Lit Terms a-f

Active voice

The subject of the sentence performs the action

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

allitreration

is the repetition of usually initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words or syllables

Allusion

an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

Analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

Antagonist

a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.

Anti-climax

When the climax is a let down because it is often less exciting than the previous events and is often unbelievable to the reader.

Antithesis

the direct opposite, a sharp contrast

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

argumentative essay

An essay, which attempts to convince the reader of the truth of a premise by means of logic and other forms of persuasion.

anecdotal evidence

Evidence based on personal accounts of incidents

archaic language

Old-fashioned, out-of-date language and expressions.

aside

a remark or passage by a character in a play that is intended to be heard by the audience but unheard by the other characters in the play.

assonance

Repetition of a vowel sound within two or more words in close proximity

atmosphere/mood

the mood/ feeling of the literary work created for the reader by the writer.

audience

the listener, viewer, or reader of a text

autobiography

writing about a person's life written by that person

ballad

A narrative poem written in four-line stanzas, characterized by swift action and narrated in a direct style.

ballad stanza

consists of four lines with a rhyme scheme of a-b-c-b. The first and third lines are tetrameter and the second and fourth are trimeter.

bias

A particular preference or point of view that is personal, rather than scientific.

biography

story of a person's life written by another person

blank verse

verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter.

cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

caricature

a picture, description, or imitation of a person or thing in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect.

case study

an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

catastrophe

a large-scale disaster, misfortune, or failure

cause and effect

A relationship in which change in one variable causes change in another

character

A person in a story

Characterization

the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character

Character foil

a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character

chorus

a person or group of people who act as a narrator, commentator, or general audience to the action of the play

chronological order

(Time Order) Events are arranged in the order in which they happened

cliche

a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.

climactic order

The arrangement of details or ideas in order of increasing importance or force: the principle of saving the best for last.

climax

the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex.

Colloquialism

a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation.

colloquial language

Slang or common language that is informal

comedy

light and humorous drama with a happy ending

comic relief

the inclusion of a humorous character or scene to contrast with the tragic elements of a work, thereby intensifying the next tragic event.

compare and contrast

Place together characters, situations, or ideas to show common and/or differing features in literary selections.

comparison

In a Comparison, the author makes a claim about one thing in relation to another thing.
"This advantage makes B.t. toxins preferable tochemical insecticides for use as components of insect pest management programs."
"On the basis of these results the official concluded that the new pesticide was more effective thanthe old pesticide, at least in the short term, in limiting the loss of certain fruit to insects."

Conflict

A struggle between two opposing forces

Connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Consonance

Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.

contrast

The state of being noticeably different from something else when put or considered together.

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word

Dénouement

The resolution that occurs at the end of a play or work of fiction

descriptive essay

seeks to convey an impression about a person, place, or object

Dialect

A regional variety of a language distinguished by vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation.

Dialouge

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

diary

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

diction

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

didactic

instructive

dilemma

a difficult or perplexing situation or problem

direct presentation

When the writer tells readers what kind of personality the character possesses rather than allowing the character to show his or her personality and allow readers to draw their own conclusions.

dissonance

a harsh and disagreeable combination, especially of sounds

drama

a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

dramatic irony

when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't

dramatic monologue

when a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience

dramatic form

a medium for the expression of dramatic meaning (e.g., improvisation, tableau, role, Story Theatre, dance drama, Readers Theatre, mask, mime, puppetry, script work, audiovisual); may involve the integration of a variety of media and a combination of the arts.

dynamic character

a literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change, as a change in personality or attitude

editorial

expressing opinions or bias

elegy

a sorrowful poem or speech

emotional appeal

tries to persuade the reader by using words that appeal to the reader's emotions instead of to logic or reason

epic

A long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds

epilogue

short concluding section in a literary work

Epiphany

sudden realization

epigram

a witty saying expressing a single thought or observation

epitaph

inscription on a tombstone

Eupheism

a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term

euphony

pleasant, harmonious sound

expert testimony

testimony from people who are recognized experts in their fields

Exposition

a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.

expository essay

an essay that explains, informs, or presents information

extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

external conflict

A struggle between a character and an outside force

Fable

A brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters

falling action

Events after the climax, leading to the resolution

fantasy

a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters; a fantasy may be merely whimsical, or it may present a serious point

farce

(n.) a play filled with ridiculous or absurd happenings; broad or far-fetched humor; a ridiculous sham

figurative language

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

first person point of view

a character in the story is actually telling the story himself/herself

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time

flat character

A character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story

foil

A character who acts as a contrast to another character

Foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

form

form, shape

formal essay

An essay that uses academic language, logical organization, and serious purpose.

frame story

A secondary story or stories embedded in the main story

free verse

Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

Genre

a major category or type of literature

Graphic Text

A combination of pictures and words to tell a story.

hero

an inspiring character who demonstrates honor and integrity and does noble deeds

historical reference

A reference to something historical.

Hyberbole

exaggeration

iambic pentameter

a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable

Idiom

A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.

image

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Imagery

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)