Literary Terms List #1
1. allegory-
a story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for
abstract ideas or qualities.
2. allusion-
a reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports,
science, or some other branch of culture.
3. ambiguity/ ambiguous - a technique by which a writer deliberately suggests two or more different, and sometimes
conflicting, meanings in a work; unclear; doubtful/ able to be understood in different ways.
4. anachronism- a person or thing that is chronologically out of place, especially one from a former age that is
incongruous (out of place) in the present; something that is out of its proper time.
5. anecdote-
a very brief story told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something.
6. antagonist- the opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero or protagonist in a story.
7. antonym- the word of opposite meaning/ synonym- a word that has the same, or nearly the same, meaning.
8. character: dynamic- a character in the story who changes in an important way as a result of the story’s action.
static- a character who does not change much during the course of the story.
9. character: flat- a character who has few personality traits (can be summed up by a single phrase: the loyal
sidekick, the buffoon, the nosy neighbor).
round- have more dimensions to their personalities—they are complex, just as real people are.
10. characterization- (4 or 5 types) the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character: by telling
directly what the character is like; describing how the character looks and dresses; letting us hear the
character speak (dialogue); revealing the character’s private thoughts and feelings; revealing the
character’s effects on other people—showing how other characters feel or behave toward the
character; and by showing the character in action.
11. cliché-
an overused expression that has lost its freshness, force, and appeal. Ex. Happy as a lark.
12. conflict: - the struggle between opposing forces or characters in a story; also the basis of the plot.
external- can exist between two people, between a person and nature or a machine, or between a
person and a whole society.
internal- involves opposing forces within a person’s mind.
13. connotation- the associations and emotional overtones that have become attached to a word or phrase
** words with strong connotations are often called loaded words or suggestive words
14. denotation- the literal dictionary meaning of a word/ denote- to mean; stand for.
15. dialect- a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of the inhabitants of a certain
geographical area.
16. diction- a speaker’s or writer’s choice of words (formal/ informal, colloquial, full of slang, poetic,
ornate/ plain, abstract/ concrete, etc.) and depends on the subject, purpose, and audience.
17. editing- to prepare written material for publication or presentation, by correcting, revising, or adapting.
18. fiction- a work that may be based on actual people and events, but is the writer’s imagination
nonfiction- writing about real people, places, and events; is concerned with factual information, like biographies,
autobiographies, essays, and newspaper articles.
19. figurative language- language that communicates ideas beyond the literal meanings of the words; although
what's said is not literally true, it stimulates vivid pictures or concepts in the reader's mind;
** figure of speech- a word or phrase that describes one thing in terms of another and that is not meant to
be taken literally (“he is a pain in the neck”)
a. hyperbole- a figure of speech that uses incredible exaggeration, or overstatement, for effect.
Ex. I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse!
b. metaphor- a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without the use of such specific words of
comparison as like, as, than, or resembles. Ex. I am an island.
c. onomatopoeia- the use of a word whose sound imitates or suggests its meaning: buzz or honk
d. personification- a figure of speech in which an object, animal, or idea is given human characteristics
(feelings, thoughts, or attitudes). Ex. Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for
Death" personifies Death as a gentleman of kindness and civility
e. simile- a figure of speech that makes an explicit comparison between two unlike things using a word such
as like, as, than or resembles. Ex. Joan is like a wolf: lean and hungry.
f. understatement- a statement that says less than what is meant; often used to make an ironic point or for
humor. Ex. I would say that a Great White shark has a few teeth to be wary of.
Literary Terms List #2
20. flashback- a scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence in a story to depict something that
happened at an earlier time.
21. foil (“character”) - a character who acts as a contrast to another character.
22. foreshadowing- the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot.
23. generalizations- a general statement that draws a conclusion which is not specific; a principle, statement, or idea
having general application
24. genre- refers to the distinct types into which literary works can be grouped. The four main literary genres are
fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama.
25. gist- the main point; the essence of an idea.
26. historical context- the social conditions that inspired or influenced the creation of a literary work.
27. imagery- use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, a place, or an
experience.
28. inferences- the act of reasoning from factual knowledge or evidence.
29. irony- refers to a contrast between appearance and actuality.
a. dramatic irony-
when the readers know more about a situation or character than the characters do.
b. situational irony- contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen.
c. verbal irony -
occurs when someone states one thing and means another.
30. literary criticism-a piece of work that focuses on a literary work or genre, describing some aspect of it, such as
its origin, its characteristics, or its effects.
31. literary devices- an artistic technique in a literary work used to achieve a particular effect, such as suspense, a
round character, a scary atmosphere, etc.
32. mood- the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader using figurative language, imagery, etc.
33. motivation- the stated or implied reason behind a character's behavior.
34. narrative- any type of writing that is primarily concerned with telling an event or a series of events. It can be
imaginary (as a short story or novel) or factual (as a newspaper account or a work of history). It can also
be used in poetry.
35. narrator- the character or voice that relates the story's events to the reader.
36. oxymoron- (type of paradox) a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase
ex. sweet sorrow, a deafening silence, a wise fool, jumbo shrimp
37. paradox- a statement that appears self-contradictory but that reveals a kind of truth. Ex. Thoreau's statement:
"I am not as wise as the day I was born"
38. parallelism- the repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structure; also called parallel
construction.
