Learn: Literary Devices and Character Types: Definitions for English Literature | Quizlet

Figurative Language

Language used beyond its literal meaning to create special effects, comparisons, or visual images.

Contrast

Directly comparing two distinct things to highlight their differences (Antonym of Similarity).

Repetition

Intentionally repeating a word, phrase, or structure to emphasize an idea or feeling.

Allusion

An indirect reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or art piece.

Apostrophe

A speaker directly addressing an absent person, abstract concept, or inanimate object as if present.

Conceit

An unusually elaborate, highly complex, or surprising metaphor comparing two vastly different things.

Extended Metaphor

A metaphor that develops and continues across multiple lines or throughout an entire work.

Imagery

Vivid, descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the five physical senses.

Metaphor

A direct comparison between two unlike things stating one thing IS another (Differs from Simile: no "like" or "as").

Personification

Giving human qualities, emotions, or actions to non-human entities or inanimate objects.

Simile

A direct comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as" (Differs from Metaphor: uses explicit comparison words).

Symbol

A concrete object, person, or situation that represents an abstract idea or theme beyond its literal meaning.

Analogy

An extended comparison explaining a complex idea or relationship by comparing it to something familiar.

Antithesis

Two contrasting ideas placed in balanced grammatical structure within the same sentence (e.g., "Give me liberty or give me death").

Hyperbole

Deliberate and extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or dramatic effect (Antonym of Understatement).

Juxtaposition

Placing two contrasting elements side-by-side to highlight their differences and create meaning.

Oxymoron

A brief two-word phrase containing contradictory terms (e.g., "deafening silence"; Differs from Paradox: oxymoron is just 2 words).

Paradox

A seemingly self-contradictory statement that, upon closer inspection, reveals a deeper truth (Differs from Oxymoron: paradox is a full statement/idea).

Parallelism

Using similar grammatical structures or patterns across phrases or sentences to create rhythm and balance.

Situational Irony

When the actual outcome of an event is sharply different or opposite from what was reasonably expected.

Understatement

Intentionally representing something as much smaller or less important than it actually is (Antonym of Hyperbole).

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words (e.g., "Peter Piper picked").

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the BEGINNING of consecutive lines or sentences (Antonym/Opposite of Epistrophe).

Assonance

Repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in nearby non-rhyming words (e.g., "Fleet feet sweep").

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of nearby words (Differs from Alliteration: not restricted to word beginnings).

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word or phrase at the END of consecutive lines or sentences (Antonym/Opposite of Anaphora).

Refrain

A phrase, line, or stanza repeated at regular intervals throughout a poem or song.

Rhyme

Repetition of similar or identical sounds at the end of words (usually at line ends in poetry).

Sibilance

Repetition of soft, hissing consonant sounds, predominantly the "s", "z", and "sh" sounds.

Diction and Syntax

The author's specific word choices (diction) and sentence structures (syntax) working together to create style.

Character

A person, animal, or personified entity that takes part in the action of a literary work.

Narration

The act or process of telling a story or recounting events.

Ambiguity

Uncertainty or double meaning in language that allows for multiple valid interpretations.

Asyndeton

Omitting conjunctions between words, phrases, or clauses for rapid pacing (Antonym of Polysyndeton; e.g., "I came, I saw, I conquered").

Connotation

The emotional, cultural, or secondary meanings associated with a word beyond its strict definition (Antonym of Denotation).

Denotation

The literal, objective, dictionary definition of a word without emotional association (Antonym of Connotation).

Diction

Specific word choice selected by an author; MUST be modified by a descriptor (e.g., formal diction, colloquial diction, pedantic diction).

Polysyndeton

Using multiple conjunctions in close succession, often without commas, to slow pacing (Antonym of Asyndeton; e.g., "and... and... and").

Syntax

The arrangement and structure of words into sentences; MUST be modified when analyzing (e.g., inverted syntax, periodic syntax, telegraphic syntax).

Tone

The author's or speaker's attitude toward the subject matter or audience, conveyed through diction and syntax.

Antagonist

The character or force opposing the protagonist, creating central conflict (Antonym of Protagonist).

Antihero

A main character who lacks traditional heroic qualities such as morality, courage, or idealism.

Archetype

A recurring symbol, character type, plot pattern, or setting found universally across literature (e.g., The Mentor, The Hero's Journey).

Colloquial

Informal, conversational language or slang used in everyday speech rather than formal writing.

Dialect

A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by unique vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes significant internal change, growth, or development throughout a narrative (Antonym of Static Character).

