literary terms

LITERARY TERMS

Allegory• a work in which the characters and

events are to be understood as representing other things, usually a deeper, often spiritual, moral, or political meaning.

• Ex. The Lord of the Flies

Alliteration• is the repetition of sounds in words of

close prximity• generally more than 2 words

Ex. I stood still and stopped the sound of feet -from Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost

Allusion• a brief reference to a person, event, or

place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art.

• used to create a deeper meaning or understanding

Ex. He has the patience of Job.

Analogy• a similarity in some respects between things otherwise unlike

• like a metaphor, but with more elaboration

Characterization • the method used by a writer to develop a

character.• point of view• actions• personality• values• physical attributes

Conflict • a struggle between opposing forces

• conflict may be internal or external• man vs. self (internal) • man vs. man• man vs. nature• man v.s society

• a conflict is essential in a story

Diction• a writer’s choice of words, phrases,

sentence structures, and figurative language which combine to help create meaning

Foreshadowing

• hints about what will come later in the story

Hyperbole (hi–per-bo-lee)

• an obvious exaggeration used for effect

• Ex. I called you a million times today.

Imagery• language that evokes one or all of the

five senses

• Imagery is typically used to create a deeper understanding of theme, characters, setting,etc.

Ex. "A host of golden daffodils; / Beside the lake, beneath the trees, / Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”

-I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, William Wordsworth

Irony• The disconnect between what actually happens

and what might be expected to happen.

Situational: when and event is opposite of what would be expected

Dramatic: when the audience or reader is aware of something important but the characters in the story are not aware.

Verbal: what is said and what is meant are opposite

Metaphor• a comparison of two unlike things

• Often uses "to be“ verbs (is, am, are, was, were, etc.) instead of using ‘like’ or ‘as’

• Ex. Her eyes are crystal lakes.• Ex. I am an abandoned house.

Mood

• the emotional and/or physical atmosphere created by the setting and descriptions

Motif

• an important and sometimes recurring theme or idea

Oxymoron

• putting two contradictory words together

Ex. Deafening silence, a wise fool

Paradox• a statement, proposition, or situation that

seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true.

Ex. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” A Tale of Two Cities

Parody

• a piece of writing that deliberately copies or imitates another work in order to comment or critique it.

Ex. Tina Fey does a parady of Sarah Palin.

Personification• human qualities are attributed to

inanimate objects• abstract concepts are represented as a

person.

Ex. The flowers danced in the wind.Poseidon is the personification of the sea

Plot• sequence of events in a story Includes:

Rising actionClimaxFalling ActionResolution

Point of View• the person or entity through whom the

reader experiences the story

• Perspectives include:1st person2nd person3rd person (limited, omniscient, objective)

Satire• is the use of wit, especially irony,

sarcasm, and ridicule, to critique politics and society.

Setting

• the time and place where a story occurs

• setting can also be a character (Castaway, Into the Wild)

Simile• a comparison between two unlike things

• most often uses ‘like’ or ‘as’

Ex. “My love is like a red, red rose.”

Symbolism• the use of something concrete to

represent something abstract

Ex. A dove symbolizes peace.

Theme• the main idea or message of a piece

• Theme is NEVER just one word. “Love” isn’t a theme

“Love endures all things” is a theme

Ex. The idea that human beings are essentially brutal, savage creatures provides the central theme of the novel

Tone• the attitude of the speaker/narrator as

established through the language of the piece

Ex. The poem has a bitter tone, revealing the speaker’s anger and resentment.