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All literary terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Alliteration | the repetition of syllable-initial consonant sounds within a group of words |
| Imagery | the use of vivid descriptions to create a mental image in the reader’s mind |
| Metaphor | a figure of speech that compares two things, usually by stating that one thing is another |
| Personification | a figure of speech that attributes human characteristics, emotion, and behavior to animals and inanimate objects or ideas |
| Refrain | a sound, word, phrase, or line repeated regularly in a poem |
| Rhyme | a repetition of similar sounds at the end of two or more consecutive sentences |
| Simile | a rhetorical device used to compare two things using the words “like”, “as”, or “than.' |
| Stanzas | a group of lines in a poem, similar to a paragraph |
| Repetition | when words are repeated in order to make a stronger impact on the reader |
| Oxymoron | a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction |
| Onomatopoeia | a type of word that sounds like what it does |
| Hyperbole | Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech |
| Pun | A pun is a joke based on the interplay of homophones — words with the same pronunciation but different meanings |
| Figurative Language | Figurative language is a literary device that uses words or phrases for effect, humorous, or exaggeration purposes, instead of their literal translation |
| Plot | the series of events in the story |
| Exposition | the introduction of characters, background information, and setting |
| Rising Action | are events leading up to the climax of the story |
| Falling Action | are events directly following the climax of the story |
| Climax | the most interesting part or the turning point of the story |
| Resolution | the conclusion of the story where all the loose ends are tied up |
| Conflict | the problem or struggle in the story |
| External Conflict | is one that can be seen and involves a character struggling against an opposing force: another character or obstacle |
| Internal Conflict | occurs within the character’s heart or mind |
| Setting | the when, where, and environment of the story |
| Chronological Order | the way in which events occur in real time |
| Foreshadow | hints or clues the author gives about what will happen in the story |
| Flashback | a scene or event from the past that interrupts the present storyline |
| Flash Forward | a scene or event that jumps forward in time |
| Mood | how the author makes the reader feel |
| Tone | how the author feels |
| Protagonist | the main character in a story and usually the good guy or hero |
| Antagonist | usually the bad guy and is in direct conflict with the main character |
| Dynamic Character | grows or changes as a result of the story |
| Static Character | character does not change as a result of the story |
| Round Character | character is multi-dimensional and many different traits are revealed |
| Flat Character | character only has 1-2 traits revealed to the reader |
| Indirect Characterization | is when the author SHOWS what the character is like |
| Direct Characterization | is when the author TELLS what the character is like |
| Symbol | object that stands for something abstract (feeling) |
| Inference | when we use our background knowledge and information the author has given us to draw a logical conclusion |
| Allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, or thing |
| Dialogue | conversation in the story |
| Motivation | what drives the character (fear, needs, wants, etc.) |
| Credible | trusted |
| Voice | a writer’s use of language and overall style created by tone and diction |
| Persona | a mask or voice for first person point of view |
| Surprise ending | resolves a story in a totally unexpected yet logical way |
| Diction | choice of words |
| Theme | the central idea or insight about human life that a story reveals |
| Unreliable narrator | biased and cannot or does not tell the truth |
| Irony | a contrast of what the reader expects and what really happens |
| Verbal Irony | the use of words to mean something other than what is really said; sarcasm |
| Dramatic Irony | when the audience knows something the characters do not |
| Situational Irony | when the reader expects something to happen but something unexpected happens instead |
| Point of View | the vantage point or perspective from which a story is told |
| Third Person Omniscient Point of View | narrator plays no role in the story, is “God-like” and “All-knowing”; knows all the character’s thoughts, actions, and feelings |
| Third Person Limited Point of View | narrator plays no role in the story; tells about one character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions |
| Third Person Objective Point of View | narrator is a spectator of events and reports what is seen or heard; relays little to no thoughts or feelings |
| First Person Point of View | narrator is a character in the story and tells the story using pronouns I, we, me, us, etc. |
| Character | A character is a person, animal, being, creature, or thing in a story |
| Characterization | Characterization is the act of creating and describing characters in literature |
| Understatement | An understatement is a literary device by which a particular quality of a person, object, emotion, or situation is downplayed or presented as being less than what is true to the situation |
| Connotation | A connotation is a feeling or idea that a word has, in addition to its literal or main meaning |
| Denotation | Denotation is the objective meaning of a word |
| Archetype | A character archetype in novel terms is a type of character who represents a universal pattern, and therefore appeals to our human "collective unconscious" |
| Euphemism | A euphemism is a word or phrase that softens an uncomfortable topic |
| Cliche | A cliché can refer to any aspect of a literary narrative—a specific phrase, scenario, genre, or character |
| Consonance | agreement or compatibility between opinions or actions |
| Paradox | a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true |
| Assonance | the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in a series of words, phrases, and/or syllables |
| Allegory | a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one |
| Propaganda | information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view |
| Apostrophe | an exclamatory passage in a speech or poem addressed to a person (typically one who is dead or absent) or thing (typically one that is personified) |
| Soliloquy | an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play |
| Aside | a remark or passage in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play |
| Enjambment | the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza |
| Sonnet | a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line |
| Metonymy | the substitution of the name of an attribute or adjunct for that of the thing meant, for example suit for business executive, or the track for horse racing |
| Narrative Poetry | a form of poetry that is used to tell a story. The poet combines elements of storytelling—like plot, setting, and characters—with elements of poetry, such as form, meter, rhyme, and poetic devices |
| Lyric Poetry | refers to a short poem, often with songlike qualities, that expresses the speaker’s personal emotions and feelings |
| Prose | a style used that does not follow a structure of rhyming or meter |
| Poetry | literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature |
| Aphorism | a short saying that serves to express a truth in a memorable and quippy way |
| Satire | the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues |
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