Epiphany

A moment of sudden, profound insight, realization, or intuitive understanding experienced by a character.

Foil

A character whose traits directly contrast with another character (usually the protagonist) to highlight specific qualities.

Hubris

Excessive pride, arrogance, or self-confidence that frequently leads to a character's tragic downfall.

Protagonist

The central or main character around whom the story revolves (Antonym of Antagonist).

Static Character

A character who remains essentially unchanged in personality, beliefs, or perspective throughout the narrative (Antonym of Dynamic Character).

Unreliable Narrator

A narrator whose credibility or truthfulness is compromised due to bias, ignorance, mental instability, or intent to deceive.

1st Person POV

Story told from the perspective of a character inside the narrative using "I", "me", or "we".

2nd Person POV

Story addressing the reader directly using "you", placing the audience inside the narrative.

3rd Person Limited POV

Outside narrator who knows the internal thoughts and feelings of ONLY ONE specific character (Differs from 3rd Person Omniscient).

3rd Person Omniscient POV

All-knowing outside narrator who has full awareness of the thoughts, feelings, and backgrounds of ALL characters.

Frame Narrative

A secondary story embedded within a main story, functioning as a "story within a story".

Narrator

The entity or voice recounting the events of a prose narrative (Differs from Speaker: narrator is for prose, speaker is for poetry).

Perspective

The personal background, bias, worldview, or lens through which a story or idea is interpreted.

Point of View

The specific vantage point or narrative stance from which a story is told (1st, 2nd, or 3rd person).

Speaker

The distinct voice or persona created by the author to deliver a poem (Differs from Narrator: speaker is for poetry, narrator is for prose).

Structure

The overarching organizational pattern, framework, or architecture of a literary work.

Conflict

The fundamental struggle between opposing forces in a narrative; can be Internal (character vs. self) or External (character vs. outside force).

Flashback

A narrative interruption that shifts back in time to depict events that occurred before the current scene.

Foreshadowing

Literary clues or hints dropped early in a story that suggest events yet to come.

In Media Res

Latin for "in the middle of things"; beginning a story right in the middle of crucial action without prior setup.

Vignette

A brief, evocative, and highly descriptive scene or sketch focusing on a single moment, character, or impression.

Sequence

The chronological or logical ordering of events, ideas, or scenes in a narrative.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed poetry written in strict iambic pentameter (Differs from Free Verse: blank verse has a set meter).

Caesura

A deliberate pause or break within a line of poetry, usually marked by punctuation like dashes or commas.

Closed Form Poetry

Poetry following strict, predictable rules regarding line length, meter, and rhyme scheme (Antonym of Open Form / Free Verse).

End-Stopped Line

A poetic line that finishes with a definite punctuation mark (. , ; ? !), creating a pause (Antonym of Enjambment).

Enjambment

A poetic line that flows into the next without ending punctuation, carrying the thought over (Antonym of End-Stopped Line).

Free Verse

Poetry devoid of set rhyme schemes, predictable rhythms, or fixed metrical patterns (Synonym of Open Form Poetry).

Line

A fundamental unit of language arranged in a single row within a poem (the "sentence" equivalent of poetry).

Meter

The structured, repeating rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables across lines of poetry.

Open Form Poetry

Poetry free from rigid, conventional rules of structure, meter, or rhyme (Synonym of Free Verse; Antonym of Closed Form).

Shift / Volta / Turn

A dramatic change or pivot in tone, thought, emotion, or narrative direction within a poem.

Stanza

A group of poetic lines forming a structural unit, separated by line breaks (the "paragraph" equivalent of poetry).

Allegory

A narrative where characters, settings, and events symbolise abstract moral, political, or philosophical concepts.

Cacophony

A harsh, jarring, dissonant combination of rough sounds (Antonym of Euphony).

Catharsis

An emotional purging, release, or cleansing felt by the audience after experiencing intense tension or tragedy.

Dialogue

Written conversation between two or more characters in a literary work.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience or reader possesses vital knowledge that the characters on stage or in the story do not know.

Euphony

A pleasing, harmonious, melodic sound created by smooth, soft language choices (Antonym of Cacophony).

Metonymy

Substituting the name of an object or concept with a closely associated term (e.g., using "The White House" to mean the US President).

Satire

Writing that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize human folly, vice, or societal flaws.

Setting

The geographical time, physical location, social context, and atmospheric environment in which a story takes place.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech where a part of something represents the whole, or vice versa (e.g., "all hands on deck" where hands = workers; Differs from Metonymy: synecdoche is a physical part/whole relationship).