Senior English Literary Terms

A-C

Active voice

Grammatical term: A sentence structure where the subject is directly doing the action. Usually follows the formula of subject, verb, object.

Examples: I rallied Netflix last night; Sophie ran from the cops.

Allegory

A narrative that has a secondary and underlying (hidden) meaning, often moral or political.

Example: Animal Farm appears to be a story about animals but is critiquing the politics of WWII.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same letters or sounds at the beginning of a series of words.

Examples: Cass's cat clawed her couch; Sophie's shoes are shabby.

Allusion

A brief reference to a famous event, person, place, or other literary work or piece of art within a piece of writing.

Example: I've got mad rhymes, like in Shakespeare's times.

Analogy

When two things are compared for their similarities (general definition). Similes and Metaphors are types of analogies with more specific rules.

Example: A heart may be compared to a pump.

Anti-Climax

A shift from importance to a less significant or trivial observation. Often used for humour or satire.

Example: The fire burned the family's house to the ground. Peter realized he had forgotten his sandwich inside.

Apostrophe

Words spoken to a person or object that is inherently imagined or abstract.

Examples: Dear Diary…; Death, take me now.

Anecdotal Evidence

Drawing on personal stories to support an argument.

Example: If you are writing an essay in favour of school uniform, you may provide some personal examples about why you think uniforms are better.

Archaic Language

Words or phrases that are considered outdated and old-fashioned.

Example: Thou shalt not Snapchat.

Aside

Used in drama, when a character speaks while on stage with other characters but the other characters do not hear, usually there to give the audience info about the action or other characters.

Atmosphere

The feeling that a writer conveys to the reader through setting and description.

Example: Edgar Allan Poe's work is typically gloomy and frightening.

Autobiography

A non-fiction of a person's life (usually a celebrity, historical figure or author) written by that person.

Example: Justin Bieber. My First 2 Steps Forever: My Story.

Ballad

A narrative poem or song that tells a story, usually structured in four-line stanzas with a simple rhythmic beat.

Example: "Rock a bye Baby".

Bias

A preference or unfair prejudice, against or for a person, group, or idea that prevents fair judgment.

Example: Sophie thinks rugby is the best sport, she's biased because she plays rugby.

Biography

A detailed written account of a real person's life, written by somebody else.

Example: Benjamin Franklin: An American Life written by Walter Isaacson.

Blank Verse

Poetry written with a regular rhythm but without any rhymes or rhyming.

Example: "To be, or not to be, that is the question" - William Shakespeare.

Cacophony

A chaotic jumble of loud noises that clash rather than blend together.

Example: Blaring car horns, shouting, and barking dogs.

Cause and Effect

The relationship between two events where one action makes the other happen.

Example: Cas built a snowman inside so then it melted on the floor.

Characterization

The process an author uses to develop, build, and reveal the personality, traits, and/or qualities of a character.

Example: Kyle threw a fit. (We now know Kyle has a short temper).

Character Foil

A person in a story who contrasts with another character to highlight their specific personality traits, flaws or values.

Example: Draco Malfoy's rude and selfish choices highlight Harry's kindness and bravery.

Chronological Order

Arranging events or information in the exact sequence they happened in time, starting with the earliest and ending with the latest.

Example: The Star Wars movies were not released in chronological order.

Cliché

An overused phrase or idea that has lost its original impact through constant repetition.

Examples: "Don't judge a book by its cover"; "Low hanging fruit"; "Think outside the box".

Climatic Order

The arrangement of details, ideas, or arguments in order of least to most important, saving the strongest point for last.

Example: You shouldn't litter because it's bad for your reputation. Littering is also bad for the planet.

Climax

The highest, most intense, or most exciting point of a story.

Example: Thatburger

Colloquial Language

The informal, everyday style of speech and writing that people use in casual conversation (slang).

Examples: Yo bro what's good?; Yeah, alright, sure, I guess.

Comedy

A genre intended to amuse, entertain, or make people laugh through humorous characters, situations, or tones.

Example: "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

Comic Relief

A funny scene, character, or line added to a serious moment to give the audience a break from emotional tension.

Example: Spiderman's jokes during a fight.

Compare

To look at two or more things and see how they are alike and how they are different.

Example: Noticing that somebody is shorter than you.

Contrast

A clear and obvious difference between two or more things.

Example: Red paint on green grass.

Conflict

A serious disagreement or struggle between people, groups or ideas with opposing interests or goals.

Example: Alia likes mint ice cream, Sophie thinks it tastes like toothpaste.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural feeling, idea, or association that a word suggests beyond its literal dictionary definition.

Examples: Fat implies unattractive (Negative connotation); Budget is more positive, while cheap carries a negative connotation of poor quality.

Couplet

Two successive lines of poetry that typically rhyme and share the same rhythm or length.

Example: "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall."

Denotation

The literal; dictionary definition of a word.

Example: "He's fine" literally means satisfactory or acceptable vs "He's fine" in real life means attractive.

Denouement

Translates into "untying the conflict". Resolution of the main issue in a complicated plotline.

Descriptive Essay

An essay that is often personal, describes a memory, an event, etc. in depth. "Paints a picture with words."

Example: A memoir

Dialogue

A conversation between two or more people.

Diary

A personal, informal record of daily life. Records thoughts, feelings, and experiences.

Diction

The word choice of an author to create a literary style/voice, or tone.

Example: The moon moved in June. (Sound) He (aggressively) shook my hand. (Emotional)

Dilemma

When a character has to make a choice between two equally desirable or undesirable options.

Example: You can wash the dishes or do the laundry

Drama

A genre of writing for the stage, intended to be preformed.

Example: Shakespeare's plays

Dramatic Form

The structural aspects of a play that set it apart from other genres. (Like stories)

Example: Acts, scenes, stage directions

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows what is going to happen before the character does.

Example: Any horror where we can see the killer right behind the dumb blonde

Dynamic Character

A character that undergoes a change, for better or for worse, from the beginning of a narrative to the end.

Example: The Grinch (Hates Christmas, then loves Christmas)