lit terms

Colloquialism

A word or phrase used in everyday speech and informal writing but inappropriate for formal situations.

Imagery

Language that creates a picture or sensory experience of a person, place, thing, or idea.

First-person POV

A character within the story tells the story (“I,” “me”).

Third-person limited POV

An unknown narrator tells the story but focuses on the thoughts/feelings of one character.

Figurative Language

Words that are inaccurate if taken literally but create comparisons (similes, metaphors, etc.).

Foil

A character who contrasts another character to highlight qualities (often the hero vs. a funny or dark opposite).

Allusion

A reference to something known from history, literature, religion, politics, etc.

Point of View

The vantage point from which the story is told.

Theme

The insight about life revealed in a literary work.

Stream of Consciousness

A style of writing portraying the chaotic inner workings of a character’s mind.

Objective POV

A narrator who tells events without revealing any characters’ thoughts or feelings.

Diction

A writer’s choice of words.

Omniscient POV

An all-knowing narrator who can tell thoughts and experiences of many characters.

Soliloquy

A long speech delivered by a character alone onstage.

Flat Character

A character with only one or two traits; one-dimensional.

Antagonist

The opponent who struggles against the protagonist.

Direct Characterization

The author directly tells what a character is like.

External Conflict

A conflict between a person and another person, nature, machine, or society.

Characterization

The process by which the author reveals a character’s personality.

Static Character

A character who does not change throughout the story.

Indirect Characterization

When the author shows personality through actions, speech, appearance, and interactions.

Conflict

The struggle between opposing forces in a story.

Dynamic Character

A character who changes significantly during the story.

Protagonist

The main character or hero of the story.

Third-person POV

Narrator is outside the story using “he,” “she,” or “they.”

Internal Conflict

A conflict inside a character’s mind.

Round Character

A character with multiple dimensions; complex and realistic.

Alliteration

Repetition of the same consonant sounds in nearby words.

Situational Irony

When there is a difference between what is expected to happen and what actually happens.

Juxtaposition

Placing two ideas side by side for contrast.

Cliché

An overused figure of speech that has lost meaning.

Connotation

Emotional associations or overtones attached to a word.

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration.

Characterization

The process by which a writer reveals personality.

Mood

The atmosphere created by diction and details.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole.

Irony

A discrepancy between appearances and reality.

Onomatopoeia

Words whose sounds suggest their meaning.

Verbal Irony

When someone says one thing but means another.

Symbol

A person/place/thing that represents itself and something deeper.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something the character does not.