Literary Elements List # 1
Word
1. Alliteration
Definition
repetition of consonant sounds at the
beginning of words
2. Allusion
reference to a famous person, place,
event, or work
3. Autobiography
nonfiction where a person tells the story
of his/her life
4. Biography
nonfiction where someone else tells
someone’s story
5. Comparison
process of identifying similarities
6. Context clues
hints or suggestions that surround
unfamiliar words
7. Contrast
the process of pointing out differences
between things
8. Dialogue
words spoken aloud by character’s in a
story
9. Dialect
form of language spoken in a particular
place or group
10.External conflict character struggles against another
person or force
11. Fiction
prose that tells an imaginary story
12. Flashback
interruption in the story’s action to
present past events
13. Foreshadow
writer provides hints about what is to
come in the future
14. Free verse
poetry without regular patterns of rhyme
and rhythm
15. Genre
type or category of literature
16. Hyperbole
figure of speech where the truth is
exaggerated
17. Imagery
words or phrases that appeal to the
reader’s five senses
18. Inference
logical guess based on evidence
19. Internal
character struggles against their own self
conflict
20. Irony
the opposite of what is expected occurs
Homework
Monday and Tuesday Night – Create a flashcard for each of the above
literary elements! You will be received 20 literary elements a week
until you have all 40! Please use real index cards so that you can utilize
these study cards until the assessment!
Wednesday Night – Identify an example of each literary element! You
can create them and/or research examples on the internet!
Please put your examples on the definition side of the index card.
Thursday – I will check your index cards and examples!
Friday – Quiz on this weeks literary elements!
SAMPLE INDEX CARD
Alliteration
repetition of consonant sounds at
the beginning of words
Ex: Peter Piper picked a peck of
pickled peppers!