Literary Terms for Test

the passing down of cultural knowledge by mouth from generation to generation

a culture's idea of how the world and its inhabitants were created

recurring narrative elements (situations, characters, and symbols) that appear in stories across cultures and that speak human experiences

a story that uses supernatural forces or beings to explain an aspect of life or the natural world and that was once held true by a culture.

a style of writing the Bradford take of. It involves a clarity, simplicity, and scarcity of elaborate figurative expression

the main idea of the text, or life lesson

references to people, places, events or works of literature

references to the writings of ancient Greece or Rome

the belief that god provides for his people by directly intervening in their lives and that he does so for ultimate good and his own glory. It is also the belief that god is actually at work in the world, directing even natural forces to accomplish his will.

artful deviations from literal speech or normal word order

is an imaginative comparison using 'like' or 'as'

is an imaginative comparison of two dissimilar things, which can be implied or stated, brief or extended.

is an address to an absent person, abstraction, or object; it makes an abstraction personal.

descriptive words or phrases that appeal to sense perceptions to create an impression. Imagery takes the form of simile, metaphor, and personification

the words mean what they say

the words don't mean what they say

like or as

says something is something

when something takes on a non-human and act as if it is.

often used phrase that doesn't mean what it says

is a figurative of speech in which a writer directly addresses a thing, concept, or absent person. a apostrophe is written in the second person, using the pronouns you and yours.

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally

the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole, or vice versa.

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

the act of portraying a character in a narrative directly (through telling) or indirectly (through showing) is known as characterization. This is shown through:
1. actions
2. speech
3. appearances

writing that emulated Greek and Roman models.

instruction in literature

word choices. Diction may refer to connotations of words or the cumulative effect of chosen vocabulary. possible descriptions might be formal or informal; ornate or plain; abstract or concrete, esoteric or colloquial