Lit Terms 83-108

Omniscient Point of View- knowing all things, usually the third person

Onomatopoeia- whose of a word whose sound in some degree imitates or suggests its meaning

Oxymoron- a figure of speech in which two contradicting words or phrases are combined to produce a rhetorical effect by means of a concise paradox

Pacing- rate of movement; tempo

Parable- a story designed to convey some religious principle, moral lesson, or general truth

Paradox- a statement apparently self-contradictory or absurd but really containing a possible truth; an opinion contrary to generally accepted ideas

Parallelism- the principle in sentence structure that states elements of equal function should have equal form

Parody- an imitation of mimicking of a composition or of the style of a well-known artist

Pathos- the ability in literature to call forth feelings of pity, compassion, and/or sadness

Pedantry- a display of learning for its own sake

Personification- a figure of speech attributing human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract ideas

Plot- a plan or scheme to accomplish a purpose

Poignant- eliciting sorrow or sentiment

Point of View- the attitude unifying any oral or written argument; in description, the physical point from which the observer views what he is describing

Postmodernism- literature characterized by experimentation, irony, nontraditional forms, multiple meanings, playfulness and a blurred boundary between real and imaginary

Prose- the ordinary form of spoken and written language; language that doesn't have a regular rhyme pattern

Protagonist- the central character in a work of fiction; opposes antagonist

Pun- play on words; the humorous use of a word emphasizing different meanings or applications

Purpose- the intended result wished by an author

Realism- writing about the ordinary aspects of life in a straightforward manner to reflect life as it actually is

Refrain- a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a poem or song; chorus

Requiem- any chant, dirge, hymn or musical service for the dead

Resolution- point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out

Restatement- idea repeated for emphasis

Rhetoric-  use of language, both written and verbal in order to persuade

Rhetorical Question- question suggesting its own answer or not requiring an answer; used in argument or persuasion

Rising Action- plot build up, caused by conflict and complication, advancement towards climax