Literary Terms Vocabulary

A collection of flashcards defining foundational literary terms and concepts.

Allusion

Reference to a well-known person, event, story, or work.

Diction

An author's choice of words.

Figure of Speech

Expression that isn't meant literally.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.

Parallelism

Using similar grammatical structures.

Repetition

Reusing words or phrases for emphasis.

Style

The unique way an author writes.

Theme

The main message or idea of a work.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject.

Atmosphere

The overall feeling created by a setting or text.

Figurative Language

Language that goes beyond literal meaning.

Genre

The category or type of writing.

Mood

The feeling the reader gets from a text.

Prose

Ordinary written language, not poetry.

Rhetoric

Language used to persuade or influence an audience.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and sentences.

Thesis

The main argument or claim of an essay.