Lit Terms 57-81

Gothic Tale- a style in literature characterized by gloomy settings, violent or grotesque action, and a mood of decay

Hyperbole- an exaggerated statement often used as a figure of speech or to prove a point

Imagery- figures of speech or vivid descriptions conveying images through any of the senses

Implication- a meaning or understanding that's to be arrive at by the reader but that is not fully and explicitly stated by the author

Incongruity- The deliberate joining of opposite or of elements that aren't appropriate to each other

Inference- a judgement or conclusion based on evidence presented; the forming of an opinion which possesses some degree of probability according to facts already available

Irony- a contrast between what's said and what's meant or what's expected to happen and what actually happens or what's thought to be happening and what's actually happening

Interior Monologue- a form of writing that represents inner thoughts of a character, recording of internal, emotional experiences of an individual

Inversion- words out of order for emphasis

Juxtaposition- the intentional placement of a word, phrase or sentences of paragraph to contrast with another

Lyric- a poem having musical form and quality; short outburst of the author's innermost thoughts and feelings

Magical Realism- a genre developed in Latin American which juxtaposes the everyday with the magical

Metaphor- an analogy that compares two different things imaginatively

Extended- a metaphor that's extended or developed as far as the writer wants to take it

Controlling- a metaphor that runs throughout the piece of work

Mixed- a metaphor that ineffectively blends two or more analogies

Metonymy- literally name changing a device of figurative language in which the name of an attribute is substituted for the usual name of a thing

Mode of Discourse- argument, narration, description, and exposition

Modernism- literary movement characterized by stylistic experimentation, rejection of tradition, interest in symbolism and psychology

Monologue- an extended speech by a character in a play, short story, novel or narrative poem

Mood- the predominating atmosphere evoke by a literary piece

Motif- a recurring feature in a piece of literature

Myth- a story, often about immortals, and sometimes connected with religious rituals, that attempts to give meaning to the mysteries of the world

Narrative- a story or description of events

Narrator- one who narrates or tells a story

Naturalism- an extreme form of realism

Novelette/Novella- short story; short prose narrative, often satirical