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Literary Terms
Term | Definition |
---|---|
alliteration | repetition of beginning sounds in 2 or more consecutive words |
analogy | a comparison based upon the resemblance of things |
anecdote | a short story |
cause and effect | when something happens that in turn causes something else to happen |
character development | the ways in which the author shows how a character changes as the story progresses |
characterization | the character's personality and how they act |
classify | to arrange something according to a category or trait |
climax | the most exciting part of the story |
compare and contrast | to examine the likenesses or differences of two people, ideas, or things |
conflict | the main source of drama or tension |
dialect | a form of language used in a certain geographic region |
fact | a piece of information that can be proven |
flashback | when an earlier event is inserted into the normal sequence of a narrative |
foreshadowing | the use of clues to give readers a hint of what is to come |
historical fiction | fiction represented in a setting true to the history of the time in which the story takes place |
imagery | language that appeals to the senses |
irony | the use of words to express the opposite of their literal meaning |
metaphor | comparing two things without using "like" or "as" |
mood | the feeling the author creates for the reader |
narrative | the type of writing that tells a story |
opinion | a personal point of view or belief |
personification | when an object or thing is given human characteristics |
plot | the sequence of events in a story |
point of view | the perspective from which a story is told |
protagonist | the main character; the good guy |
setting | the time and place the story takes place |
simile | comparing two things using "like" or "as" |
theme | the message, or lesson, the author wants the reader to take away from the story |