Allegory: A story in which characters represent abstract ideas, like, "good" and "evil".

Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds. "Carla called Kate who came over quickly".

Antagonist: The person or thing working against the hero of a story.

Characterization: The way an author makes a character seem human. Dress, speech, mannerisms, thoughts, quirks.

Climax: The high point of a story where the conflict comes full force an must be dealt with.

Conflict: The problem that drives a story forward. Not necessarily a fight.

Couplet: Two rhyming lines of poetry right next to each other.

Epiphany: When a character has a sudden realization.

Foreshadowing: Giving clues in a story as to what may happen later. Usually not noticed until the end of the story.

Genre: The type of literature that a certain piece is classified as. Mystery, science fiction, romance, short fiction.

Hubris: Extreme pride, so much so that a character can not admit fault.

Imagery: Describing the 5 senses - words that deal with smell, sound, taste, touch and sight.

Irony: Saying the opposite of what is known to be true, or getting the opposite outcome as planned or expected.

Metaphor: A direct comparison of two objects.

Mood: A feeling or emotion in a piece of literature as evidenced by words, setting and actions.

Narration: A passage in literature where the author is relaying information to the reader but not through talking (no dialogue).

Onomatopoeia: A word that sounds like the noise it is intended to describe.

Personification: Giving non-living or non-human things human characteristics.

Point of View: By whose perspective a story is told. 1st person, 3rd person limited, 3rd person omniscient.

Protagonist: The hero or "good guy" in a story.

Resolution: Once the climax has been finished, the way a story wraps up loose ends and pieces of the plot.

Satire: An attack on or criticism of someone or something through harsh humor or sarcasm.

Simile: An indirect comparison of two things using "like" or "as".

Symbol: An object that is used to represent a larger concept or idea.

Theme: The larger issue of a story. The lesson the author wants us to learn.

Tone: The author's attitude toward his subject of a story as evidenced by word choice, setting, actions, etc.

Tragic Hero: A protagonist that has a tragic flaw that readers feel emotion for.