Literary Terms
flashback
a literary device that allows writers to show their audience specific events that happened before the current action of the story
extended metaphor
a metaphor introduced and then further developed throughout all or part of a literary work
subplot
a minor story that runs inside the main story
connotation
an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal meaning
allusion
an intentional reference to another literary work or piece of art that the reader should understand in order to make connections
irony
can be verbal, situational, or dramatic and has the result of the meaning, situation or action being one thing but meaning something different
hyperbole
exaggeration of use to suggest strong emotion or create a comic effect
mood
how the reader feels about the story
tone
how the writer feels about his subject that comes through based upon the types of words chosen
refrain
repitition of sounds or words to form a pattern
narrator
tells the story either in the first, second, or third person point of view
protagonist
the central character in a work of literature
antagonist
the character who opposes or struggles against the main character
diction
the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing
anaphora
the deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs
foreshadowing
when the author hints at actions that will come in the future
personification
when authors give human traits to animals or some other lifeless object
rhyme
Correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words
foil
a caracter whose actions or thoughts are juxtaposed against those of a major character
genre
a category system that literature falls into based on specific conventions that develop to characterize the differences
metaphor
a comparison of two different things to make them more alike
symbol
a concrete or physical object that represents an abstract concept
plot
a sequence of related events that make up a story or novel
satire
a type if literary device where an author ridicules specific people, groups or some aspect in society
parody
a type of literary work that satirizes another work, its author, or the ideas present
sonnet
a type of poem that has a specific rhyme and meter
onomatopoeia
a word that describes words that represent sounds
imagery
a writer's vivid description that helps readers visualize
theme
an abstraction that represents the central idea of the story
climax
the most exciting part of the story where all of the main conflict comes together
point of view
the perspective from which a narrative is told
alliteration
the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are close together
consonance
the repetition of the final consonant sounds in stressed syllables
assonance
the repitition of similar vowel sounds is accented syllables
setting
where a story takes place