- Match the literary term in the left column with the definition in the right column.
assonance _____ A. repetition of vowel sounds
description _____ B. the main idea or message of a literary work
conflict _____ C. a work concerned with gallant love and chivalry
irony _____ D. emphasis by saying less than is actually true
protagonist _____ E. struggle between opposing forces
theme _____ F. repetition of consonant sounds
romance _____ G. downfall or death of a main good character
understatement _____ H. contrast between expectation and reality
alliteration _____ I. the main character in a literary work
tragedy _____ J. writing that appeals to the senses
- Give a brief DEFINITION (not an example) of each of these literary terms.
- tragic hero ___________________________________________________________.
- symbol ______________________________________________________________.
- surprise ending _______________________________________________________.
- biography ___________________________________________________________.
- eulogy ______________________________________________________________.
- onomatopoeia ________________________________________________________.
- climax ______________________________________________________________.
- personification ________________________________________________________.
- antagonist ___________________________________________________________.
- paradox _____________________________________________________________.
III. Match the literary term in the left column with the definition in the right column.
analogy _____ A. author’s version of events that really happened
autobiography _____ B. story of person’s life written by the same person
elegy _____ C. poem or song about events of common people
ballad _____ D. written conversation between characters
aside _____ E. spoken to audience while ignoring other actors
characterization _____ F. feeling or atmosphere created by the writer
dialogue _____ G. methods used by writers to develop characters
drama _____ H. literature acted out by actors.
mood _____ I. lyric poem in tribute to a person who has died
history _____ J. point by point comparison
- Give an EXAMPLE of each of the following literary terms.
- comedy __________________________________________________________.
- science fiction ________________________________________________________.
- parable ______________________________________________________________.
- fable ________________________________________________________________.
- parody ______________________________________________________________.
- figurative language ____________________________________________________.
- fantasy ______________________________________________________________.
- epic ________________________________________________________________.
- dialect ______________________________________________________________.
- character ____________________________________________________________.
- Match the literary term in the left column with the definition in the right column.
setting _____ A. imaginative works created from imagination
allusion _____ B. an exaggeration for humorous effect
fiction _____ C. words or phrases creating vivid sensory images
flashback _____ D. person whose point of view the story is told
foreshadowing _____ E. background in which the action takes place
hyperbole _____ F. a comparison using “like” or “as”
imagery _____ G. scene that occurs earlier in time than the present
metaphor _____ H. hints or clues of something yet to occur
narrator _____ I. a comparison not using “like” or “as”
simile _____ J. reference to a historical or literary person
