected and artificial way of resolving the______: Tension

The choice of vocabulary and of sentence structure is called______: Diction

______ is a poem spoken entirely by one character, but addressed to one or more other characters, whose presence is strongly felt: Dramatic monologue

______ is a long narrative that tells of the deeds and adventures of a hero or heroine in an elevated style: Epic

______ is a traditional story passed down through generations that explains why the world is the way it is: Folk tale

Language used in a certain profession or by a particular group of people is called______: Jargon

An author’s choice of words based on their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness is called_____: Diction

______ is a statement that seems to contradict itself, but, in fact, reveals some element of truth: Paradox

An ______, a special kind of paradox, brings together two contradictory terms: Oxymoron

______ is the use of a word whose sound suggests its meaning, as in clang or buzz: Onomatopoeia

______ is an intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect: Hyperbole

Rhyme that occurs within a single line of poetry is called______: Internal rhyme

______ is a traditional story passed down through generations that explains why the world is the way it is: Myth