Literary Devices

metaphor

a comparison of two unlike objects NOT using like or as

simile

a comparison of two unlike objects using like or as

foreshadowing

a hint an author uses about an event or events that will occur later in a story

idiom

an expression in which the words do not mean exactly what they say

cliffhanger

a literary device an author uses at the end of a chapter during a moment of heightened tension or suspense in order to make the reader want to continue reading.

conflict

a struggle between opposing forces

flashback

a literary device that an author uses to interrupt a story in order to relate an event
that happened at an earlier time to pull in more detail

point of view

the angle from which the story is told

external conflict

a struggle with an outside force

internal conflict

a struggle within one's mind

personification

a literary device in which an author gives human qualities to nonhuman objects

allusion

a reference to a famous historical, mythological, biblical, or literary person or event.

hyperbole

an extreme exaggeration

setting

includes **time** & **place**!

narrator

the person or voice who is telling the story

protagonist

main character of the novel

antagonist

a person who is opposed to, struggles against, or competes with the main character

genre

a distinctive category of literary composition

non-fiction

real, factual, deals with real people, places, and events

fiction

unreal, not true, not factual, a made up story

mood

how the book makes you feel using word choice, events, setting

tone

the author’s attitude towards the subject/topic

symbolism

a person, place, or object that represents something else