Common Literary Terms

Mrs. Newport (United States of America)
18 words 42 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. antonym
    a word that expresses an opposite meaning
    Reaching for every available antonym, Ms. Quinn described Mr. Weiner in far less flattering terms, like “reckless” and “irresponsible.”
  2. synonym
    a word that expresses the same or similar meaning
    There are more than 40 synonyms for processed sugar on food labels.
  3. homonym
    a word pronounced or spelled the same with another meaning
    Chinese is filled with homonyms, making punning a popular pastime.
  4. homophone
    a word pronounced the same with another meaning or spelling
    The words wright and write are homophones, a phonological coincidence.
  5. hyperbole
    extravagant exaggeration
    The hyperbole accompanying the debate over the site's future was bewilderingly grandiose.
  6. allusion
    passing reference or indirect mention
    A little audience participation is also thrown in, as are some historical and literary allusions.
  7. onomatopoeia
    using words that imitate the sound they denote
    Onomatopoeia, formations of words resembling in sound that of the things denoted by them. Nuttall, P. Austin
  8. metaphor
    a figure of speech that suggests a non-literal similarity
    There’s a storm coming with cloud gaming, if that metaphor quite holds up. Forbes (Sep 23, 2013)
  9. simile
    a figure of speech expressing a resemblance between things
    Some one said that he was like a Settled Religious Faith, and no lesser simile conveys the restful certainty imparted by him. Ross, Martin
  10. stanza
    a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem
    Here, forceful rhythms and stark imagery persist in stanza two.
  11. personification
    attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas
    Their eyes had focused on Lubimoff, the personification of death. Blasco Ib??ez, Vicente
  12. alliteration
    use of the same consonant at the beginning of each word
    Alice always affected affection for alliteration.
  13. palindrome
    a word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward
    "Race car" is a palindrome.
  14. character
    an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction
    The characters in the play resembled normal high school students with many of the same interests and concerns.
  15. setting
    the context and environment in which something is situated
    The setting of a piece of literature includes not only where the action is taking place, but also when the action takes place.
  16. ellipsis
    a mark indicating that words have been omitted
    And editorial choices, composite characters, compressions and ellipses—10 years compressed in two-and-a-half hours.
  17. analogy
    drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity
    In the crude analogy of two cars playing chicken, the president's opponents pulled over. Slate (Oct 16, 2013)
  18. context
    the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation
    Locking eyes with another person can feel bonding or threatening, depending on the context.
Created on Fri Oct 18 19:27:06 EDT 2013 (updated Wed Nov 13 16:24:19 EST 2013)

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