Summer Literary Terms

Allegory

The representation of ideas or moral principles by means of symbolic character events or objects

alliteration

The repetition of a beginning, consonant sound to create rhythm and aid memory

allusion

A brief reference to a historical or literary person place object or event

analogy

The comparison of two similar things so as to suggest that if they are alike in some respect, they are probably alike other ways as well

anecdote

A short narrative that tells the particulars of an interesting and or humorous event

antagonist

A person or thing that opposes the protagonist of a story

apostrophe

A figure of speech where someone (Usually appsent or dead) an object some abstract quality or non-existent person is directly addressed as the present and real

cliché

A word or phrase that is so overused that It is no longer effective in most writing situations

coherence

The parts of a composition should be arranged in a logical and orderly manner, so that the meaning and ideas are clear and intelligible

connotation

The emotions and feelings that surround a word, they may be negative, neutral or positive depending on their context

context

The environment of a word, the words that surround a particular word and helped to determine or deepen its meaning

denotation

The literal or basic meaning of a word, the dictionary definition

diction

The writers choice of words based on their clarity and effectiveness

euphemism

When you replace one word or phrase for another in order to avoid being offensive

Flashback

insertion of a scene or event that took place in the past for the purpose of making something in the present more clear

foil

The term is applied to any person who through contrast underscores the distinctive characteristics of another

foreshadowing

The suggestion or hint of events to come later in a literary work

hyperbole

A type of figurative language that makes an overstatement for the purpose of emphasis

Imagery

The use of descriptive words or phrases to create vivid mental pictures in the minds of the reader, often appealing to sound taste smell

irony

The contrast between what is expected in and what actually happens

metaphor

A type of figurative language that makes a comparison, but does not use like or as

Direct metaphor

when the writer directly sees both of the things being compared

indirect metaphor

when the writer states one of the things and the reader must infer the other

Metonymy

The substitution of an object closely associated with a word for the word itself

mood

The feeling a piece of literature arouses in the reader

Motif

recurring ideas, images, and actions that tend to unify a work

onomatopoeia

A type of figurative language in which words sound like The things they name

oxymoron

A self-contradictory combination of words usually paired

parody

when I write her imitates and already existing form for the purpose of humor

personification

A type of figurative language that gives animate Living characteristics to inanimate nonliving Things

protagonist

The main character in a work, the action revolves around this person and the antagonist or opposing force

pun

A word or phrase, which has a double meaning, as intended by the writer often these words sound the same or nearly the same, but have different meanings

repetition

repeating a word or group of words for emphasis or effect

rhetorical question

A question asked only for fact, or to make a statement, but not to get an answer

satire

A type of writing that uses humor, irony or wit to make a point

simile

A comparison using like or as

style

this refers to how the author writes form rather than what he/she writes content

symbolism

A symbol is something that stands for something larger than itself

synecdoche

when a part represents the whole or when, the whole represents the part

theme

A statement of the central idea of a piece of writing

Tone

The attitude of the author towards his or her subject and audience