Literary Terms Vocab 1-50 - ENGLISH ROYAL

Allegory

A narrative in which characters, events, and settings symbolize deeper moral or political meanings.

Anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences.

Apostrophe

Addressing a person not present, an abstract idea, or an inanimate object as if it could respond.

Antithesis

A contrast of ideas expressed in parallel grammatical structure.

Archetype

A universally recognizable character type, symbol, or pattern that recurs across literature and culture.

Allusion

A brief reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work to evoke associations.

Analogy

A comparison that explains something unfamiliar by showing how it is similar to something known.

Blank Verse

Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter.

Couplet

Two consecutive lines of poetry that form a unit, often with end rhyme.

Conceit

An extended or unconventional metaphor that compares two very unlike things in a clever way.

Dynamic Character

A character who undergoes significant internal change over the course of a story.

Round Character

A complex, well-developed character with multiple traits.

Static Character

A character who does not undergo significant change.

Flat Character

A simple, one-dimensional character with limited traits.

Dramatic Irony

When the audience knows something that characters do not.

Situational Irony

When an outcome is the opposite of what is expected.

Verbal Irony

Saying one thing while meaning another.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural associations attached to a word beyond its literal meaning.

External Conflict

A struggle between a character and an outside force.

Internal Conflict

A struggle within a character's mind.

Dialogue

The spoken conversation between characters.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.

Free Verse

Poetry that does not follow a consistent rhyme or meter.

Epilogue

A concluding section that comes after the main narrative has ended.

Diction

The author's choice of words and style of expression.

Double Entendre

A phrase with two meanings, one of which is often humorous or suggestive.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.

Motif

A recurring image, symbol, or idea that develops a theme.

Metonymy

Naming something by referring to something closely associated with it.

Asyndeton

The omission of conjunctions between words or phrases.

Polysyndeton

The deliberate use of many conjunctions in close succession.

Gerund

A verb form ending in "-ing" that functions as a noun.

Prose

Ordinary written or spoken language that is not poetry.

Rhetoric

The art of effective or persuasive communication.

Satire

Writing that uses humor, irony, or ridicule to expose flaws or criticize.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole or vice versa.

In Media Res

Beginning a narrative in the middle of the action.

Vignette

A brief, descriptive piece focusing on a moment, mood, or character.

Jargon

Specialized vocabulary used by a particular profession or group.

Slang

Informal language used within a particular group or culture.

Colloquialism

Casual, everyday speech used in conversation, often regionally based.

Palindrome

A word, phrase, or number that reads the same forwards and backwards.

Anecdote

A short personal story told to illustrate a point.

Litotes

Understatement that uses negation to express the opposite.

Oxymoron

A phrase combining two contradictory terms.

Idiom

A commonly used expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the words alone.

Vernacular

The everyday language spoken by ordinary people in a particular region.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next without a pause.

Euphony

Language that sounds pleasant and harmonious.

Cacophony

Language that sounds harsh, rough, or discordant.