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Pandora's Box - Literary Terms
Practice quiz to learn the literary terms pulled out of Pandora's infamous Box.😮
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Last updated: October 10, 2025
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| First submitted | September 12, 2025 |
| Times taken | 13 |
| Average score | 37.5% | Report this quiz | Report |
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1. A poetic closed form devised during the early renaissance by the Italian writer Petrarch.
sonnet
ode
rhythm
rhyme
2. Appears at the end of a line of poetry, the most common type of rhyme.
end rhyme
internal rhyme
slant rhyme
rhyme scheme
3. The method by which the author builds, or reveals, a character; it can be direct or indirect.
setting
exposition
characterization
falling action
4. Long section of an epic poem.
canto
iamb
epiphany
catharsis
5. A seemingly self-contradictory statement that upon closer scrutiny actually reveals a truth.
oxymoron
rhyme
paradox
parallelism
6. Comic work in which the foibles of society are addressed and mocked.
satire
figurative language
setting
irony
7. The perspective from which a narrative is told.
mood
tone
point of view
personification
8. A description of how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, or sounds.
metaphor
lyric
figurative language
imagery
9. A six-line stanza.
tercet
sestet
couplet
octet
10. An eight-line stanza.
quatrain
sestet
octet
tercet
11. Character that remains the same throughout a work.
dynamic
stock
static
flat
12. The narrator’s attitude toward her subject.
tone
mood
setting
atmosphere
13. A poem of praise and dedication.
reversal
ode
parable
simile
14. The most common metrical foot in English poetry.
iamb
irony
paradox
monologue
15. Narrative scene in which action previously unrevealed takes place.
flashback
persona
inversion
free verse
16. A resemblance drawn between two items.
epigram
foreshadowing
catharsis
analogy
17. Unrhymed iambic pentameter verse – formal, but still conversational.
eulogy
metonymy
comedy
blank verse
18. The presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.
metaphor
pun
understatement
hyperbole
19. A type of flat character based on a stereotype; one who falls into an immediately recognizable category or type – such as the absentminded professor or the town drunk – and thus resists unique characterization.
round
stock
flat
static
20. Divides its discussion among three quatrains and a final couplet.
the good sonnet
the evil sonnet
italian sonnet
english sonnet
21. A sudden decline in tension, especially with comic effect or ironic disappointment.
falling action
dissonance
anticlimax
climax
22. Imagery in which the part stands for the whole or vice versa.
stanza
symbol
structure
synecdoche
23. A contemplative poem, on death and mortality, often written for someone who has died.
inversion
elegy
eulegy
mock epic
24. A device in which the initial sound of a word is repeated at least twice in a line of poetry or in a sentence.
alliteration
diction
anaphora
conceit
25. The written depiction of conversation between characters.
novella
diction
hubris
dialogue
26. Narrative in which the characters, setting, and events are all symbolic.
simile
bildungsroman
analogy
allegory
27. A work that mocks another text by closely modeling its style and content.
rhyme
parody
sonnet
poem
28. The universal truth, observation about life, or main idea of a literary work.
mood
structure
theme
tone
29. A poetic blending of sensory images.
antithesis
synesthesia
verse
prose
30. Explain how the stage is set, where and when the actors should move, and, occasionally, in what manner the actors should deliver their lines.
setting
stage directions
mood
ode
31. Also called “near rhyme,” words at the ends of poem lines that almost but don’t quite rhyme. Not necessarily a weakness in the poem.
