Literary Terms and Concepts

A collection of flashcards summarizing key literary terms and concepts for understanding author techniques and text analysis.

Parallel Structure

Repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases within a sentence or passage.

Rhetorical Questions

Questions posed by an author to provoke consideration of key ideas, implying two or more ideas have the same level of importance.

Diction

The specific word choices an author uses to create meaning.

Connotation

Associations evoked by a word beyond its literal meaning.

Tone

The attitude of the author toward the subject matter, such as optimistic, sarcastic, or satirical.

Double Meaning

Words, objects, phrases, or moments that have a surface level interpretation but can also be interpreted in alternative or symbolic ways.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as', e.g., 'Life is like a box of chocolates'.

Metaphor

A comparison between unlike things without using 'like' or 'as', e.g., 'School is prison'.

Imagery

Language used by a writer to convey a visual picture or to present abstract ideas in vivid ways using adjectives.

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration used for emphasis.

Personification

Attributing human characteristics to nonhuman entities.

Allusion

A reference to a person, event, or statement found in literature, history, religion, or pop culture.

Symbol(ism)

An object that stands for something other than what it is.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that juxtaposes two apparently contradictory or opposite ideas, e.g., 'wise fool'.

Irony

An inconsistency between expectations and reality.

Syntax

The ordering of words in a sentence and the arrangement of a sentence as a whole.

Juxtaposition

Ideas, words, or concepts placed next to each other for contrast.

Contrast

A description of two or more ideas, characters, or images that directly oppose one another.

Exclamatory Sentences

Sentences that use an exclamation point for emphasis.

Repetition

Phrases or descriptions that are used multiple times in a section.

Sentence Length

The use of short sentences versus long sentences.

Other Punctuation

The effect of dashes, commas, ellipses, semicolons, and other punctuation marks.

Structure

The arrangement or sequence of events in a text.