Literary Analysis Vocab

diction / denotion / connotation

Word choice and meaning of words

metaphor

State one thing is something that it literally is not

Simile

Comparing 2 objects using like or as

analogy

Comparison that helps explain something

personification

object or animal that is described with human characteristics

apostrophe

directly mentioning something abstract, like love or wind

rhetorical question

a question not meant to have an answer

romance

Idealized emotion and adventure to depict a story

tragic hero

reversal of fortune because of a flaw or error, like Anakin Skywalker

epiphany

sudden realization of the truth

stream of consciousness

writing that follows the flow of a characters thinking process

frame story

a story contained inside an overarching story

first person pov

point of view told from the character who refers to themself

second person pov

point of view told about someone else. Uses he she and it, but we only hear one person’s thoughts

third person pov

point of view that describes the thoughs and experiences of multipl characters

oxymoron

paradox made by 2 contradicting words placed side by side ‘lovely death'

parallel structure

a consistent form, like a list or series.

dramatic irony

tension created by a character saying or thinking something we know to be wrong

situational irony

when something appears different than reality

verbal irony

when a character says something that is not true - sarcasm

allegory

a literary work that concretely shows abstract ideas

allusion

a reference to another piece of work - requires background knowledge on that work

symbol

something which carries more than just it's literary meaning

didactic attitude

something that gives a specific moral lesson

denouement

the final resolution to a story

bildungsroman

very fancy way to say a coming of age story - struggling towards maturity

satire

using sarcasm irony or ridicule to critique something

caricature

a character with exaggerated traits

rhetorical appeals

ethos - appeal to ethics

pathos - appeal to emotion

logos - appeal to logic

juxtaposition

when two things are used together in a sentence to show contrast - love and hate

understatement

showing something to be less important than it actually is

hyperbole

deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or comedy

cliche

a phrase or action that is repeated so often it loses its significance

paradox

a contradictory statement that reveals truth ie. War is peace