Literary Terms List 5

parallelism-agreement in direction, tendency, or character; the state or condition of being parallel

parody-a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing

pathos-the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion.

pedantry-the character, qualities, practices, etc., of a pedant, especially undue display of learning.

personification-the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.

plot-the plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story

poignant-affecting or moving the emotions

point of view- specified or stated manner of consideration or appraisal; standpoint

postmodernism-any of a number of trends or movements in the arts and literature developing in the 1970s in reaction to or rejection of the dogma, principles, or practices of established modernism, especially a movement in architecture and the decorative arts running counter to the practice and influence of the International Style and encouraging the use of elements from historical vernacular styles and often playful illusion, decoration, and complexity.

prose-the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse

protagonist-the leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work

pun-the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words.

purpose-the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc

realism-interest in or concern for the actual or real, as distinguished from the abstract, speculative, etc

refrain-to abstain from an impulse to say or do something

requiem-any musical service, hymn, or dirge for the repose of the dead

resolution-a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group

restatement-to state again or in a new way

rhetoric-the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.

rhetorical question-a question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion and not to elicit a reply

rising action-a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest.

romanticism-the Romantic style or movement in literature and art, or adherence to its principles

satire-the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc

scansion-the metrical analysis of verse. The usual marks for scansion are ˘ for a short or unaccented syllable, ¯ or · for a long or accented syllable, ^ for a rest, | for a foot division, and ‖ for a caesura or pause.

setting-the locale or period in which the action of a novel, play, film, etc., takes place

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