Vocabulary Words

Here are the first set of literary terms. Test on Friday, August 21
1. Epic-A long narrative poem that recounts, in formal language, the exploits of a larger-than-life hero.
2. Epic hero-Usually a man of high social status who embodies the ideals of his people.
3. Foreshadowing-the author’s use of hints or clues to prepare readers for events that will happen later in a narrative.
4. Theme-the main idea of a story, poem, novel, or play, sometimes expressed as a general statement about life.
5. Alliteration-The repetition of consonant sounds
6. External conflict-a struggle with an outside force (man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society, man vs. fate).
7. Personification-a figure of speech in which an animal, object, force of nature, or idea is given human qualities.
8. Kenning-a descriptive figure of speech that takes the place of a common noun.
9. Simile-A figure of speech that uses the words like or as to compare two seemingly unlike things.
10. Caesura-An obvious pause in a line of poetry. It is usually found near the middle of a line, with two stressed syllables before and two after, creating a strong rhythm.
11. Hyperbole-A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor.
12. Irony-A contrast or discrepancy between expectation and reality.