end rhyme
slant rhyme
rhyme scheme
internal rhyme
32. A direct comparison of two unlike things.
parallelism
poem
satire
metaphor
33. A brief, symbolic story whose purpose is to instruct.
speaker
rising action
parable
symbol
34. A poem, speech, or other work written in great praise of something or someone, usually a person no longer living.
free verse
juxtaposition
eulogy
lyric
35. A short narrative scene or description, often one in a series.
ode
vignette
couplet
stanza
36. The protagonist of a narrative.
antagonist
hero/heroine
hubris
antihero
37. A work written in verse rather than prose.
stanza
erse
poem
ode
38. An unexpected but fitting twist in a narrative.
motif
play
irony
oxymoron
39. A figure of speech in which something is represented by another thing that is related to it.
persona
narrative
rhyme
metonymy
40. A pause in the middle of a line of poetry.
euphemism
consonance
caesura
denotation
41. The organization of a work.
setting
poem
form
structure
42. A protagonist with villainous qualities who nevertheless can be relatively sympathetic in a narrative.
antihero
ode
farce
elegy
43. Poetry with no rhyme or set meter.
free verse
mock epic
genre
parody
44. A plot device in which the author places the main narrative of his or her work within another narrative
frame frame
narrative frame
he got framed
picture frame
45. Word choice; the most basic element of a text.
diction
metonymy
form
irony
46. The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
antecedent
antithesis
cadence
elegy
47. A three-line stanza.
tercet
sestet
octet
quatrain
48. A short poem expressing the personal feelings of a first-person speaker.
lyric
metonymy
stanza
couplet
49. A broad term, refers to a piece of writing that is metered and rhythmic.
free verse
ode
verse
stanza
50. A line of poetry that continues its sentence into the next line without a break.
short story
ode
enjambment
in medias res
51. A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subject’s distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect.
hyperbole
caricature
motif
parable
52. Harsh, unpleasant sounds, especially in poetry.
dissonance
foreshadowing
iambic pentameter
dramatic monologue
53. Placing dissimilar items, descriptions, or ideas close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast
juxtaposition
metaphysical conceit
novella
metaphor
54. A serious dramatic work in which the protagonist experiences a series of unfortunate reversals due to some character trait.
comedy
octet
oxymoron
tragedy
55. Part of a narrative during which characters, setting, and initial action are explained. A good bulk of a story’s exposition takes place near the beginning.
iamb
sarcasm
exposition
narrative
56. The repetition of a word or phrase for rhetorical effect.
anaphora
prose
inversion
assonance
57. Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases or clauses.
paradox
oxymoron
poem
parallelism
58. A literary device that sets up a striking analogy between two entities that would not usually invite comparison, often drawing connections between the physical and spiritual.
reversal
monologue
personification
metaphysical conceit
59. The time and place of a narrative.
mood
setting
tone
atmosphere
60. A device used to produce figurative language.
flashback
hyperbole
figure of speech
pun
61. A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds or words.
parody
onomatopoeia
setting
stream of consciousness
62. The implied, rather than direct meaning of a word.
metaphor
free verse
lyric
connotation
63. The emotional atmosphere of a work, especially the emotional undercurrents of a setting.
setting
prose
mood
rhythm
64. Any literary work that is not poetry, but is written in sentences and paragraphs.
novella
verse
prose
ode
65. A work of prose or poetry intended for performance on a stage.
stanza
ode
play
point of view
66. Underdeveloped character, one-dimensional and predictable.
round
dynamic
stock
flat
67. Statement in which two opposites are paired to make a point.
dialogue
farce
irony
antithesis
68. In a narrative, the point of irreversible action, when what is done cannot be undone.
genre
farce
epigram
climax
69. A reference to something appearing elsewhere in history, culture, or literature.
connotation
archetype
allusion
enjambment
70. Speech delivered by a character in a play, usually with other characters present.
point of view
speaker
slant rhyme
monologue
71. Techniques by which writers manipulate language for effect.
understatement
pun
metaphor
wordplay
72. A recurring pattern of images and symbols.
motif
protagonist
stream of consciousness
octet
73. The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described.
colloquialism
form
atmosphere
eulogy
74. A sung poem that recounted a dramatic story.
farce
caesura
canto
ballad
75. A voice and viewpoint that an author adopts in order to deliver a story or poem.
mood
point of view
tone
persona
76. From the Greek for “good speech,” this is a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts.
euphemism
metaphor
prose
lyric
77. Poem in which a character speaks as if delivering a soliloquy.
iamb
dramatic monologue
enjambment
metaphor
78. It is created by alteration of the standard English word order of a subject being followed by a verb and its object in a declarative sentence.
