“Wise men speak because they
have something to say, fools
because they have to say
something.”
~ Plato
Literary Terms
American Literature
What word means…
A sequence of repeated
consonantal sounds in a
stretch of language
alliteration
What word is depicted below?
(you can use all of your senses)
imagery
What word explains this
example…
John says: “I am going north by bicycle, but
she is coming south by car.”
Rich says: “That is opposite” (Rick moves left
on stage).
Stage Directions
What word is a passing reference
in a work of literature…
allusion
What word means…
a word, thing, or idea chosen for the
purpose of comparison; it is also another
word for a literary parallel (we did not
review this word—try it) 
analogy
We are analyzing his word
choice.
“I have
dream…”
diction
The cat’s sounds are soft and
gentle: meow!
Think of the sounds!
What word means…
“I’m so hungry I can eat a horse.”
hyperbole
What word is depicted below?
simile
The
sailors
were as
strong as
the ship.
What word means…
Words which sound like the noise they
describe—we didn’t review this word.
Try it! 
onomatopoeia Bop, bop
What word deals with …
Language that is literally true!
Literal Language
Example
Shakespeare remarks, “…love is the
star to every wandering bark.”
metaphor
What word means—these
represent something else…
symbol
What word means…
The saxophone was crying last night.
personification
What word is …
a central point in a story
theme
What word is depicted below;
this comedy is know for
its…(this is a new word)
parody
What word means…
The contrast between appearance and
reality
irony
What is this?
It is the opposite of hyperbole. Creating
emphasis by saying less than is actually
true. “The reader might well pause here
and recollect that it is traditional among
robbers to steal escape vehicles, not to
borrow them from friends.”
Understatement
What word means…
A play on words that often has a comic
effect; the hungry gorilla went ape.
pun
What word is depicted below?
satire
What is …
is a statement that seems to contradict
itself but, is nevertheless, true.
Ex:”The World’s on Fire”
money is allocated for a music video
can also feed a village.
paradox
What is …
it when the readers know more than
the characters. Ex: We knew why
Jim Carey could not tell a lie.
Dramatic Irony
What is …
A repetition of the same word or
phrase
e.g. “Mad world! Mad kings! Mad
composition!” (William Shakespeare, King
John, II, i)
repetition
What is this?
You just got a horrible haircut;
however, everyone complements your
new style. “I just love your new
haircut!”
Verbal irony
What is it …
You expect the vacation to be
wonderful; however, the opposite
situation happens. It rains the entire
vacation.
Situational irony
What is …?
the attitude a writer takes towards a
subject: mean, rude, funny, etc.
Tone
What is …?
the villain, the hero, the warrior, the
caretaker, the trickster, etc…
archetype
What is …?
a speech in which a character speaks
thoughts aloud. The character is on
the stage alone, not speaking to other
characters.
soliloquy
What is …?
a rhymed pair of lines
“I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow” (W.
Blake)
couplet
What is …?
The repetition of one or more lines in
each stanza of a poem (or lyrics)
refrain
What is …?
an indirect reference to another
literary work or to a famous person
(we already had this in the review)
Ex: Lord of the Flies and the Simpsons
allusion
Why is this film a tragedy?
death
What is …
A
battle between two characters?
conflict
What is this?
“You
are my dawg!”
Good Luck! 