Literary terms

What is an accent?

The stressed syllable in a word.

Accent example

Jack and Jill went up the hill.

What is aesthetic?

A personal view of beauty

Aesthetic example

Wearing all black

What are aesthetics?

the philosophical study of beauty and taste

Aesthetics example

Symetrical

What is an allegory?

Narrative with hidden moral or political meaning.

Allegory example

The tortoise and the rabbit story.

What is alliteration?

Repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words.

Alliteration example

Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

What is an allusion?

Reference to something of historical or cultural significance.

Allusion example

Referring to a couple as 'peanut butter and jelly'.

What is an anachronism?

Something out of its correct time period in a story.

Anachronism example

Placing an iPhone in a story set in the 1800s.

What is an analogy?

Comparison of similarities between unrelated things.

Analogy example

Time is money

What is an anecdote?

A short, self-contained story that usually highlights one particular theme, lesson, or aspect of a person's character.

Anecdote example

My mom is telling me to kill a bug and I tell her a short story on why I hate being near bugs.

What is an anapest?

A metrical foot which contains two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable.

Anapest example

In the morning the garbage truck rolls down the street (dun, dun, DUN).

What is anthropomorphism?

The attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman objects.

Anthropomorphism example

Mickey Mouse; he's a mouse that can walk like a human.

What is an anticlimax?

A letdown at the highest point of tension within a story.

Anticlimax example

In Othello, when Othello stabs Desdemona.

What is an antihero?

A main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes.

Antihero example

Deadpool; his actions are bad, but they help society become safer.

What is an aphorism?

A short saying that observes a general truth.

Aphorism example

Actions speak louder than words.

What is an apostrophe?

A figure of speech in which a character or speaker addresses someone who is absent.

Apostrophe example

In Romeo and Juliet, when Juliet says 'Oh Romeo, Romeo'.

What is an archaism?

A word, phrase, or statement that is considered old fashioned or outdated.

Archaism example

In Othello, the use of 'thy', 'thee', 'didst', 'toldst'.

What is an aside?

When a fictional character breaks away from the events of the story to talk to themselves or directly to the audience.

Aside example

Dora; When she breaks away and asks questions to the audience.

What is assonance?

The repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together in a sentence or verse.

Assonance example

I had to stay here and lay on some hay.

What is atmosphere?

The way an author uses setting, objects, or internal thoughts of characters to create emotion, mood, or experiences for the reader.

Atmosphere example

It was dark and rainy out today. Sara couldn't go outside and was laying down staring at the window. "I wish it was sunny" she said and sank down into her bed with a frown.

What is an aubade?

An aubade is a specific type of poem or love song that laments the coming of the morning or the dawn.

Aubade example

If in a story a girl was about to leave at dawn and sung a love song to a boy.