Literary Terms Review English Grade 12 2025

Vocabulary flashcards covering key literary terms from Pages 1-3 of the notes.

Stanza

line groupings in a poem.

Rhyme

words that sound similar to one another.

Hyperbole

an extreme exaggeration, done for effect.

Paradox

a statement that seems contradictory, but is true.

Oxymoron

a contradiction of terms.

Diction

the poet’s choice of words.

Connotation

the implied meaning of a word.

Denotation

the dictionary meaning of a word.

Conflict

the four main types are Person vs. Person, Person vs. Self, Person vs. Society, and Person vs. Nature.

Setting

the time and place a story occurs.

Mood

the feelings that arise when reading a story, poem, or play, created by the author’s choice of words.

Alliteration

a repeated consonant sound, usually at the beginning of words in a sentence. Example: The giant green geode fell from the sky.

Allusion

a reference in a work to a person, historical events, or other literary work.

Antagonist

the character who opposed the hero, usually the villain.

Imagery

a word picture created by the writer using concrete details and figurative language.

Irony

a device that creates contrast between what is said and what is meant, or what is expected and what actually happens.

Foreshadowing

clues that let the reader know what will happen later on in the story.

Metaphor

a comparison between two things that does not use the words like or as.

Personification

giving something non human, human traits.

Simile

a comparison between two things using the words like or as.

Protagonist

the main character in the story, the hero.

Symbol

a person, place, or thing that stands for itself and something else.

Point of View

from whose viewpoint the story is being told.

First Person

uses I to narrate, told by the main character.

Third Person Limited

uses he and she to narrate, not told by the main character.

Third Person Omniscient

the narrator sees everyone and everything.

Theme

the central idea or lesson to be learned from a story.

Onomatopoeia

words that suggest their sound; for example, bump, hiss.

Pathetic Fallacy

when nature is used to reflect the story.