Literature words

Apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

active voice

The subject of the sentence performs the action

Allegory

A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions

Alliteration

Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of the word

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Antagonist

A character or force in conflict with the main character

Anti-climax

a disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events

Antithesis

Direct opposite

Argument Essay

An essay designed to convince the audience to agree or disagree with a position

anecdotal evidence

Personal stories about specific incidents and experiences.

archaic language

Old-fashioned, out-of-date language and expressions.

Aside

a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds

atmosphere

Overall mood in a story or poem

audience

the listener, viewer, or reader of a text

autobiography

story of a person's life written by that person

Ballad

A poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas

ballad stanza

consists of four lines with a rhyme scheme of a-b-c-b. The first and third lines are tetrameter and the second and fourth are trimeter.

blank verse

verse without rhyme, especially that which uses iambic pentameter.

cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds

caricature

an exaggerated portrayal of one's features

case study

a descriptive technique in which one individual or group is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles

catastrophe

a large-scale disaster, misfortune, or failure

cause and effect

A relationship in which change in one variable causes change in another

character

A heritable feature that varies among individuals

Characterization

A method an author uses to let readers know more about the characters and their personal traits.

character foil

a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character

Chorus

a person or group of people who act as a narrator, commentator, or general audience to the action of the play

chronological order

(Time Order) Events are arranged in the order in which they happened

Cliché

a worn-out idea or overused expression

climactic order

To save the most important to last.

Climax colloquialism

Idk

colloquial language

Slang or common language that is informal

comedy

light and humorous drama with a happy ending

comic relief

A humorous scene or speech intended to lighten the mood

compare and contrast

finding similarities and differences between 2 things

comparison

a statement of the similarities among two or more people, events, ideas, etc.

Conflict

A struggle between opposing forces

Connotation

the implied or associative meaning of a word

Consonance

Repetition of a consonant sound within two or more words in close proximity.

contrast

Difference between things

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme

Denotation

the literal meaning of a word

denouement

an outcome; result

descriptive essay

An essay that describes a person, place, or object.

Dialect

a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group.

Dialogue

Conversation between characters

Diary

a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations

Diction

the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

didactic

intended to teach

dilemma

a choice between two unpleasant or difficult options

direct presentation

When the writer tells readers what kind of personality the character possesses rather than allowing the character to show his or her personality and allow readers to draw their own conclusions.

dissonance

Unpleasant or unharmonious sound

Drama

A story written to be performed by actors

dramatic irony

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

dramatic monologue

when a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience

Dramatic form

A medium or a way of expressing dramatic meaning

dynamic character

A character that changes throughout the story

editorial

An statement giving opinions or perspectives

elegy

a sad or mournful poem

Epic

A long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds

emotional appeal

When a writer appeals to readers' emotions (often through pathos) to excite and involve them in the argument.

epilogue

a short passage added at the end of a literary work

Epiphany

A moment of sudden revelation or insight

epigram

a witty saying

epitaph

(n.) a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone

Euphemism

An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

euphony

pleasant, harmonious sound

expert testimony

testimony from people who are recognized experts in their fields

Exposition

a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory.

expository essay

an essay that explains, informs, or presents information

extended metaphor

A series of comparisons between two unlike objects.

external conflict

A struggle between a character and an outside force

Fable

A brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters

falling action

Events after the climax, leading to the resolution

fantasy

A story containing unreal, imaginary features.

farce

(n.) a play filled with ridiculous or absurd happenings; broad or far-fetched humor; a ridiculous sham

figurative language

Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling.

first person point of view

the narrator is a character in the story

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time

flat character

A character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story

Foil

A character who acts as a contrast to another character

foreshadow

be a warning or indication of (a future event).

form

Piece of writing; it's structure

formal essay

An essay that uses academic language, logical organization, and serious purpose.

formal language

the standard language of written communication, formal speeches, and presentations; may not use contractions or slang

frame story

a story within a story

free verse

poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter

Genre

a major category or type of literature

graphic text

A combination of pictures and words to tell a story.

hero

an inspiring character who demonstrates honor and integrity and does noble deeds

historical reference

A reference to something historical.

Hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

iambic pentameter

A common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with five feet or accents, each foot containing an unaccented syllable and an accented syllable.

Idiom

A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.

image

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

Imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

indeterminate ending

an ending in which the central problem or conflict is left unresolved

indirect presentation

the personality of a character is revealed by what he or she does or says