English 10: Literary Terms

Alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds

Allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.

Analogy

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

Atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work

Clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

Connotation

The non-literal, associative meaning of a word

Denotation

strict literal dictionary definition of a word

Diction

The writer's word choices

Figurative Language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid

Figure of Speech

A device used to produce figurative language

Genre

The major category into which a literary work fits.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration

Imagery

The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions.

Irony/Ironic

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant.

Metaphor

A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.

Mood

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work

Motif

A recurring object, concept, or structure in a work of literature

Narrative

The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.

Onomatopoeia

A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.

Oxymoron

a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox

Paradox

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.

Parallelism

the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.

Personification

A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.

Repetition

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern.

Rhythm

The pattern or sound of a line, based on stressed and unstressed elements.

Satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.

Style

Evaluations of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices

Symbol/Symbolism

When something concrete - such as an object, action, character, or scene - that represents something more abstract.

Syntax

The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Theme

The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life.

Thesis

The sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition.

Tone

Describes the author's attitude toward his or her material, the audience, or both.

Prose

Not poetry or drama, it’s fiction or nonfiction - major division of genre