English 2: Literary Terms

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Theme

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A central idea, concern, or purpose of a literary work.

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Hyberbole

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A deliberate exageration or overstatement that is not meant to be taken literally.

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Genre

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A division or type of literature.

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Tragedy

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A type of drama or literature that shows the downfall or destruction of a noble or outstanding person.

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Protagonist

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The main character in a literary work.

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Foreshadowing

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The use, in literary work, of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur.

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Biography

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A form of nonfiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person.

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Setting

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Time and place of action in a literary work.

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Allegory

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A story with more than one level of meaning.

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Personification

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A type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human qualities.

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Satire

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A type of writing that ridicules or criticizes the faults of individuals.

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Myth

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A fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or heroes or the causes of natural phenomena.

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Analogy

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A comparison of two different things to point out how they are similar.

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else.

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Irony

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Literary techniques that involve suprising, interesting, or amusing contradictions.

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Paradox

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A statement that seems to be contradictory but that actually presents a truth.

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Alliteration

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The repetition of initial consonant sounds.

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Oxymoron

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A figure of speech that puts together two opposing or contradictory ideas.

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Suspense

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A feeling of growing curiosity or anxious uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work.

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Connotation

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A set of associations that a word calls to mind.

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Climax

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The high point of interest or suspense in a literary work.

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Fiction

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Writing that tells about imaginary characters and events.

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Imagery

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The descriptive language used in literature to re-create sensory experiences.

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Denotation

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The literal or exact meaning of a word.

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Autobiography

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Form of nonfiction in which a person tells his or her own life story.

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Moral

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A lesson taught by a literary work.

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Hero

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A character whose actions are inspiring or noble.

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Allusion

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A reference to a well known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.

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Mood

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The feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage.

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Legend

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A widely told story about the past, one that may or may not have a foundation in fact.

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Narration

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Writing that tells a story.

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Tone

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The writer's attitude toward the readers and toward the subject.

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Symbol

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Anything that stands for or represents something else.

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Simile

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A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two subjects using either "like" or "as".

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Conflict

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A struggle between opposing forces.

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Antagonist

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A character or force in conflict with the main character.

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Nonfiction

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Writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events.