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Allegory
a story in which people, things and actions represent an idea or a generalization about life; allegories often have a strong moral or lesson
Allusion
a literary reference to a familiar person, place, thing, or event
Analogy
a comparison of two or more similar objects, suggesting that if they are alike in certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways as well
Antagonist
the person or thing working against the protagonist, or hero, of the work
Autobiography
an author’s account or story of her or his own life
Biography
the story of a person’s life written by another person
Characterization
the method an author uses to reveal characters and their personalities
Comedy
a literature in which human errors or problems appear funny. Comedies end on a happy note
Conflict
the problem or struggle in a story that triggers the action. There are five basic types of conflict
Person vs. Person
One character in a story has a problem with one or more of the characters
Person vs. Society
A character has a problem with some element of society: the school, the law, the accepted way of doing things
Person vs. Self
A character has a problem deciding what to do in a certain situation
Person vs. Nature
A character has a problem with nature: heat, cold, a tornado, an avalanche, or any other element of nature
Person vs. Fate (God)
A character must battle what seems to be an uncontrollable problem. Whenever the conflict is an unbelievable or strange coincidence, it can be attributed to fate or an act of God
Context
the set of facts or circumstances surrounding an event or a situation in a piece of literature
Dialogue
the conversation carried on by the characters in a literary work
Diction
an author's choice of words based on their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness
Colloquialism
an expression that is usually accepted in informal situations and certain locations, as in “He really grinds my beans.”
Jargon
(Technical diction) is the specialized language used by a particular group, such as those who use computers: override, interface, download
Profanity
language that shows disrespect for someone or something regarded as holy or sacred
Slang
the informal language used by a particular group of people among themselves; it is also language that is used in fiction to lend color and feeling: awesome, chill out, no way
Vulgarity
language that is generally considered crude, gross, and, at times, offensive. It is sometimes used in fiction to add realism
Didactic
literature instructs or presents a moral or religious statement
Drama
the form of literature known as plays; but also refers to the type of serious play that is often concerned with is he leading character’s relationship to society
Empathy
putting yourself in someone else’s place and imagining how that person must feel
Epic
a long narrative poem that tells of the deeds and adventures of a hero
Epitaph
a short poem or verse written in memory of someone
Epithet
a word or phrase used in place of a person’s place; it is a characteristic of that person: Alexander the Great, Material Girl, Ms. Know-It-All
Essay
a piece of prose that expresses an individual’s point of view; usually, it is a series of closely related paragraphs that combine to make a complete piece of writing
Fable
a short fictional narrative that teaches a lesson. It usually includes animals that talk and act like people
Antithesis
an opposition, or contrast, of ideas
Hyperbole
an exaggeration or overstatement
Metaphor
a comparison of two unlike things in which no word of comparison (like or as) is used
Metonymy
the substituting of one word for another related word
Personification
a literary device in which the author speaks of or describes an animal, object, or idea as if it were a human
Simile
a comparison of two unlike things using the words “like” or “as”
Understatement
a way of emphasizing an idea by talking about it in a restrained manner
Flashback
returning to an earlier time for the purpose of making someone in the present more clear
Foil
someone who serves as a contrast or challenge to another character
Foreshadowing
is giving hints or clues of what is to come later in the story
Genre
refers to a category or type of literature based on its style, form, and content
Hubris
derived from the Greek word meaning “excessive pride.” In Greek tragedy, this is often viewed as the flaw that leads to the downfall of the tragic hero
Imagery
the use of words to create a certain picture in the reader’s mind; usually based on sensory details
Irony
using a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or normal meaning; there are 3 kinds of irony: dramatic, verbal, situation
Memoir
writing based on the writer’s memory of a particular time, place, or incident. Reminiscence is another term for this
Mood
the feeling a text arouses in the reader: happiness, peacefulness, sadness, and so on
Moral
the particular value or lesson the author is trying to get across to the reader. The “moral of the story” is a common phrase in Aesop’s fables
Motif
the term for an often-repeated idea or theme in literature
Myth
traditional story that attempts to justify a certain practice or belief or to explain a natural phenomenon
Narrator
person who is telling the story
Novel
a lengthy fictional story with a plot that is revealed by the speech action, and thoughts of the characters
Novella
a prose work longer than the standard short story, but shorter and less complex than a full length novel
Oxymoron
a combination of contradictory terms as in jumbo shrimp, tough love, or cruel kindness
Paradox
a statement that seems contrary to common sense, yet may, in fact, be true: “The coach considered this a good loss.”
Plot
the action or sequence of events in a story. It is usually a series of related incidents that build upon one another as the story develops
Exposition
writing that is intended to explain something that might otherwise be difficult to understand. In a play or novel, it would be the portion that gives the background or situation surrounding the story
Climax
usually the most intense point in a story. A series of struggles or conflicts builds a story or play toward this
Resolution
or denouement, is the portion of the play or story in which the problem is solved. It comes after the climax and falling action and is intended to bring the story to a satisfactory end
Point of View
the vantage point from which the story is told. In first-person point of view, the story is told by one of the characters. In third-person point of view, the story is told by someone outside the story
Omniscient Point of View
allows the narrator to share the thoughts and feelings of all the characters
Limited omniscient point of view
allows the narrator to share the thoughts and feelings of only one character
Camera view
allows the storyteller to record the action from his or her own point of view, being unaware of any of the characters’ thoughts or feelings
Protagonist
main character or hero of the story
Romance
a literary movement with an emphasis on the imagination and emotions
Satire
a literary tone used to make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intention of correcting or changing the subject of the attack
Setting
the time and place in which the action of a literary work occurs
Soliloquy
a speech delivered by a character when he or she is alone stage. It is as though the character is thinking out loud
Symbol
A person, a place, a thing, or an event used to represent something else
Theme
a statement about life that a writer is trying to get across in a piece of writing; most cases it is implied
Tone
the overall feeling, or effect, created by a writer’s use of words. This feeling may be serious, humorous, or satiric
Tragedy
a literary work in which the hero is destroyed by some character flaw or by forces beyond his or her control
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