Ex. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “a government of the people, by the people,
and for the people.”
39. plot- the series of related events in a story or play, usually built around a conflict.
a. exposition- tells who the characters are and introduces their conflict; at the beginning .
b. rising action- all the actions that take place before the turning point; suspense usually builds here
c. complications- arise as the characters take steps to resolve their conflicts.
d. turning point- (the crisis) the point at which the hero experiences a reversal of fortune in a comedy,
things begin to work out well; in a tragedy, things get worse and worse
e. falling action- all the action after the turning point leading to the final resolution of the conflict.
f. climax- the exciting or suspenseful moment when the outcome of the conflict is imminent; the major
climax in most plays and novels take place just before the ending. A long novel may have several
climaxes, a separate turning point from a suspenseful high point, while a short story will have the
same event serve as both.
g. resolution/ denouement- when the story’s problems are all resolved (wrapped up) and the story ends.
Literary Terms List #3
40. point of view- the vantage point from which the writer tells a story.
a. first person- the narrator is a character in the work and tells everything in his/her own words using "me",
"I", and "my". We only know what the narrator knows.
b. third person limited- an unknown narrator (usually thought of as the author) tells the story, but zooms in
to focus on the thoughts, observations, and feelings of only one character using “he,” “she,” and “they”
c. omniscient- an all-knowing narrator tells the story using third person pronouns, but often tells us everything about many characters: motives, weaknesses, hopes, childhoods, and even their futures.
d. objective- a narrator who is totally impersonal and objective tells the story, with no comment on any
characters or events; totally impersonal, we only see what a “camera” would see. The narrator never
gives any revelation of character’s thoughts or motives. Like Hemingway’s stories.
41. primary sources- sources that offer direct, first-hand knowledge such as diaries, memoirs, and personal
histories.
secondary sources- offer indirect, secondhand knowledge based on study or someone else’s relation of event
he/she experienced such as biographies, textbooks, etc.
42. proofreading- reading to find and correct errors.
43. prose- refers to all forms of written or spoken expression that are organized and that lack regular rhythm pattern;
characterized by logical order, continuity, of thought and individual style.
44. protagonist- the central character in a story, the one who initiates or drives the action.
45. redundant- unnecessarily repetitive.
46. revise / revision- to prepare a newly edited version of (a text) by reconsidering or changing the text.
47. rhetorical question- a question asked for effect, not actually requiring an answer; often used in persuasive
writing to emphasize a point or create an emotional effect
48. satire- a type of writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about
change; tones range from gently spoofing to savage mockery. Ex. Saturday Night Live skits
49. setting-
the time (past, present, or future) and location (real or imaginary) in which a story takes place.
Functions: create conflict, create atmosphere or mood, or to create and delineate a character (like in “A
Rose for Emily” the musty rooms in Emily’s old-fashioned house reflect her refusal to live in the
present and her own decay).
50. short story- a work of fiction that can be read in one sitting; it usually focuses on one or two major characters
and one major conflict.
51. stereotype- a fixed idea or conception of a character or an idea that does not allow for any individuality, and is
often based on religious, social, or racial prejudices
52. stream of consciousness- a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character's
mind; the random flow of ideas, memories, associations, images, and emotions as they arise
spontaneously in a character’s mind
53. structure- the way in which the literary work is put together—the arrangement of words and lines to produce a
desired effect. In poetry, it is the stanza type; in prose it could be paragraphs, chapters, or acts (in
plays).
54. style- the distinctive way in which a writer uses language; refers not so much to what is said, but how it is said;
word choice, sentence length and complexity, tone, imagery, and use of dialogue all contribute to style;
style can be plain, ornate, metaphorical, spare, descriptive, etc.
55. suspense- a feeling of uncertainty and curiosity about what will happen next in a story; the “hook”.
56. symbol-
a person, place, or thing that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something more than itself,
such as an idea or feeling; public symbol- dove for peace; private symbol- a journey is a search for
truth, redemption from evil, or discovery of self and freedom.
57. syntax- the rules and patterns of forming sentences and phrases in a language.
58. tall tale- an outrageously exaggerated, humorous story that is obviously unbelievable.
59. theme- the insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work; rarely stated directly; is different from the
subject of the work (like “growing up” or “love” ); the theme is a statement the writer wants to make
about that subject; most be at least one sentence long, but may be longer.
60. thesis- main idea of an essay.
61. tone- the writer's attitude toward his/her subject of a work, the characters in it, or the audience; communicated
through diction, choice of details, and direct statements of his/her position (unlike mood which is the
reader's emotional response); can be described in a single word: objective, solemn, playful, ironic,
sarcastic, critical, reverent, irreverent, philosophical, cynical, and so on
62. tragedy-
in general, a story in which a heroic character either dies or comes to some other unhappy end. The
main character (tragic hero) has a tragic flaw, a quality that leads to his/her destruction. The events
in a tragic plot are set in motion by a decision that is often an error in judgment caused by the tragic
flaw. Succeeding events are linked in a cause-and-effect relationship and lead inevitably to a
disastrous conclusion, usually death. ex. Julius Caesar or John Proctor in The Crucible
63. vernacular- the language spoken by the people who live in a particular locality.
64. voice- the writer’s unique use of language that allows the reader to “hear” a human personality in his or her
writing; includes style such as diction, sentence structure, and tone.