Lit Terms #5

parallelism: the sentence structure where two or more parts of a sentence are given similar form for emphasis

parody: an imitation or mock of a well-known piece of literature or art

pathos: emotional appeal to the reader or audience

pedantry: a presentation of learning for learning itself;

personification: giving inanimate objects or abstract ideas human or life characteristics/actions

plot: the structure or plan of a work

poignant: evoking sadness

point of view: the perspective from which the audience or reader comprehends a work

postmodernism: genre of literature with the characteristics of experimentation, radical forms of structure, and a fuzzy distinction between fiction and reality

prose: language without a rhyming pattern; normal, spoken language

protagonist: usually the central character of a work; must go against the antagonist

pun: a play on words

purpose: the intended effect of a work; what the author wants to establish in the reader

realism: a style of literature that attempts to depict real life

refrain: a repeated phrase in a poem or song

requiem: a song or work of literature to honor or commiserate the dead

resolution: the part if the plot after the climax that resolves the conflict

restatement: an idea that is repeated for emphasis

rhetoric: persuasive language that uses certain techniques to fulfill its purpose

rhetorical question: a rhetorical technique; a question that doesn't require an answer because the answer can be inferred from the question or context

rising action: the part of the plot leading up to the climax; may introduce the conflict

romanticism: style of literature where imaginations and emotions are valued over structure and reason

satire: makes fun of the weaknesses or wrongdoings of an idea, a company, an organization, a person, etc.

scansion: analyzes the meter, or rhythm, of a verse

setting: the time and place where a story takes place