ELA Literary Terms

Archetype

A character, action, or situation that is a prototype or pattern of human life; occurs repeatedly in literature (e.g., quest, initiation, overcoming evil).

Characters

People or animals who take part in the action of a literary work; revealed by dialogue, actions, thoughts, what others say, and author statements.

Flat Character

A character with a single emphasized trait.

Round Character

A complex, fully-developed (three-dimensional) character.

Static Character

A character who changes very little throughout the narrative.

Dynamic Character

A character that changes in response to the action.

Antagonist

Character opposed to the protagonist; often evil or distasteful, but not always completely bad.

Protagonist

The main character; often the hero/heroine, though can have both good and bad qualities.

Foil

A character who contrasts with the main character to highlight their qualities.

Stock Character

A stereotypical character who appears regularly in certain forms (e.g., damsel in distress, mentor, naive youth).

Conflict

The tension between opposing forces in literature; can be person vs. person, fate, self, nature, or society.

External Conflict

A struggle against an outside force.

Internal Conflict

A struggle within a character’s mind or emotions.

Diction

Word choice intended to convey a certain effect.

Denotation

Dictionary definition of a word.

Connotation

Feelings or attitudes associated with a word.

Dialect

Regional or social variety of language.

Dialogue

Conversation between characters.

Euphemism

A mild or less offensive expression used instead of one that may be harsh.

Idiom

An expression with a meaning different from its literal words (“raining cats and dogs”).

Formal Diction

Polysyllabic, scholarly, no contractions.

Colloquial Diction

Conversational, informal, uses contractions.

Vernacular

Language or dialect of a particular region or group.

Slang

Very informal, non-standard language.

Jargon

Specialized language of a group or occupation.

Standard Diction

Language accepted as the norm; common in school writing.

Imagery

Words/phrases appealing to senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell).

Mood

Atmosphere or emotional quality of a literary work.

Plot

Sequence of events in a story, usually following Freytag’s Pyramid.

Exposition

Background info and setting introduced.

Inciting Incident

Event that starts the main conflict.

Rising Action

Events building suspense or complications.

Climax

Point of greatest tension; conflict peaks.

Falling Action

Events after climax; often shows character change.

Denouement (Resolution)

Problem or conflict is resolved.

Flashback

Scene that interrupts to show an earlier event.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues suggesting future action.

Subplot

A secondary plot alongside the main one.

Parallel Plot

Two or more narratives linked by a common element.

Point of View

Perspective from which a story is told (1st person, 3rd limited, omniscient, or objective).

Rhetorical Shift

A change in tone, perspective, or style due to a realization.

Epiphany

A sudden insight or revelation.

Setting

Time and place of a story’s events.

Structure

Framework or organization of a literary work.

Style

The writer’s unique way of using language.

Suspense

Uncertainty or tension about the outcome.

Syntax

Arrangement of words and grammatical elements.

Theme

The central message or idea of a literary work.

Tone

The author’s or narrator’s attitude toward the subject.

Apostrophe

Addressing the absent, dead, or inanimate as if present.

Metaphor

Comparison of two unlike things without “like” or “as.”

Metonymy

A metaphor where something is referred to by something closely related.

Oxymoron

Combining opposite terms into one expression.

Paradox

Statement that seems contradictory but reveals truth.

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things.

Pun

A play on words with multiple meanings.

Simile

Comparison using “like” or “as.”

Synecdoche

Part represents whole (or vice versa).

Alliteration

Repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds.

Consonance

Repetition of consonant sounds (not just at the start).

Onomatopoeia

Words imitating sounds.

Rhyme

Repetition of sounds in words.

End Rhyme

Rhyme at line ends.

Internal Rhyme

Rhyme within a line.

Rhyme Scheme

Pattern of end rhymes (e.g., ABAB).

Meter

Repeated rhythmic pattern in verse.

Allegory

A story with both surface and deeper symbolic meaning.

Allusion

Reference to a mythological, literary, or historical figure/event.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for effect.

Verbal Irony

Saying the opposite of what is meant.

Situational Irony

Outcome is different from what’s expected.

Dramatic Irony

Audience knows more than the characters.

Sarcasm

Verbal irony used to mock or insult.

Motif

A recurring image, idea, or symbol.

Satire

Use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize human flaws or society.

Symbolism

Use of objects, people, or actions to represent larger ideas (universal or contextual).

Understatement

Representing something as less than it really is.