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literary terminology 2

Terms

undefined, object
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kenning
short metaphorical expression referring to something without naming it, primarily used in Old English and Norse poetry.
epitaph
inscription on tombstone or marker of the dead
homophones
words that sound alike (includes homonyms and also words that have different spellings)
idiom
phrase in common use that does not literally mean what it says.
hyperbole
use of extreme exaggeration for effect.
literary juvenilia
literature produced during youth; or literature suited to young readers.
epigram
witty, often paradoxical, saying or brief poem.
legend
story handed down, generation to generation, often thought to be at least partially true historically.
imagery
creation of mental pictures by pertinent word choice and heightened description.
editorial
newspaper or magazine article expressing opinion of an editor or publisher.
fabliau
short, metrical tale told by minstrels in twelfth and thirteenth centuries, often spicy and satiric.
i.e.
that is (followed usually by explanatory matter)
hero
character, ususally the protagonist, who rises above and conquers the series of problems and events in the story.
essay
short prose work expressing author's views on a subject.
homonyms
words that sound alike, are spelled alike, but have different meanings.
interactive fiction
stories that give the reader choices in the way the plot develops by making certain decisions along the way.
fiction
any literature about imaginary events or people.
irony
phrases or words with meanings quite different from what is actually stated.
literary genre
kind or type of literature; literary classification.
in medias res
beginning in the middle of events.
fable
story with moral or lesson about life, often with animal characters with human characteristics.
dialogue/dialog
speaking and conversation between characters in stories, plays, and in person.
jargon
words peculiar to any particular occupation.
first-person narration
story told from first-person point of view, usually using "I."
ibid.
used in footnotes and bibliographies to refer to the source mentioned directly above.
eponym
person whose name is the source of a new word.
euphemism
more palatable word for less pleasant subject.
science fiction
fiction concerning advanced technology , usually imagined, not actual scientific advancments.
popular fiction
fiction aimed at the mainstream of populations.
ellipsis
three dots (...) to show words have been left out of a quotation or to indicated the passage of time.
doppelganger
personification of the personality of a character's darker side; ghost.
flashback
jumping backward in the chronology of a narrative, often through a dream or musing sequence.
envoy/envoi
brief postscript to book, essay, or poem; often the concluding stanza to a ballade, summarizing the poem.
denouement
outcome, resolution, solution of a plot.
double-entendre
double meaning of word, phrase, or sentence, often raucous or sexual in implication.
folklore/folktales
stories and legends transmitted by word of mouth, rather than in writing.
didactic
describes literary works meant to teach a moral or lesson.
foreshadow
hints during the narrative about what will happen later; can be literal hints or symbolic hints.
foil
character opposite or different from the protagonist, used to hightlight the protagonist's traits; incidents or settings may also be used as foils.

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