English Honors Lit. Terms

Simile

a comparison using “like” or “as”

Metaphor

a direct comparison between two things without “like” or “as”

Conflict

a struggle between opposing forces

Contrast

a clear difference between two or more elements

Shift

a change in tone, topic, or perspective

Dramatic situation

the context or circumstances creating tension or action

Point of view (1,2,3)

the perspective from which a story is told

Perspective

how a character or narrator views and interprets events

Structure

the organization or arrangement of a text

Antecedent

the word or phrase a pronoun refers back to

Referent

the thing or idea that a word refers to

Alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds

Symbol

an object or image that represents a deeper idea

Dynamic character

a character who undergoes significant internal change

Agency

a character’s ability to make choices and act on them

Protagonist

the main character of a story

Antagonist

the force or character opposing the protagonist

Stream of consciousness

a narrative style imitating the natural flow of thoughts

Tone

the author’s attitude toward the subject

Stanza

a grouped set of lines in a poem

Meter

a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry

Rhyme

repetition of similar ending sounds in words

Ambiguity

uncertainty or multiple possible meanings

Hyperbole

exaggeration used for emphasis

Understatement

deliberately making something seem less important

Extended metaphor

a metaphor developed across multiple lines or an entire text

Conceit (metaphysical)

an elaborate and surprising comparison between unlike things

Personification

giving human qualities to nonhuman things

Allusion

an indirect reference to another text, event, or figure

Foil character

a character whose traits contrast with another’s to highlight differences

Flashback

a scene that shows events from the past

Foreshadowing

hints or clues about what will happen later

In medias res

starting a story in the middle of the action

Epiphany

a moment of sudden insight or realization

Narrative pace

the speed at which the story progresses

Motif

a repeated element that supports a theme

Juxtaposition

placing two elements side by side for contrast

Paradox

a statement that seems contradictory but reveals a truth

Irony (situational, dramatic, verbal)

a contrast between expectation and reality in events, audience knowledge, or spoken words