Literary Terms

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Allegory

Back 1

a story about life

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Allusion

Back 2

a literary reference to a familiar person, place, thing, or event

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Analogy

Back 3

comparison of two similar objects suggesting that they are alike in certain ways

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Anecdote

Back 4

short summary of a humorous event

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Antagonist

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person or thing working against the protagonist

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Autobiography

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author's account of his or her own life

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Biography

Back 7

story of a person's life written by another person

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Character

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a person or animal in a story

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Major

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plays an important role

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Minor

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plays a supporting role

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Static

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character does not change or mature

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Dynamic

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character changes or matures

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Flat

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reader only sees one side of the character (one virtue)

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Round

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reader sees whole entire character (all virtues)

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Climax

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highest point of interest or the turning point

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Conflict

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struggle that triggers the action

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Person vs. person

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external

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Person vs. society

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external

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Person vs. self

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internal

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Person vs. nature

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external

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Person vs. fate

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external

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Denouement

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final resolution or the outcome

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Dialogue

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conversation carried out by characters

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Diction

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author's words chosen to convey meaning and effect

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Levels (Diction)

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high/informal, neutral, informal/low

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Types (Diction)

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Colloquial (regional); Jargon (trade); Dialect (nonstandard); Concrete (specific); Abstract (intangible); Denotation (literal); Connotation (associated or suggested)

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Didactic

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presents a moral or teaches a lesson

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Epic

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a long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero

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Exposition

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gives background information

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Fable

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a story using animals to teach a moral

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Falling action

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part of the story that works out the decision made at the climax

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Fiction

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unreal

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Figure of speech

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device used to create special effect

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Alliteration

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repetition of initial cosonant sounds in words

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Antithesis

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opposite ideas

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Hyperbole

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exaggeration to make a point

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Metaphor

Back 37

comparison of two unlike things without using the words like, as, than or resembles

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Metonymy

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substituting one word for another word

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Onomatopoeia

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words that imitate sound

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Personification

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author speaks of an animal, object, or idea as if it were a person

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Simile

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comparison of two unlike things using the words like, as than, or resembles

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Flashback

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goes back to an earlier time of the story to make the story clear

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Foreshadow

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give a hint to what is to come later in the story

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Idiom

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word or phrase that means something different than the words actually say

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Imagery

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using the five senses to create a picture in the mind

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Irony

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word or phrase that means the exact opposite

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Dramatic

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audience sees the characters mistake, but the character doesn't

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Verbal

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writer says one thing but means another

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Situational

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big difference between the purpose of action and the result

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Mood

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feeling that the text arouses in the reader (atmosphere)

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Motive

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reason for character's actions

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Narrator

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person telling the story (first or third)

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First (narrator)

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I; character is in the story telling the story

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Third (narrator)

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character is on the outside looking in and has a name

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Objective (narrator)

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narrator cannot see into any character's mind

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Limited (narrator)

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narrator can see into one character's mind

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Omniscient (narrator)

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narrator can see into many chracters' mind

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Plot

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sequence of events; exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement

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Point of View

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narrator

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Protagonist

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main character of a literary work

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Rising Action

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a series of struggles that build to the climax

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Resolution

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denouement; conflict is resolved

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Satire

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to make fun of a human weakness

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Setting

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time and place in which a work occurs

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Soliloquy

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a speech delivered by a character alone on stage

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Suspense

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anticipation of an outcome

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Symbol

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one item represents something else

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Syntax

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structure that affects the reader's atmosphere

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Theme

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the idea the author is trying to get acroos to the reader

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Tone

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feeling created by the writer's choice of words

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Tragic Hero

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hero experiences an inner struggle that ends in defeat