Lit Terms

Allusion

A brief, indirect reference to a person, place, event, or work outside the text that the reader is expected to recognize.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech where the speaker directly addresses an absent, dead, or nonhuman entity as if it could respond.

Conceit

An extended, elaborate metaphor that draws a surprising or intricate comparison, often sustained throughout a work.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor developed and continued over multiple lines or throughout an entire work.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the five senses to create a vivid picture in the reader's mind.

Metaphor

A direct comparison stating one thing is another, without using "like" or "as."

Personification

Giving human qualities, emotions, or actions to non-human objects, animals, or ideas.

Simile

A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as."

Symbol

An object, person, or event that represents a deeper, often abstract idea beyond its literal meaning.

Analogy

A comparison between two things, often to explain or clarify one by relating it to something more familiar.

Antithesis

The juxtaposition of two contrasting ideas, often in parallel grammatical structure, to highlight their opposition.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or effect, not meant to be taken literally.

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting ideas, characters, or images side by side to highlight their differences.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech combining two contradictory terms, e.g. "deafening silence."

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but may reveal an underlying truth.

Parallelism

The use of matching grammatical structures or word patterns to create balance or rhythm.

Situational Irony

When the outcome of a situation is the opposite of what was expected.

Understatement

Presenting something as less significant or intense than it actually is, often for ironic or humorous effect.

Alliteration

Repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds, typically at the middle or end of words.

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive clauses or sentences.

Refrain

A phrase or line repeated at intervals, especially at the end of stanzas, in poetry or song.

Rhyme

Correspondence of sounds between words, especially at the ends of lines.

Sibilance

Repetition of hissing "s" sounds for a musical or unsettling effect.

Ambiguity

Language open to more than one interpretation, creating uncertainty of meaning.

Asyndeton

The deliberate omission of conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural associations attached to a word, beyond its literal definition.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word, without added association.

Diction

An author's choice and use of words; must be described with an adjective, e.g. formal diction, legal diction.

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of multiple conjunctions in close succession for emphasis or rhythm.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to form sentences; the specific type must be named when analyzed, e.g. telegraphic, inverted.

Tone

The author's or narrator's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice and style.

Antagonist

The character or force that opposes the protagonist.

Antihero

A protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as courage or morality.

Archetype

A universal character type, symbol, or pattern that recurs across literature and culture.

Colloquial

Informal, everyday language or dialect, often reflecting a specific region or group.

Dialect

A distinct form of language spoken by a particular group or region, differing in pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes significant internal change over the course of the story.

Epiphany

A sudden moment of realization or insight experienced by a character.

Foil

A character whose traits contrast with another's in order to highlight those traits.

Hubris

Excessive pride or arrogance that leads to a character's downfall.

Protagonist

The main character of a story, around whom the plot centers.

Static Character

A character who remains essentially unchanged throughout the story.

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose credibility is compromised, making their account of events questionable.

1st person POV

Narration told from the perspective of a character using "I."

2nd person POV

Narration that addresses the reader directly using "you."

3rd person limited POV

Narration from outside the story, restricted to one character's thoughts and knowledge.

3rd person omniscient POV

Narration from outside the story with knowledge of all characters' thoughts and feelings.

Frame narrative

A story structure in which one narrative is enclosed within another, often as a story-within-a-story.

Narrator

The voice that tells the story.

Perspective

The vantage point or lens through which events are seen and interpreted.

Point of View

The perspective from which a story is narrated.

Speaker

The voice or persona speaking in a poem, not necessarily the poet.

Conflict

The central struggle in a story, either between a character and an outside force (external) or within a character's own mind (internal).

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the present narrative to show an earlier event.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues that suggest what will happen later in the story.

In Media Res

Beginning a narrative in the middle of the action rather than at the start.

Vignette

A short, descriptive scene or episode that captures a moment without a full plot.

Sequence

The order in which events are arranged in a narrative.

Blank verse

Unrhymed poetry written in a regular meter, typically iambic pentameter.

Caesura

A pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.

Closed form poetry

Poetry that follows a fixed structure, such as a set rhyme scheme or meter, e.g. a sonnet.

End-stopped line

A line of poetry that ends with a natural pause or punctuation, completing a thought.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence or thought from one line of poetry to the next without a pause.

Free Verse

Poetry without a consistent meter or rhyme scheme.

Line

A single row of words in a poem, the basic unit of poetic structure.

Meter

The rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.

Open form poetry

Poetry that does not follow a fixed structure or set rules.

Shift/Volta/Turn

A change in tone, subject, or perspective within a poem, often marking a turning point.

Stanza

A grouped set of lines in a poem, separated from others by spacing.

Allegory

A narrative in which characters, events, and settings symbolically represent abstract ideas or moral concepts.

Cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds, often created through consonant clusters.

Catharsis

The emotional release or purification experienced by the audience, especially in tragedy.

Dialogue

Conversation between characters in a literary work.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something a character does not, creating tension between expectation and outcome.

Euphony

A pleasing, harmonious arrangement of sounds in language.

Metonymy

Referring to something by the name of something closely associated with it, e.g. "the crown" for royalty.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or expose human folly or societal flaws.

Setting

The time, place, and environment in which a story occurs.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole, or the whole represents a part.