Lit Term

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues about what will happen later in the story.

Personification

Giving human qualities to non-human things or ideas.

Symbolism

Using a concrete object to represent a deeper

Metaphor

Comparing two unlike things directly without using "like" or "as."

Allusion

A quick reference to a well-known person

Flashback

A scene that jumps backward in time to show past events.

Foil

A character who stands in direct contrast to another to highlight their traits.

Imagery

Vivid

Verbal Irony

When a speaker says one thing but means the exact opposite.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows a secret that the characters do not.

Oxymoron

Two opposite words placed side-by-side.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration used for emphasis and not meant literally.

Tone

The author's attitude toward the subject or story.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere or feeling created for the reader.

Allegory

A story where characters and events symbolize deeper moral or political meanings.

Understatement

Making something seem much less important or significant than it actually is.

Intrinsic Motivation

Being driven to act by internal rewards

Extrinsic Motivation

Being driven to act by external rewards or punishments

Euphemism

A milder

Unreliable Narrator

A storyteller who cannot be fully trusted due to bias

Polysyndeton

Using several conjunctions close together to slow down the rhythm of a sentence.