Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Literary Terms
Definitions of literary terms and devices.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| characters | people, animals, or imaginary creatures who take part in the action of the story |
| main character(s) | one or two individuals who are most important to the story |
| minor characters | other individuals who are not as important to the story |
| plot | the sequence of events in a story |
| setting | the time and place in which the story happens |
| conflict | a struggle a character is facing |
| external conflict | when a character struggles with another character or outside force |
| internal conflict | when a character struggles with themselves because of a choice they must make |
| theme | the meaning or moral of a story |
| tone | the author’s attitude toward their subject |
| mood | the atmosphere or feeling created by a literary work; it is a description of objects |
| foreshadowing | a hint of things to come; usually it is a very unpleasant event |
| flashback | a literary device serving as an interruption in the action to show a scene that took place earlier |
| simile | the comparison of two unlike things using the words “like” or “as” |
| metaphor | the comparison of two unlike things WITHOUT using the words “like” or “as” |
| personification | giving human-like qualities to non-living objects |
| rhyme | the repetition of identical sounds at the ends of words or in close proximity to each other |
| alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds |
| hyperbole | obvious and intentional exaggeration, not intended to be taken literally |
| oxymoron | a self-contradictory statement of expression |
| allusion | a reference to a person, event, or figure that the reader would be able to recognize |
| (situational) irony | the difference between what is expected to happen and what actually happens |
| inference | a logical guess based on clues from the text and the reader’s own common sense |
| allegory | a work of literature in which people, objects, and events symbolize abstract qualities |
| onomatopoeia | the use of words that sound like what they mean |
| coming of age theme | the process of growing up; the character faces conflict, makes difficult decisions, and gains a new awareness of themselves and others; they experience a new level of maturity |
Created by:
0655154
Popular English Vocabulary sets