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Literary Terms
Alliteration
The repetition of sounds in a group
of words as in “Peter Piper Picked
a Peck of Pickled Peppers.”
AllusionA reference to a person,
place, or thing--often literary, mythological, or
historical. The infinitive of allusion is to allude.
e.g. Romeo alludes to the mythological figure Diana
in the balcony scene.
Antagonist
A major character who opposes the protagonist in a story or play.
Assonance
The repetition of vowel sounds as in
“And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride.
--Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee
Atmosphere
The overall feeling of a work, which is related to tone and
mood.
Audience
The audience for a piece of literature may be a single
person or a group of people. To what
person or group is the text directed?
Characterization The means by which an
author establishes character. An author may directly describe the appearance and
personality of character or show it through action or dialogue.
Climax
The point at which the action in a story or play reaches its
emotional peak.
Conflict
The struggle in the story. Traditionally, there are four
main conflicts:person vs. self (internal)
person vs. person (external)person vs. society (external)person vs. nature (external)
Consonance
The repetition of consonant sounds as in
“The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;”
--The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Contrast
To explain how two things differ. To
compare and contrast is to
explain how two things are alike and
how they are different.
Denotation
1)The definition of a word found in the dictionary.2)Literal meaning of a
word.3) The verb form is “to
denote” which means “to mean.”
e.g. The word “indolence” denotes “laziness.”
Connotation1)The definition of a word
found outside the dictionary.2)Figurative meaning of a
word.3) The verb form is “to
connote” which means “to suggest or imply a meaning beyond the literal meaning
of a word.”e.g. The word “cool”
connotes “an awesome or exciting
thing.”
End rhymeRhyming words
that are at the ends of their respective
lines—what we typically think of as
normal rhyme.
Fable
A story that illustrates a moral
often using animals as characters
e.g. The Tortoise and the Hare
Figurative Language
Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using
figurative language. Any language that goes beyond the
literal meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or fresh
insights into an idea or a subject.
e.g. Whenever you call
something “cool,” you’re not talking about its temperature but referring to some other quality it
possesses.
Foreshadowing
A technique in which an author
gives clues about something that will happen later in the
story.
Free Verse
Poetry with no set meter (rhythm) or
rhyme scheme.
Genre
A term used to describe a particular category or type of
literature. Some literary genres are
mysteries, westerns, and romances.
HyperboleAn extreme
exaggeration. e.g. To say that it took you hours to
walk home when in reality it was only
10 mins would be a hyperbole.
ImageryThe use of description that
helps the reader imagine how something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes. Most of the time, it refers to appearance.
e.g. “Tita was so sensitive to onions, any time they were
being chopped, they say she would just cry and cry; when
she was still in my great-grandmother’s belly her sobs were so loud that even Nacha, the cook, who was half-deaf,
could hear them easily.” --Like Water for Chocolate
IronyLanguage that
conveys a certain idea by saying just
the opposite.
e.g. Saying that you love someone’s shirt when you really think
it’s ugly is being ironic.
Literal Language
Language that means exactly what it says.
MetaphorA comparison of two
unlike things using any form of the verb “to be”–-i.e. am, are, is,
was, were.
Ex: “This chair is a rock,” or
“I am an island.”
Monologue
A long speech by one character in a
play or story.
MoodThe feeling created in
the reader by a literary work or
passage. The mood may be suggested by the writer's choice of words, by events in the work, or by the physical setting.
Myth
A legend that embodies the
beliefs of people and offers some explanation for
natural and social phenomena.
Onomatopoeia
The use of words that sound like
what they mean such as “buzz,” “bang,” or “tic-
tock.”
Parody
A humorous, exaggerated
imitation of a work of literature.
PersonificationGiving inanimate objects human characteristics.
e.g. “The wind howled through the
night.”
Plot
The series of events that form
the story.
Prose
Writing organized into sentences and paragraphs that is
not poetry.
e.g. Novels and short stories are
examples of prose.
Protagonist
The main character of a novel, play, or
story.
Simile
Comparing two unlike things using
“like” or “as.”
e.g. “I’m as hungry as a pig,” or “Your eyes are like stars that brighten my
night.”
Stanza
A major subdivision in a poem. A stanza
of two lines is called a couplet; a
stanza of three lines is called a
tercet; a stanza of four lines is called
a quatrain.
Theme
The central idea of a work.
Tone
The author’s attitude toward the subject of
the work. Usually positive or negative.
e.g. The tone of a piece of literature
could be pessimistic, optimistic, angry, or
sarcastic.
Haiku
A three-line poem with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line and five syllables in the third line.
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