English Terms

Allegory

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can reveal a hidden meaning which is typically a moral or a political one.

Alliteration

The same letter or sound at the beginning of a word. Ex: Peter Piper pickled a peck of pickled peppers

Allusion

an expression, an indirect or passing reference

Analogy

a comparison between two things or a corresponded or partial similarity

Anthropomorphism

1. the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.

character foil

A foil character is someone who contrasts the traits and actions of another character, often the protagonist

Colloquial language

the language style used for casual (informal) communication

comic relief

comic episodes in a dramatic or literary work that offset more serious sections.

dialect

a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group.

dialogue

conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or movie.

dramatic irony

when the audience knows something that the characters don't

exposition

the background information on the characters and setting explained at the beginning of the story

external conflict

a type of conflict that places characters at odds with forces outside themselves

flashback

a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story.

foreshadowing

be a warning or indication of (a future event).

imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

internal conflict

struggle that takes place within a character, caused by their own emotions, fears, etc

metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. doesnt use like or as

personification

adding life or human characteristics to something non-human

third person omniscient view

the most open and flexible POV available to writers. the narration outside of any one character, the narrator may occasionally access the consciousness of a few or many different characters

first person omniscient view

is when a story is told from the first person perspective by a narrator who has omniscient (all-knowing) knowledge.

third person limited point of view

is where the narrator tells the story from the perspective of a single protagonist, referring to them by name or using a third person pronoun such as they/she/he. The narrator can only see inside the mind of the protagonist.

setting

where the story, scene, etc takes place

simile

a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind. uses like or as

situational irony

takes place when the opposite of what is expected actually happens

symbolism

a tool of figurative language where an image, object, idea or symbol is used to represent something other than its literal meaning

theme

the main subject that is being discussed or described in a piece of writing, a movie, etc

tone

the author's attitude toward a certain topic, ex: playful, airy

verbal irony

when you say something different than what you mean