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Literary Terms to Know for Homer’s OdysseyGeller’s Fabulous FreshmenFall 2013
Epic Simile• A comparison using “like” or “as” that extends for several
lines:
“The attackers struck like eagles, crook-clawed, hook-beaked, swooping down from a mountain ridge to harry smaller birds that skim across the flatland cringing under the clouds but the eagles plunge in fury, rip their lives out--hopeless, never a chance of flight or rescue--and people love the sport-- so the attackers routed suitors headlong down the hall, wheeling into the slaughter, slashing left and right and grisly screams broke from skulls cracked open-- the whole floor awash with blood."
Epic• A long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero• Examples:
• Iliad• Odyssey• Aeneid
Character• The people in a work
of literature• Protagonist: Hero/main
character• Antagonist: Character
or force that opposes the protagonist
• Static character: Does not change
• Dynamic character: Undergoes a significant change
Irony• Irony exists when the reader’s expectation contrasts with
reality.• Verbal irony: Saying one thing but meaning another. Similar to
sarcasm; “oh, wonderful!” in response to a lengthy homework assignment
• Situational irony: Outcome is surprisingly different than expected. Ex. A tough traffic cop gets his license suspended for unpaid speeding tickets.
• Dramatic irony: The audience knows something the reader doesn’t. Ex. EVERY HORROR MOVIE EVER MADE. (We know the killer is upstairs, etc.)
Foreshadowing• A literary strategy that
provides a hint of what is going to happen:• Ex. A character in a
movie develops a cough; invariably, the character turns out to be dying.
• Dark clouds and a rumble of thunder suggest something ominous is afoot.
Repetition• A word or phrase is repeated for poetic effect or to reinforce a
theme; repetition is a common characteristic of oral poetry.• “Rosy-fingered dawn”• “The wine-dark sea”
Personification
• Giving human characteristics to something that is not human:• “The wind screamed through the trees”• “The sea swallowed the ship”• “The angry sound of metal meeting asphalt”
Imagery• Language that appeals to the senses:• The feel of wet sand between your toes• The blazing orange sun sinking on the horizon• The smell of burning leaves and pumpkin pie
Conflict
• The central problem in a story• Internal: Person vs. himself• External:• Person vs. person• Person vs. nature• Person vs. society
Tone• The author’s attitude toward the subject, characters, or
situation• Can be formal or conversational• Sarcastic, sympathetic, etc.
Metaphor• A comparison between two unlike things, NOT using “like” or
“as”• “Fated to escape the noose of pain”• “We wove a web of disaster”• “The monster’s rage boiled over”
Simile• A comparison using “like,” “as,” “than,” or “resembles”• “Her mind is as sharp as a razor”• “This class is like an insane asylum”• “His eyes resembled the sea on a cloudy day”• “His thoughts drifted higher than the treetops”
Climax• The high point or turning point in the action of a
story
Diction
•Word choice.•One of the most compelling
arguments to suggest that the Iliad and the Odyssey have different authors is that their diction is so different.
Rhythm/Meter
• The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.
Allusion
• An implied or indirect reference in literature, usually to something familiar to the reader from history, literature, mythology, the Bible, etc.
Symbol
• An image or character used to represent something else:• Dove=peace• Setting sun=death• Rain=sadness
Hyperbole
• Exaggeration for dramatic effect:• “I am starving to death!”• “You are the most ridiculous person in the whole
world.”