Literary Terms

Alliteration

The repetition of sounds in a group

of words as in “Peter Piper Picked

a Peck of Pickled Peppers.”

AllusionA reference to a person,

place, or thing--often literary, mythological, or

historical. The infinitive of allusion is to allude.

e.g. Romeo alludes to the mythological figure Diana

in the balcony scene.

Antagonist

A major character who opposes the protagonist in a story or play.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds as in

“And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride.

--Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee

Atmosphere

The overall feeling of a work, which is related to tone and

mood.

Audience

The audience for a piece of literature may be a single

person or a group of people. To what

person or group is the text directed?

Characterization The means by which an

author establishes character. An author may directly describe the appearance and

personality of character or show it through action or dialogue.

Climax

The point at which the action in a story or play reaches its

emotional peak.

Conflict

The struggle in the story. Traditionally, there are four

main conflicts:person vs. self (internal)

person vs. person (external)person vs. society (external)person vs. nature (external)

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds as in

“The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,

The furrow followed free;”

--The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

Contrast

To explain how two things differ. To

compare and contrast is to

explain how two things are alike and

how they are different.

Denotation

1)The definition of a word found in the dictionary.2)Literal meaning of a

word.3) The verb form is “to

denote” which means “to mean.”

e.g. The word “indolence” denotes “laziness.”

Connotation1)The definition of a word

found outside the dictionary.2)Figurative meaning of a

word.3) The verb form is “to

connote” which means “to suggest or imply a meaning beyond the literal meaning

of a word.”e.g. The word “cool”

connotes “an awesome or exciting

thing.”

End rhymeRhyming words

that are at the ends of their respective

lines—what we typically think of as

normal rhyme.

Fable

A story that illustrates a moral

often using animals as characters

e.g. The Tortoise and the Hare

Figurative Language

Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something else, you are using

figurative language. Any language that goes beyond the

literal meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or fresh

insights into an idea or a subject.

e.g. Whenever you call

something “cool,” you’re not talking about its temperature but referring to some other quality it

possesses.

Foreshadowing

A technique in which an author

gives clues about something that will happen later in the

story.

Free Verse

Poetry with no set meter (rhythm) or

rhyme scheme.

Genre

A term used to describe a particular category or type of

literature. Some literary genres are

mysteries, westerns, and romances.

HyperboleAn extreme

exaggeration. e.g. To say that it took you hours to

walk home when in reality it was only

10 mins would be a hyperbole.

ImageryThe use of description that

helps the reader imagine how something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes. Most of the time, it refers to appearance.

e.g. “Tita was so sensitive to onions, any time they were

being chopped, they say she would just cry and cry; when

she was still in my great-grandmother’s belly her sobs were so loud that even Nacha, the cook, who was half-deaf,

could hear them easily.” --Like Water for Chocolate

IronyLanguage that

conveys a certain idea by saying just

the opposite.

e.g. Saying that you love someone’s shirt when you really think

it’s ugly is being ironic.

Literal Language

Language that means exactly what it says.

MetaphorA comparison of two

unlike things using any form of the verb “to be”–-i.e. am, are, is,

was, were.

Ex: “This chair is a rock,” or

“I am an island.”

Monologue

A long speech by one character in a

play or story.

MoodThe feeling created in

the reader by a literary work or

passage.  The mood may be suggested by the writer's choice of words, by events in the work, or by the physical setting.  

Myth

A legend that embodies the

beliefs of people and offers some explanation for

natural and social phenomena.

Onomatopoeia

The use of words that sound like

what they mean such as “buzz,” “bang,” or “tic-

tock.”

Parody

A humorous, exaggerated

imitation of a work of literature.

PersonificationGiving inanimate objects human characteristics.

e.g. “The wind howled through the

night.”

Plot

The series of events that form

the story.

Prose

Writing organized into sentences and paragraphs that is

not poetry.

e.g. Novels and short stories are

examples of prose.

Protagonist

The main character of a novel, play, or

story.

Simile

Comparing two unlike things using

“like” or “as.”

e.g. “I’m as hungry as a pig,” or “Your eyes are like stars that brighten my

night.”

Stanza

A major subdivision in a poem. A stanza

of two lines is called a couplet; a

stanza of three lines is called a

tercet; a stanza of four lines is called

a quatrain.

Theme

The central idea of a work.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject of

the work. Usually positive or negative.

e.g. The tone of a piece of literature

could be pessimistic, optimistic, angry, or

sarcastic.

Haiku

A three-line poem with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line and five syllables in the third line.