all year lit terms

simile

a comparison using “like'‘ or “as” and which therefore is NOT meant to be understood literally

jargon

words that are specific to a particular group or activity

hyperbole

extreme exaggeration

alliteration

the repetition of the initial sounds of nearby words

irony

a difference between expectation and reality

oxymoron

a self-contradictory phrase

protagonist

the main character around whom the story revolves

anecdote

short humorous story

antagonist

character or force opposing the protagonist

personification

portraying inhuman things as if they had human characteristics

diction

ones choice of words

foreshadowing

hinting or suggesting future events

setting

where and when a story takes place

archaic

old and outdated

metaphors

a figurative comparison without “like” or “as”

tone

the authors’ attitude towards his/her subject

atmosphere

how a work of literature makes a reader feel

refrain

something repeated regularly for emphasis

metrical contraction

the contraction of syllables in order to maintain meter

hemistich

indentations in lines to indicate that they are to be read together to keep the meter

meter

syllabic patterns creating a rhythm or beat in poetry

monologue

a long speech by one person to an audience

soliloquy

a long speech to one’s self, like thinking

aside

a brief comment NOT to be heard by surrounding people

anachronism

something that exists out of its proper time period

pun

a play on like-sounding, but distinct words

conceit

a metaphoric comparison that is a stretch… it does not fit very well

rhyming couplet

2 successive lines of poetry with end rhyme

inciting incident

the introduction of a storys main conflict, beginning the rising action

verse

poetry with meter

slant rhyme

approximate, not exact rhyme

internal rhyme

rhyming within lines of poetry

climax

the moment of highest excitement, tension, emotion, suspense, or action in a story

stage directions

words that are usually italicized and are not meant to be read aloud, which direct characters’ movements or emotions

chiasmus

a statement or sentence in which the second half is the inverse/mirror image of the 1st half

loaded language

diction which carries an explicit, clear meaning, but ALSO implicit social or emotional meaning, like a code

paradox

a situation which contradicts itself

juxtaposition

the placement of two contrasting elements together in order to highlight their difference

syntax

the order of words in order to create meaning

exposition

the introductory portion of a story before the introduction of the main conflict

enunciation

adding syllables to words for the sake of keeping meter

prose

“normal” writing in sentences and paragraphs

synecdoche

referring to something by way of a smaller part of itself

dialect

different forms of the same language based on geography

resolution/denouement

the very end of a story, in which loose ends are all tied up

cacophony

harsh, discordant, unpleasant sounds all together

imagery

descriptions that appeal to the 5 senses, particularly to sight

figurative language

comparisons of things, NOT to be understood literally

theme

a lesson or moral or overall point which an author is trying to portray

metonymy

a name representing something else, referring to something via a name with which it is associated