Literary Terms

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Alliteration

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repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together

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Allusion

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a casual reference to a famous historical or literary figure

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Antagonist

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the character or force that blocks the protagonist

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Dynamic Character

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a character who changes significantly in the story

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Static Character

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a character who does not change

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Climax

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the moment of highest intensity and interest; the most exciting part

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Conflict

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the struggle or clash between opposing characters, forces, or emotions

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External Conflict

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a character’s struggle against an outside force, which may be another character, society, nature, machine, etc.

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Internal Conflict

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a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a single character

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Foreshadowing

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the use of clues to hint at events that will occur later in the story

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Hyperbole

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figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion or to create a comic effect
(I'm so hungry I could eat a horse)

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Imagery

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language in writing that appeals to the senses

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Irony

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contrast or discrepancy between expectation and reality

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Dramatic Irony

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when the reader or audience knows something important that the character does not know
(remember Jerry Springer)

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Situational Irony

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when the outcome is the opposite of expectations

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Verbal Irony

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when a person says the opposite of what is meant, like sarcasm

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Metaphor

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figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using like or as
(You are a doughnut fresh from the baker's oven)

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Mood

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atmosphere, the feeling created in the reader

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Onomatopoeia

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Use of a word whose sound imitates or suggests its meaning (ex. buzz, hiss)

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Oxymoron

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figure of speech in which two contradictory words or phrases are combined in a single expression (ex. jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly)

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Personification

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a type of metaphor; a nonhuman thing or quality is talked about as if it were human (my English binder died – the binder really could not “die”)

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Plot

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series of related events that make up a story or drama

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Point of View

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vantage point or perspective from which a story is told

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First-person POV

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narrator is a character in the story. Reader hears and sees ONLY what the narrator hears and sees

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Third-person limited POV

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narrator plays no part in the story but zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of only one character

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Third-person objective POV

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described as the eye of the camera or and fly on the wall PWV; narrator only tells the events of the story (“just the facts”)

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Third-person omniscient POV

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narrator plays no part in the story but can tell us what more than one character is thinking and feeling, as well as what is happening in other places

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Protagonist

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the main character

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Resolution

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the final outcome of the conflict; it comes at the end of the story after the climax

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Setting

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time and place of the story or play

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Simile

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comparison using like, as, or than

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Stereotype

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a character who is not developed as an individual with strengths and weaknesses, but instead is a representative of a group with a set of characteristics

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Symbol

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person, place, thing, or event that stands for both itself and something beyond itself
(the American flag is a symbol of freedom; a waterfall is a symbol of calmness)

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Theme

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the central idea or insight revealed by a work of literature; may be stated or implied

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Tone

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the attitude a writer takes toward the reader, subject, or a character