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English I Lit Terms
Learn terms, and then learn to apply the terms correctly based on their meanings
| Literary Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Allegory | The representation of ideas or moral principles by means of symbolic characters, events, or objects |
| Alliteration | The repetition of a beginning consonant sound to create rhythm and aid memory |
| Allusion | A brief reference to a historical or literary person, place, object, or event |
| Analogy | The comparison of two similar things so as to suggest that if they are alike in some respects, they are probably alike in other ways as well |
| Anecdote | A short narrative that tells the particulars of an interesting and/or humorous event |
| Antagonist | A person or thing that opposes the protagonist of a story |
| Apostrophe | A figure of speech where someone (usually absent or dead), an object, some abstract quality, or a nonexistent person is directly addressed as though present and real |
| Cliché | A word or phrase that is so overused that it is no longer effective in most writing situations |
| Coherence | The parts of a composition should be arranged in a logical and orderly manner so that the meaning and ideas are clear and intelligible. |
| Connotation | The emotions and feelings that surround a word; they may be negative, neutral or positive,depending on their context. |
| Context | The environment of a word, the words that surround a particular word and help to determine or deepen its meaning. |
| Denotation | The literal or basic meaning of a word (the dictionary definition) |
| Diction | The writer's choice of words based on their clarity and effectiveness |
| Euphemism | When you replace one word or phrase for another in order to avoid being offensive |
| Flashback | Insertion of a scene or event that took place in the past, for the purpose of making something in the present more clear |
| Foil | The term is applied to any person who through contrast underscores the distinctive characteristics of another |
| Foreshadowing | The suggestion or hint of events to come later in a literary work |
| Hyperbole | A type of figurative language that makes an overstatement for the purpose of emphasis |
| Imagery | The use of descriptive words or phrases to create vivid mental pictures in the minds of the reader,often appealing to sight, sound, taste,or smell |
| Irony | The contrast between what is expected and what actually happens |
| Metaphor | A type of figurative language that makes a comparison but does not use“like”or “as” |
| Direct Metaphor | When the writer directly states both of the things being compared |
| Indirect Metaphor | When the writer states one of the things and the reader must infer the other |
| Metonymy | The substitution of an object closely associated with a word for the word itself |
| Mood | The feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader |
| Motif | Recurring ideas, images, and actions that tend to unify a work |
| Onomatopoeia | A type of figurative language in which words sound like the things they name |
| Oxymoron | A self-contradictory combination of words (usually paired) |
| Parody | When a writer imitates an already existing form for the purpose of humor |
| Personification | A type of figurative language that gives animate(living) characteristics to inanimate(nonliving) things |
| Protagonist | The main character in a work; the action revolves around this person and the antagonist, or opposing force |
| Pun | A word or phrase which has a "double meaning" as intended by the writer; often these words sound the same (or nearly the same) but have different meanings |
| Repetition | Repeating a word or group of words for emphasis or effect |
| Rhetorical question | A question asked only for effect or to make a statement, but not to get an answer |
| Satire | A type of writing that uses humor, irony,or wit to make a point |
| Simile | A comparison using "like"or "as" |
| Style | This refers to how the author writes (form) rather than what he/she writes (content) |
| Symbolism | A symbol is something that stands for something larger than itself |
| Synecdoche | When a part represents the whole or when the whole represents the part |
| Theme | A statement of the central idea of a piece of writing |
| Tone | The attitude of the author toward his/her subject and audience |
Created by:
Marleystutz
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