literary terms

dolos

Trickery or guile; a Greek term.

xenia

The Greek custom of hospitality.

nostos

Homecoming or return after a long journey; a Greek term.

kleos

Fame, glory, reputation that lives on after death; a Greek term.

Linear structure

A story that goes from beginning, middle, to end.

syntax

The arrangement of words or phrases to create well-formed sentences.

Nonlinear structure

A story told out of order; e.g. the structure of 'Purple Hibiscus'.

anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

anagnorisis

A moment in a story where a character recognizes or discovers the true identity of themselves or their circumstances.

sight imagery

Imagery that appeals to visual senses.

auditory imagery

Imagery that appeals to sound.

gustatory imagery

Imagery that appeals to taste.

tactile imagery

Imagery that appeals to touch.

organic imagery

Imagery that conveys internal sensations and emotions.

round characters

Complex, well-developed characters.

flat characters

Characters with only 1-2 traits, underdeveloped.

static character

A character that does not change throughout the story.

dynamic character

A character that changes throughout the story.

symbol

An element that represents something deeper in a story.

motif

A recurring element or theme that reinforces a story’s themes through repetition.

dramatic irony

When the reader knows more than the character, creating tension or humor.

direct characterization

Explicitly stating character traits.

indirect characterization

Revealing traits through actions, dialogue, thoughts, or interactions with other characters.

Literary Elements

Fundamental components of a story such as plot, setting, and characters.

Literary devices

Specific techniques used to elaborate on literary elements, such as metaphors and imagery.

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds in close proximity.

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within close proximity.

Ballad

A poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas.

Consonance

The repetition of a consonant sound within words in close proximity.

Diction

The choice of words used in writing.

Enjambment

Lines that run over into the next stanza without complete sentences.

free verse

Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme.

Metaphor

A comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'.

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds.

Rhythm

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as'.

Stanza

A group of lines in a poem.

Symbol

Something that stands for something else.

Theme

The central idea of a work of literature.

Tone

The attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character.

verse

A single line of poetry.

iambic pentameter

A poetic meter that consists of five stressed syllables, each followed by an unstressed syllable.

Haiku

A three-line poem with 5, 7, 5 syllable structure, often focusing on nature.

Limerick

A five-line poem in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme, and the third and fourth lines rhyme.

Sonnet

A poem of fourteen lines with a specific rhyme scheme.

Personification

Giving human characteristics or feelings to non-human objects.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Allegory

A story that can be interpreted to reveal hidden meanings, typically moral or political.

unreliable narrator

A narrator whose account appears to be faulty or biased.

Anthropomorphism

Attributing human characteristics or behavior to animals or objects.

Freytag's Pyramid

A graphical representation of the structure of a dramatic narrative.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality.

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement that, upon closer inspection, may reveal a truth.

Flashback

A scene set in a time earlier than the main story.