Advanced English II: Literary Terms

Allusion

expression used to make a reference to something (Achille's heel)

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Hyperbole

extreme exaggeration

imagery

language that appeals to the senses

mood

Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader

motif

A recurring theme, subject or idea

oxymoron

conjoining contradictory terms (deafening silence)

paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory or absurd but expresses a possible truth (less is more)

personification

the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea

point of view

the perspective from which a story is told

setting

The time and place of a story

structure

the arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work

style

the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work

symbol

A thing that represents or stands for something else

theme

Central idea of a work of literature

antagonist

A character or force in conflict with the main character

direct characterization

Author directly describes character

indirect characterization

Author subtly reveals the character through actions and interactions.

dynamic character

A character that changes throughout the story

static character

A character who does not change during the story.

foil

A character who acts as a contrast to another character

protagonist

main character

conflict

A struggle between two opposing forces

dramatic irony

when a reader is aware of something that a character isn't

situational irony

An outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected

verbal irony

A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant

anaphora

the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

antithesis

Direct opposite

connotation

the implied or associative meaning of a word

diction

word choice

figure of speech

a device used to produce figurative language

parallel structure

the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence

syntax

Sentence structure

tone

Attitude a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

prosody

the patterns of rhythm and sound used in poetry