ADV English II: Literacy Terms

Irony

A contrast between expectations and reality that reveals meaning or humor.

Ex: A fire station burns down the same day it hosts a "fire-safety" fair.

Dramatic Irony

The audience knows key information a character doesn't.

Ex: In Romeo and Juliet, we know Juliet is alive when Romeo believes she is dead.

Situational Irony

Events turn out the opposite of what seems likely in a meaningful way.

Ex: A professional thief gets his own house robbed because he "never locks doors.

Verbal Irony

A speaker says one thing but means another (often the opposite).

Ex: Saying "Great weather!" during a hailstorm.

Anaphora

Repetition at the beginnings of clauses or lines to build emphasis and rhythm.

Ex: MLK's "I have a dream … I have a dream …"

Antithesis

Balanced contrast of opposing ideas to sharpen a point.

Ex: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

Antonym

A word with the opposite meaning in the same context.

Ex: hot ↔ cold used to contrast a character's mood.

Connotation

Feelings or ideas a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning.

Ex: Home connotes warmth and safety, not just "a place you live."

Denotation

The exact dictionary meaning of a word.

Ex: Home denotes "a place where one lives."

Diction

An author's deliberate word choice shaping voice and tone.

Ex: Formal diction in a courtroom scene: "Your honor, I submit…"

Figure of Speech

A nonliteral expression used for vivid effect (metaphor, simile, hyperbole, etc.).

Ex: "Time is a thief" (metaphor).

Parallel Structure

Repeating grammatical patterns to show equal weight.

Ex: "She came, she saw, she conquered."

Pun

A wordplay using double meanings or similar sounds.

Ex: "A boiled egg is hard to beat."

Repetition

Purposeful reuse of sounds, words, or structures to stress an idea.

Ex: A refrain returning at the end of each stanza.

Syntax

Word order and sentence structure controlling clarity and pace.

Ex: Short, clipped sentences to build tension in an action scene.

Synonym

A word with a similar meaning.

Ex: angry ~ irate, chosen to fine-tune tone.

Tone

The writer's attitude toward subject/audience.

Ex: A sarcastic tone in a column mocking a bad policy.

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the present to show earlier events.

Ex: A chapter jumps back to the summer that shaped the hero's fear of water.

Foreshadowing

Early hints that suggest later events.

Ex: A cracked photograph frame signals the family will soon break apart.

Plot

The organized sequence of events around a central conflict.

Ex: Mystery setup → clues → confrontation → reveal.

Exposition

Opening that introduces setting, characters, and situation.

Ex: First chapter sets the coastal town during hurricane season.

Rising Action

Complications that intensify the conflict.

Ex: Each clue draws the detective closer to the dangerous suspect.

Climax

The highest-tension turning point that decides the main conflict.

Ex: The accused confronts the real villain on the rooftop.

Falling Action

Events showing consequences after the climax.

Ex: The town reacts to the arrest and truths are sorted out.

Resolution

The ending that settles conflicts and answers key questions.

Ex: The detective retires; the town begins rebuilding.

Suspense

Anxious curiosity that keeps readers engaged.

Ex: A ticking-clock bomb the hero struggles to defuse.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds.

Ex: "wild winds whistle."

Onomatopoeia

Words that imitate sounds.

Ex: "buzz," "clang," "sizzle."

Poetry

Writing that concentrates meaning through line breaks, sound, and imagery. Has lines, stanzas, meter, and rhyme scheme.

Prosody

The patterns of rhythm and sound used in poetry

Ex: Iambic pentameter shaping Shakespeare's lines.

Rhyme

Repeated end sounds creating pattern.

Ex: "The cat was in the pool. Jeff thought that was cool"

Allusion

Brief reference to a known person, place, event, or text.

Ex: Calling someone 'a good Samaritan.'

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for effect.

Ex: 'I've told you a million times.'

Imagery

Language that appeals to the senses.

Ex: Describing 'salt air stinging like needles.'

Metaphor

A direct comparison that says one thing is another.

Ex: 'Her smile is sunrise.'

Mood

The feeling or atmosphere a text creates for the reader.

Ex: Gloomy mood via rain, shadows, and slow pacing.

Motif

A recurring element that supports a theme.

Ex: Repeated images of locked doors in a story about secrets.

Oxymoron

Paired contradictions for effect.

Ex: 'Deafening silence' or 'Jumbo shrimp.'

Paradox

A seeming contradiction that reveals truth.

Ex: 'Less is more.'

Personification

Giving human traits to nonhuman things.

Ex: 'The window yawned open at dawn.'

Point of View

The perspective from which a story is told.

Ex: First-person ('I') narrator who only knows her own thoughts.

Setting

The time and place of a story, including social context.

Ex: 1930s Dust Bowl farm during a drought.

Simile

A comparison using 'like' or 'as.'

Ex: 'Quiet as snowfall.'

Structure

The way a text is organized to guide meaning.

Ex: A frame narrative (story within a story).

Style

The author's distinctive use of language.

Ex: Short, punchy sentences and slang in a gritty noir.

Symbol

An object, person, or action that stands for a larger idea.

Ex: A caged bird symbolizing lost freedom.

Theme

The central insight about life or human nature.

Ex: 'Power corrupts when left unchecked.'

Antagonist

The character or force that opposes the protagonist and creates or intensifies the central conflict.

Ex: A charming CEO blocking the whistleblower's efforts.

Characterization

The methods an author uses to reveal a character's traits (description, actions, dialogue, thoughts, others' responses).

Ex: A coward shown by how he freezes when alarms blare.

Direct Characterization

The narrator plainly states traits.

Ex (text line): 'Marisol was fearless and blunt.'

Indirect Characterization

Traits shown through actions, speech, thoughts, looks, and others' reactions.

Ex (text moment): He returns a lost wallet without leaving his name.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes significant internal change.

Ex: A selfish teen becomes a responsible leader.

Static Character

A character who remains essentially the same.

Ex: A comic sidekick who stays carefree throughout.

Foil

A contrasting character that highlights another's traits.

Ex: A cautious partner makes the reckless hero's risks stand out.

Protagonist

The main character whose goals drive the story.

Ex: A young lawyer determined to free an innocent client.

Conflict

The struggle between opposing forces that drives the plot and reveals character.

Ex: A journalist vs. a powerful cover-up.

External Conflict

A character's struggle with an outside force.

External Conflict: Person vs. Person

A character's struggle with an outside force.

Ex: Two rivals competing for the same scholarship.

External Conflict: Person vs. Society

A character's struggle with an outside force.

Ex: A protester defying an unjust law.

External Conflict: Person vs. Nature

A character's struggle with an outside force.

Ex: Climbers trapped on a stormy peak.

External Conflict: Person vs. Supernatural

A character's struggle with an outside force.

Ex: A family haunted by a vengeful spirit.

Internal Conflict

A struggle within the character's mind between competing desires, beliefs, or emotions.

Ex: A doctor torn between loyalty to a friend and duty to report malpractice.