AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

Literary terms

Terms : Hide Images
157586330alliterationuse of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse
157586331allusiona reference to another work of literature, person, or event
157586332onomatopoeiathe use of words that imitate the sounds they make (i.e. buzz, sizzle, hiss, gurgle)
157586333chiasmusa statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed ("Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.")
157586334hyperboleExaggeration
157586335antagonistthe character who works against the protagonist in the story
157586336personificationthe act of attributing human characteristics to abstract ideas etc.
157586337anaphoraThe repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences
157586338caesuraa break or pause (usually for sense) in the middle of a verse line
157586339assonancerepetition of vowel sounds
157586340oxymorona figure of speech consisting of two apparently contradictory terms
157586341consonancerepetition of consonant sounds
157586342paradox(logic) a self-contradiction
157586343(metronym) metonymywhen a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by something associated with the concept. Ex: you can't fight city hall
157586344antithesisthe direct opposite, a sharp contrast
157586345scansionthe analysis of verse in terms of meter
157586346trocheestressed, unstressed
157586347soliloquymonologue where speaker is alone
157586348sonnet14 line poem
157586349syntaxsentence structure
157586350meterpatterns of stressed and unstressed syllables
157586351polysyndetonusing a number of conjunctions close together
157586352epiphanyAha! moment
157586353similelike or as statement
157586354lyricshort poem expressing intense emotion
157586355Imagerylanguage that appeals to the senses
157586356parablea short moral story (often with animal characters)
157586357colloquialcharacteristic of informal spoken language or conversation
157586358dactylicunstressed, unstressed, stressed pattern
157586359tonemood
157586360rising actionevents leading up to the climax
157586361apostropheaddress to an absent or imaginary person
157586362In Media resin the middle of things
157586363Iambicunstressed, stressed
157586364motifrecurrent device, used to symbolize something
157586365ellipsisomission of words to express complete thought (...)
157586366thememain idea
157586367synthesiadescribing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color", "a sweet sound")
157586368euphoniouspleasing in sound
157586369Falling actiondenouement metaphor
157586370Denotationthe most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression
157586371connotationimplied meaning of a text
157586372foreshadowingthe use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot
157586373blank verseunrhymed iambic pentameter
157586374conceitExtended Metaphor
157586375expositionintroduces characters, situations at story's start, introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation
157586376litotesa form of understatement in which the negative of the contrary is used to achieve emphasis or intensity
157586377synecdocheusing a part of something to represent the whole thing
157586378pathosa style that has the power to evoke feelings
157586379cacophonousconsonants (unpleasant noises)
157586381end stopand odd line corresponds with natural speech pause
157586382free versepoetic line is its basic rhythmic unit so it's no different than a line of prose

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!