inversion
satire
quatrain
octet
79. In a poem, two consecutive rhyming lines.
iambic pentameter
couplet
spondee
dialogue
80. A brief work of fictional prose invented roughly in the early 1800s.
ode
novella
poem
short story
81. A short, witty statement designed to surprise and audience or a reader.
metaphysical conceit
pun
epigram
stanza
82. A character who possesses a flaw or commits an error in judgment that leads to his or her downfall and a reversal of fortune.
antihero
protagonist
tragic hero
character
83. An indirect comparison between two unlike things.
metaphor
simile
juxtaposition
oxymoron
84. When, in a narrative, the protagonist’s fortunes take an unforeseen turn.
stage directions
rhyme
reversal
theme
85. The most common meter in English poetry; has roughly ten syllables with the accents on even syllables.
refrain
parable
iambic pentameter
imagery
86. Appears after the exposition of a narrative. In this part of a story, complications begin to arise for the characters.
rising action
climax
exposition
falling action
87. An expression or language construction appropriate only for casual, informal speaking or writing.
comedy of manners
climax
colloquialism
epigram
88. A line, lines, or a stanza in a poem that repeat(s) at intervals.
refrain
theme
speaker
synecdoche
89. A novel that explores the maturation of the protagonist, with the narrative usually moving the main character from childhood into adulthood.
enjambment
frame narrative
couplet
bildungsroman
90. A more developed, complex character.
dynamic
round
stock
flat
91. Stylistic approach in a literary work whereby the text’s lack of clarity allows for multiple, even conflicting interpretations.
flashback
ambiguity
cadence
ballad
92. The repetition of a vowel sound in a sentence or line of poetry.
foot
assonance
cadence
anaphora
93. Type of narration that mimics the mind’s free flow of thought.
parody
point of view
stream of consciousness
stanza
94. The pattern of rhyme occurring in a poem, usually listed as a sequence of alphabetical letters (e.g. ABABCDCDEFEFGG) in which like letters indicate end rhyme.
rhyme scheme
slant rhyme
internal rhyme
end rhyme
95. Appears within one line of poetry.
rhyme scheme
slant rhyme
internal rhyme
end rhyme
96. Divides its discussion between an octave and a sestet.
the evil sonnet
the good sonnet
italian sonnet
english sonnet
97. A story within a story.
metaphor
ode
frame narrative
juxtaposition
98. From the Greek meaning “to tear flesh," involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something.
oxymoron
irony
sarcasm
ode
99. Usually, the repetition of final sounds in words at set intervals.
rhyme
rhythm
stage directions
structure
100. Refers to the defining structural characteristics of a work, especially a poem.
novella
form
metonymy
rhythm
101. A play on words that derives its humor from the replacement of one word with another that has similar pronunciation or spelling but a different meaning.
rhyme
speaker
refrain
pun
102. The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.
refrain
narrative
sestet
novella
103. The instilling of human characteristics in something nonhuman.
short story
stanza
point of view
personification
104. A character’s transformative moment of realization.
epiphany
euphemism
parallelism
onomatopoeia
105. A word that has the opposite meaning of another.
figurative language
dialect
antonym
denouement
106. Common tragic flaw of protagonists.
hyperbole
mood
quatrain
hubris
107. Occurs when events in a story take an unexpected turn, but one can still understand how the events could have happened.
verbal irony
situational irony
dramatic irony
irony irony
108. The major category in which a literary work fits.
narrative
hero
genre
rhythm
109. A symbol so ancient and fundamental that its meaning is understood by the unconscious mind, even without contextual explanation.
