Literature Terms

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Alliteration

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the repetition of initial constant sounds.

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allusion

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a reference to a wellknown person, event, place, literary work, or work of art.

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analogy

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makes a comparison between two or more things that are similar in some ways but otherwise unalike.

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anecdote

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a brief story about an interesting, amusing, or strange event.

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antagonist

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a character or a force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist.

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atmosphere

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mood

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autobiography

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the story of the writer's own life, told by the writer

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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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characterization

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the act of creating and developing a character.

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climax

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turning point

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cocncrete poem

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one with a shape that suggests its subject.

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conflict

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a struggle between opposing forces.

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connotations

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the set of ideas associated with it in addition to its explicit meaning.

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denotations

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a words dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have.

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dialect

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the form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group.

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dialogue

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a conversation between characters.

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diction

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a writer's word choice and the way the writer puts those words together.

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drama

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a story written to be performed by actors.

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fable

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a brief story or poem, usually with animal characters, that teaches a lesson or moral.

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fantasy

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a highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life.

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fiction

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a prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events.

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figurative language

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writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally.

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flashback

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a scene within a story that interrupts the sequence of events to relate events that occured in the past.

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folk tale

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a story composed orally and then passed from person to person by word of mouth.

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foreshadowing

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the author's use of clues to hint at what might happen later in the story.

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genre

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a division or type of literature.

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haiku

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a three-line japanese verse form.

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historical context

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the actual political and social events and trends of the time.

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irony

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a contradiction between what happens and what is expected.

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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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limerick

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a humorous, rhyming, five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme.

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metaphor

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a figure of speech in which something is describes as though it were something else.

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meter

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the rhythmical pattern.

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moral

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a lesson taught by a literary work.

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motive

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a reason that explains or partially explains a character's thoughts, fellings, actions, or speech.

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myth

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a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or heroes or the origins of elements of nature.

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narrator

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a speaker or character who tells the story.

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nonfiction

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a prose writing that presents and explains ideas or that tells about real people, places, objects, or events.

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onomatopoeia

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the use of words that imitate sounds.

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personification

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

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plot

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the sequence of events in which each event results from a previous one and causes the next.

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prose

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the ordinary form of written language.

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protagonist

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the main character in a literary work.

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resolution

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the outcome of the conflict in a plot

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science fiction

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combines elements of fiction and fantasy with scientific fact.

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setting

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the time and place of the action.

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simile

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a figure of speech that uses like or as to make a direct comparison between two unlike ideas.

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stanza

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a group of lines of poetry that are usually similar in length and pattern and are seperated by spaces.

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surprise ending

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a conclusion that is unexpected.

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suspense

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a felling of anxious uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work.

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symbol

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anything that stands for or represents something else.

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theme

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a central message in a literary work.

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tragedy

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a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character.