Ms. Hallford Glossary of Literary Terms

adage

a familiar proverb or wise saying

allegory

a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions

alliteration

the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words

allusion

a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize

analogy

a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

anecdote

a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event.

antecedent

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

appositive

a word or phrase that renames a nearby noun or pronoun

archetype

a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response

cliché

an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off

climax

the point of highest interest in a literary work

colloquialism

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

complex sentence

a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

compound sentence

a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions

concrete details

details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events

dialogue

conversation between two or more people

diction

the word choices made by a writer

dissonance

harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds

ellipsis

the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context ("Some People prefer cats; others, dogs")

epigraph

a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work

epilogue

a section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened

epiphany

a moment of sudden revelation or insight

exposition

the introduction to a story, including the primary characters' names, setting, mood, and time

fantasy

a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters; a fantasy may be merely whimsical, or it may present a serious point

figurative language

language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, personification, etc.)

flashback

the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

foreshadowing

the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work

hyperbole

intentional exaggeration to create an effect

idiom

an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect

imagery

the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses

irony

the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs

litotes (lie-tuh-tees)

a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (describing a particularly horrific scene by saying, "It was not a pretty picture.")

metaphor

a diret comparison of two different things

mood

the emotional atmosphere of a work

motif

a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works

narrator

the one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient

onomatopoeia

a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds

oxymoron

an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

paradox

an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

parallelism (parallel sentence structure)

the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms

paraphrase

a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity

parenthetical

a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain

personification

endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics

plot

the action of a narrative or drama

point of view

the vantage point from which a story is told

resolution

the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax

rhetorical question

a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer

riddle

a question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum

sarcasm

harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule

satire

the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions

scene

a real or fictional episode; a diviosn of an act in a play

setting

the time, place, and environment in which action takes place

simile

a comparison of two things using "like," "as," or other specifically comparative words

simple sentence

a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause

soliloquy

an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play

symbol

an object that is used to represent something else

syntax

the manner in which words are arranged into sentences

theme

a central idea of a work

thesis

the primary position taken by a writer or speaker

tone

the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience

turning point

the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs

understatement

the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis