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Literary Terms-Sem I
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Alliteration | A literary device in which a series of words begin with the same consonant sound. Used for poetic effect. Example: Dunkin’ Donuts; A big bully beats a baby boy. |
| Allusion | A reference to another work of literature, historical event, pop culture, mythology … (anything widely known). |
| Antagonist | usually a character or force that opposes the story's protagonist. |
| Anti-hero | character who is also a hero wanting to accomplish good things but lacks the conventional heroic qualities to be recognized |
| Characterization | the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character: analysis, thoughts, actions, reactions, dialogue, physical description |
| Circular/Cyclic Patter | A story begins where it ends |
| External Conflict | A struggle that takes place between the main character and some outside force such as another person or nature. Example: Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature Man vs. World |
| Internal Conflict | conflict within the character's mind. A struggle between opposing forces of desire or emotions within a person. |
| Flashback | interruptions that writers do to insert past events, in order to provide background or context to the current events of a narrative. |
| Foil | Two characters’ personalities are completely opposite of one another to accentuate each other |
| Foreshadowing | a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. |
| Hyperbole | a figure of speech that involves an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis. |
| Idiom | a set expression or a phrase that is not interpreted literally. The phrase is understood to mean something quite different from what individual words of the phrase would imply. |
| Inference | a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning. |
| Dramatic Irony | when the audience or reader knows information that the characters in the story do not |
| Situational Irony | when something happens in a story that is very different than what the reader was expecting. |
| Verbal Irony | When a character means the opposite of what he/she says. Sarcasm is a common form of verbal irony. |
| Metaphor | A figure of speech wherein a comparison is made between two unlike quantities without the use of direct words of comparison such as "like" or "as." A comparison not using “like” or “as” |
| Mood | a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes through words and descriptions. An atmosphere that creates an emotional setting. |
| Novella | a short novel or long short story, usually focusing on one incident or 1-2 main characters |
| 1st Person Point of View | The narrator is one of the characters, telling the story from his/her perspective |
| 3rd Person Point of View | narrator is not a character in the story and tells the story from an outside point-of-view, using a third-person pronoun such as "he," "she”, “it” or “they” |
| Omniscient Point of View | the narrator knows the feelings and thoughts of every character in the story; narrator is all-knowing |
| Protagonist | the central character or leading figure in poetry, a narrative, a novel or any other story. A protagonist is sometimes a “hero” to the audience or readers. The character usually has a mission to accomplish or a conflict to get through. |
| Repetition | the repeating of a word or phrase used to add emphasis and stress in writing and speech. |
| Setting | the time and place (or when and where) of the story. |
| Simile | A comparison between two things using the words “like” or “as” |
| Suspense | the intense feeling that an audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events |
| Symbolism | the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities. Giving objects/colors/ideas a deeper meaning by having them represent something more significant |
| Theme | underlying message that the writer would like to get across |
| Tone | Author’s attitude or feelings conveyed through the choice of words |
Created by:
KMaggiore
Popular English Vocabulary sets