archetype
connotation
conceit
diction
110. The opponent of a narrative’s protagonist or hero.
antagonist
foil
persona
caesura
111. A clever, brief observation about some aspect of life, also called a maxim or a saying.
aphorism
structure
imagery
dissonance
112. Occurs when someone means the opposite of what she says.
verbal irony
situational irony
dramatic irony
irony irony
113. A seemingly self-contradictory term or phrase.
parallelism
paradox
oxymoron
rhythm
114. A satiric dramatic form that lampoons social conventions; the highest level of comedy.
metaphysical conceit
euphemism
comedy of manners
consonance
115. The literal definition of a word, often referred to as the “dictionary definition.”
denotation
hyperbole
monologue
iamb
116. The audience’s release of pity and fear once the tragic hero of a play has experienced a downfall.
epiphany
foreshadowing
metonymy
catharsis
117. Latin for “in the middle of things.”
stanza
metaphor
inversion
in medias res
118. Satirical work that parodies the form of the epic poem.
mock epic
parody
mood
poem
119. Long narrative poem, usually featuring a larger-than-life hero who takes a journey during which he receives divine intervention.
epic poem
play
metonymy
metaphor
120. A quotation preceding a work of literature that helps set the text’s mood or suggests its themes.
free verse
parable
epigraph
oxymoron
121. A narrative that, even in retrospect, symbolically predicted something in the narrative’s future.
foreshadowing
irony
monologue
form
122. An agent committing action in a narrative, usually human, but not necessarily so.
protagonist
character
foil
antagonist
123. A contrasting character who allows the protagonist to stand out more distinctly.
foil
antagonist
juxtaposition
antihero
124. The central character of a literary work.
antagonist
protagonist
antihero
hero
125. The personality defect that leads the hero in a play to make an error in judgment.
satire
novella
prose
tragic flaw
126. A relatively brief novel, usually not exceeding 200 pages.
poem
parable
ode
novella
127. Lines in a poem that the poet has chosen to group together, usually separated from other lines by a space.
ode
couplet
sestet
stanza
128. A metaphor that continues over several lines or throughout an entire literary work.
metaphor metaphor
extended metaphor
super long metaphor
super short metaphor
129. Occurs when the audience knows something that a character doesn’t.
verbal irony
situational irony
irony irony
dramatic irony
130. A play in which a temporarily unstable situation is restored to order by the end.
comedy
epigraph
flashback
consonance
131. Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.
parody
in medias res
meter
figurative language
132. An object, setting, event, or flat character that represents an idea.
simile
symbol
metaphor
oxymoron
133. Experiences a change in personality, attitude, or behavior during the course of the narrative.
flat
static
dynamic
stock
134. A metric distinguished by the number of syllables it contains and how stress is placed on the syllables – stressed (´) or unstressed (˘).
inversion
ode
foot
lyric
135. French for “unknotting,” this final segment of a narrative follows the climax and “winds things up” in the story.
denouement
vignette
tone
synecdoche
136. Absurd type of comedy that involves flat characters, slapstick action, and ridiculous misunderstandings.
metonymy
farce
flashback
hyperbole
137. An extended metaphor continuing from an initial comparison.
understatement
conceit
tercet
wordplay
138. Part of a narrative that moves from the climax to the denouement
ode
metonymy
falling action
onomatopoeia
139. Dialogue or narration written to simulate regional or cultural speech patterns.
dialect
genre
metonymy
diction
140. The character who is currently delivering lines.
point of view
protagonist
perspective
speaker
141. An address to something as if it were human, or an address to someone not present.
verse
rhythm
apostrophe
synesthesia
142. Exaggeration for effect.
irony
hyperbole
pun
figurative language
143. The formal, regular organization of stressed and unstressed syllables, measured in feet.
form
monologue
meter
form
144. Quality of spoken text formed from combing the text’s rhythm with the rise and fall in the inflection of the speaker’s voice.
flashback
meter
caricature
cadence
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