lit terms

Plot

The sequence of events that make up a story.

Theme

The key idea or underlying message in a work of literature.

Setting

Where and when a story takes place; includes actual time, place, and cultural values.

Characterization

The methods by which an author reveals a character’s personality and beliefs.

Point of View

The perspective from which the story is told; includes first person, third person limited, and third person omniscient.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere an author creates through language.

Tone

The author’s attitude towards his/her subject, revealed through word choice and details.

Conflict

Tension between opposing forces; can be internal or external.

Alliteration

The repetition at close intervals of the initial consonant sounds of accented syllables or important words.

Allusion

A reference, either implicit or explicit, to something in previous literature or history.

Assonance

The repetition at close intervals of the vowel sounds of accented syllables or important words.

Connotation

What a word suggests beyond its basic definitions; emotional associations with words.

Denotation

The dictionary definition of a word.

Diction

The selection of words in a literary work; word choice.

End Rhyme

Rhymes that occur at the ends of lines.

Figurative Language

Language employing figures of speech; cannot be taken literally.

Foreshadowing

When the author drops hints or clues to alert the reader about something important that will happen.

Hyperbole

A figure of speech in which overstatement or exaggeration is used.

Imagery

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

Irony

A situation, or use of language, involving some kind of discrepancy or incongruity.

Verbal irony

when what is meant is the opposite of what is said; sarcasm.

Dramatic irony

when the author implies a different meaning from that intended by the speaker of a literary work (the character is surprised)

Situational irony

when there is a contradiction between what is anticipated and what actually happens (audience is surprised!)

 

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unrelated objects.

Onomatopoeia

The use of words that mimic their meaning in sound.

Oxymoron

A two-word contradiction.

Paradox

A seemingly contradictory statement or situation that is actually true upon examination.

Personification

The attribution of human qualities to an animal, object, or concept.

Repetition

The repeating of a word or group of words for effect.

Rhetoric

The study of persuasive techniques to persuade an audience.

Logos

appeal to the audience’s sense of logic and reasoning by providing data, charts, quotes, statistics, etc.  (The information is logical and trustworthy.)

Pathos

appeal to the audience’s emotions or sense of entertainment

Ethos

refers to the speaker’s credibility and trustworthiness shown by reputation, experience, good character

Simile

An indirect comparison between two or more unrelated objects using "like" or "as".

Sonnet

A poem of fourteen lines using a formal rhyme scheme, typically having ten syllables per line.

Stanza

A group of lines forming the basic recurring metrical unit in a poem.

Symbol

An object, animal, or character that represents itself as well as something else.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another (usually the protagonist) to highlight traits of the main character.

Climax

The most intense, exciting, or important moment of a story — the turning point.

Symbol

An object, person, or event that represents a deeper meaning.

1st person pov

Narration from the perspective of a character using “I,” “me,” or “my.”

Man v. Self

A type of conflict where a character struggles internally — with emotions, decisions, or beliefs.

Man v. Man

A conflict between two characters.

Man v. Nature

A conflict between a character and natural forces like weather, animals, or disease.

Man v. Society

A conflict between a character and societal norms, laws, or beliefs.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.

Allegory

A story with two levels of meaning: a literal one and a symbolic one, often teaching a moral or political lesson.

Metonymy

A figure of speech where something is referred to by something closely associated with it.

2nd POV

Narration that uses “you” to address the reader directly.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses.

3rd person omniscient

A narrator who knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters.

Anachronism

Something placed in the wrong historical time period.

Juxtaposition

Placing two things side by side to highlight their contrast.

Satire

A literary work that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or expose flaws in society, politics, or human nature.

Soliloquy

A speech by a character alone on stage, expressing their thoughts out loud.