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