Literary Terms on Quizlethttp://quizlet.com/4053241/things-fall-apart-literary-terms-flash-cards/epigram a short statement or poem with a witty turn of thought or a wittily condensed expression
fable a short tale that illustrates a message or a moral
folklore the traditions, beliefs, and customs of a people
foreshadowing the use of hints or clues in a story to suggest what action is to come
irony a perception of inconsistency, sometimes humorous, in which the significance and understanding of a statement or event is changed by its context
dramatic irony the audience or reader knows more about a character's situation than the character does and knows that the character's understanding is incorrect
structural irony the use of a naïve hero, whose incorrect perceptions differ from the reader's correct ones
verbal irony a discrepancy between what is said and what is really meant;
sarcasm a story that is only partly true (or completely false) about a real or fictional character.
Legends Legends usually include exaggerations and unusual events or circumstances
metaphor a comparison of two things that are basically dissimilar in which one is described in terms of the other
myth a story with supernatural occurrences, which helped early cultures understand themselves
oral tradition the transference of stories, songs, etc., from one generation to another or from one culture to another
personification a figure of speech in which an object, abstract idea, or animal is given human characteristics
protagonist the central or main character in a story around whom the plot centers
proverb a short saying that states a basic truth about life
simile a comparison between two different things using either "like" or "as"
symbol an object, person, or place that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something larger than itself, usually an idea or concept; some concrete thing which represents an abstraction
theme the central or dominant idea behind
he story; the most important aspect that emerges from how the book treats its subject
Tragic Hero a serious work, usually a play, in which the main character experiences defeat, brought about by a tragic flaw
tragedy the main defect of the protagonist in a
tragic hero the main character in a tragedy; in order to fit the definition, the hero must have a tragic flaw, which causes his or her downfall
