terms

Personification

attaching human traits to inanimate objects or animals

Metaphor

comparison not using like or as

Simile

comparison using like or as

Onomatopoeia

a word which imitates the sound which it refers to

Alliteration

words having the same first consonant sound occurring close together

Pun

a word is used to suggest two or more possible meanings

Allusion

brief, indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of political, historical, literary, or cultural significance

Hyperbole

over-exaggeration for effect

Apostrophe

addressing someone that is not present, an inanimate object, or an abstract idea

Allegory

a story with two levels of meaning

Soliloquy

a monologue given by a character where their innermost thoughts are revealed

Irony

at its most basic level, when the opposite of what you expect to happen, happens

Theme

main idea or underlying meaning of a literary work

Point of view

the mode of narration the author employs to let the readers experience the story (comes in first, I; second, you; third, he she they)

Plot

the events which come together to make up the main story

Setting

the environment, time, place, in which the story takes place

Characterization

creation or construction of a fictional character (direct/indirect)

Symbol

usually a material object representing something abstract

Tone

the attitude of a speaker towards his subject

Conflict

a struggle involving two opposing forces (man vs. self, man vs. man, man vs. nature, etc.)

Analogy

a comparison in which an idea or thing is compared to another

Idiom

a set expression or phrase comprising of two or more words

Imagery

uses figurative language to appeal to our senses

Protagonist

the central character/leading figure