Essay on Literary Terms

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Literary Elements (15 questions as definitions; additional questions in reading comprehension) Define the following: 1.
Allusion­ a brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art. ex: talking about cupid in romeo and juliet.
2.
foil­ a character that contrasts another character to highlight traits of that other character. ex: king duncan is a foil to macbeth
3.
analogy­ the comparison of two pairs who have the same relationship. ex: hot is to cold as fire is to ice
4.
Comic Relief­ comic episodes in a dramatic or literary work that offset serious sections and lighten the mood of the work. ex: the porter scene in Macbeth
5.
scene­ a sequence of continuous action
6.
soliloquy­ the act of speaking ones thoughts aloud without anybody listening
7.
Metaphor ­ comparison between two unlike things (does not use like or as) ex: he is a pig
8.
Simile­ comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as. ex: crazy like a fox
9.
Setting­ determining the time and place in fiction ex: cozy waterfront cottage in a peaceful country setting
10.
Symbol (symbolism)­ using an object of action that means something more than its literal meaning. ex: the heart symbolizes love and night symbolizes gloom and eerieness
11.
Tone­ the attitude the writer takes towards a subject or character ex: serious, humorous, sarcastic,
12.
Mood­ situations atmosphere or characters feelings.
13.
A tragic flaw­ the fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero ex: macbeths vaulting ambition
14.
Tragic hero­ a literary hero who makes a judgement error that leads to his or her downfall ex: macbeth in macbeth, or romeo and juliet in romeo and juliet.
15.
Atmosphere­ the feeling of the setting of the work of literature. used to create an emotional tone. ex: in macbeth the thunder and darkness was the atmosphere for the witch scene many other scenes
16.
aside­ a remark said by a character meant for the audience to hear, but not for the other characters to hear.

17.
18.

stanza­ a unified group of lines in poetry protagonist­ the leading character or one of the main characters in a drama or work of literature
19.
antagonist­ a person who actively opposes or is hostile towards someone, most likely the protagonist
20.
point of view – the angle that the story is told from, mode of narration
1st person­ using your own voice, using the words I, my, we. more of an informal point of view
2nd person­ uses you, your, yours
3rd person limited­ detached, unbiased, unemotional, the narrator only knows the thoughts and feelings of one character.
3rd person omniscient­ detached, unbiased, unemotional, the narrator is in the story but also knows the thoughts and feelings of all the other characters.
21.
satire (satirical)­ used to ridicule or make fun of someone, or human weakness, often with the intent of correcting, or changing the subject of the attack.
22.
sarcasm­ the use of irony to give pain in a joking way ex: to someone who is often late “you’ve arrived exactly on time!”
23.
hyperbole­ an exaggeration or overstatement
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