Key Literary Terms
alliteration
 Repetition of initial consonant
sounds in neighboring words.
 Ex: In clichés: sweet smell of
success, a dime a dozen
Can you name the song and identify
the lines with alliteration?
allusion
 A brief reference to a person,
event, or place, real or fictitious, or
to a work of art. Also, reference to
a famous historical or literary
figure or event.
Can you name the song and identify
the allusion? Hint: Forrest Gump
characterization
 How
a writer develops characters.
Includes: (1) showing appearance,
(2) displaying actions, (3) revealing
thoughts, (4) speech, & (5) the
reactions of others.
How does the narrator in this song
characterize his subject?
conflict
 The struggle between two forces:
Character vs. Character
Character vs. SelfCharacter vs. Society
Character vs. Nature/Supernatural
Character vs. Society
What is the conflict
in this song?
euphemism
Substitution of an agreeable or at least
non-offensive expression for one whose
plainer meaning might be harsh or
unpleasant.
Ex: Sanitation engineer
Pre-owned vehicles
Protein Spill
Area Denial Munitions
figurative language
Speech
or writing that
departs from literal meaning
in order to achieve a special
effect or meaning; speech or
writing employing figures of
speech.
Ex: hyperbole, metaphor,
foreshadowing
The use of hints or clues to
suggest what will happen later
in literature.
genre
A
category of artistic, musical, or
literary composition characterized
by a particular style, form, or
content.
 Ex: Rock, rap, hip-hop, country,
etc.
hyperbole
Exaggeration. The opposite of
hyperbole is understatement.
imagery
Language that appeals to the senses.
Six basic kinds of imagery: visual
(sight), auditory (sound), olfactory
(smell), gustatory (taste), tactile
(touch), & kinesthetic (movement).
irony
Situational: when the results of
a situation are the opposite of
what was expected
Ex: A firehouse burns
How is this song ironic?
irony
Verbal : Where the meaning is
intended to be the exact opposite
of what the words actually mean.
irony
Dramatic: a discrepancy
between what the character
knows and what the reader
knows to be true; the reader
knows something the
character does not know.
metaphor
A comparison of two generally
unlike things meant to illuminate
truth. Direct metaphors use "is" to
make the comparison explicit.
Implied metaphors suggest the
comparison.
Can you name this song and
identify the lines with metaphors?
onomatopoeia
Sounds are spelled out as
words; or, when words
describing sounds actually
sound like the sounds they
describe.
oxymoron
A contradiction in terms.
Ex: Jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly
paradox
an assertion seemingly opposed to
common sense, since the
elements of it cancel each other
out, but has truth in it.
personification
A kind of metaphor in which
human characteristics are given
to a creature, an idea, or an
object.
Ex: The sun smiled down; it was
a beautiful day.
point of view
 The
identity of the narrative
voice; the person or entity
through whom the reader
experiences the story. May be
third-person (no narrator;
omniscient or limited) or firstperson (narrated by a character
in the story).
setting
Time & place where a story occurs.
What’s the setting of this slide?
simile
An indirect relationship where one
thing or idea is expressed as being
similar to another. Similes contain
the words “like” or “as.”
“Life is like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you’re
gonna get.”
sound devices
 Sound
devices (or musical
devices) are the various ways a
poet uses the sound of words in
his or her poetry to make the
poem have a musical quality.
Examples: repetition,
alliteration, rhyme, rhythm,
assonance, onomatopoeia.
Symbol/symbolism
A symbol is a person,
place, thing or idea that
stands for something else.

tone
The writer's attitude toward his
readers and his subject; his mood
or moral view. A writer can be
formal, informal, playful, ironic,
and especially, optimistic or
pessimistic. What is the tone of
this song?
tragedy
A
story that ends with a negative
or unfortunate outcome which
was essentially avoidable,
usually caused by a flaw in the
central character’s personality.
 How is this song tragic?
tragic flaw
The single characteristic (usually
negative) or personality disorder
which causes the downfall of the
protagonist.
Hubris: Excessive pride or selfconfidence.
tragic hero
A
protagonist who comes to a bad
end as a result of his own behavior,
usually cased by a specific
personality disorder or character
flaw
 Ex: Caesar, Antigone, Oedipus
WORKS CITED
Braiman, Jay. “Literary Devices.” Mr. Braiman’s English Online.
30 July 2007 <http://mrbraiman.home.att.net/lit.htm>
Cremona, Joey. “The History of the Janus Masks.” The Comedy
Tragedy Mask Page. Oct. 2006. 30 July 2007
<http://www.angelfire.com/art/masks/maskhistory.html>.
Fry, Michelle.”Glossary of Literary Terms By Michelle Fry.”
Counter Attack. 30 July 2007
<http://www.sassoonery.demon.co.uk/litterms.htm>
Harris, Robert. “A Glossary of Literary Terms.” Virtual Salt. 4 Jan.
2004. 30 July 2007 <http://www.virtualsalt.com/litterms.htm>.
Hogue, Dawn. “Literary Terms to Know.” Cyber English 9. 23 Aug.
2006. 30 July 2007
<http://www.sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/cyberenglish9/Gen_Info/li
terary%20terms.htm>
WORKS CITED
Scaife, Ross. “A Glossary of Rhetorical Terms with Examples.”
Department of Modern & Classical Languages, Literatures, &
Cultures. 22 Dec. 2004. University of Kentucky. 31 July 2007
<http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/rhetoric.html#19>.