Literary Terms Review Bellwork
Directions: Do not write on this sheet – write on notebook paper. Do not write the sentences. Just
number 1-20 and write the correct literary term that would correctly fit in the blank.
alliteration
resolution
onomatopoeia
simile
plot
allusion
first person
personification
antagonist
theme
foreshadowing tone
third person limited
protagonist
speaker
climax
metaphor
symbol
setting
conflict
mood
third person omniscient
1. The _____________________ is the “turning point” in the story for the main character(s). It is often
known as the most exciting point in a story.
2. The time and place of the action in a literary work is called the ____________.
3. __________________ is a struggle between opposing forces, such as two people fighting or the
problem in the story.
4. ___________________ is the use of clues that suggest or predict what will occur later in the story.
5. A writer’s attitude toward his or her subject is called the __________________.
6. __________________ is the feeling created in the reader by the literary work.
7. The _____________________ is the central message of a literary work. It is a generalization about
human beings or about life.
8. A/an _____________________ is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or
work of art.
9. Anything that stands for or represents something else is called a/an _______________________.
10. ________________________ is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. An example is:“What
happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”
11. ______________________ is the use of words that imitate sounds. Examples are: crash, bang, clang.
12. ______________________ is a type of figurative language in which a non-human subject is given
human characteristics. An example is:“Sorrow walked through my door and sat down next to me.”
13. A/an _______________________ is a figure of speech in which two things are compared without the
use of “like” or “as.” Example:“On the football team, the defensive line was a concrete wall.”
14. A/an ______________________ is a figure of speech in which two things are compared with the use
of “like” or “as.” Example:“On the football team, the defensive line was as solid as a concrete wall.”
15. The ________________________ is the main character in a literary work.
16. The ________________________ is the character or force in conflict with the main character in a
literary work.
17. The __________________________ point of view is when a character tells the story, and the reader
knows only what this character feels and sees.
18. The __________________________ point of view is when a voice outside of the work tells the story,
and the reader can tell what any character thinks or feels.
19. The _______________________ is the sequence of events, or what happens, in a story.
20. The “narrator” of a piece of writing, often a poem is the ___________________________.
Literary Terms Bellwork ANSWER KEY
Directions: Do not write on this sheet – write on notebook paper. Do not write the sentences. Just number
1-20 and write the correct literary term that would correctly fit in the blank.
alliteration
resolution
onomatopoeia
simile
plot
allusion
first person
personification
antagonist
theme
foreshadowing tone
third person limited
protagonist
speaker
climax
metaphor
symbol
setting
conflict
mood
third person omniscient
1. The ___CLIMAX__________________ is the “turning point” in the story for the main character(s). It is
often known as the most exciting point in a story.
2. The time and place of the action in a literary work is called the ___SETTING_________.
3. ___CONFLICT_______________ is a struggle between opposing forces, such as two people fighting or
the problem in the story.
4. ____FORESHADOWING____ is the use of clues that suggest or predict what will occur later in the story.
5. A writer’s attitude toward his or her subject is called the ___TONE_______________.
6. ____MOOD______________ is the feeling created in the reader by the literary work.
7. The __THEME___________________ is the central message of a literary work. It is a generalization
about human beings or about life.
8. A/an _ALLUSION___ is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.
9. Anything that stands for or represents something else is called a/an _SYMBOL_______.
10. _ALLITERATION_______ is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. An example is:“What happens to
a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”
11. __ONOMATOPOEIA__ is the use of words that imitate sounds. Examples are: crash, bang, clang.
12. _PERSONIFICATION___ is a type of figurative language in which a non-human subject is given human
characteristics. An example is:“Sorrow walked through my door and sat down next to me.”
13. A/an ___METAPHOR_____ is a figure of speech in which two things are compared without the use of
“like” or “as.” Example:“On the football team, the defensive line was a concrete wall.”
14. A/an _SIMILE___ is a figure of speech in which two things are compared with the use of “like” or “as.”
Example:“On the football team, the defensive line was as solid as a concrete wall.”
15. The _PROTAGONIST_______________________ is the main character in a literary work.
16. The ___ANTAGONIST_____________________ is the character or force in conflict with the main
character in a literary work.
17. The ____FIRST PERSON______________________ point of view is when a character tells the story,
and the reader knows only what this character feels and sees.
18. The __THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT_________ point of view is when a voice outside of the work tells
the story, and the reader can tell what any character thinks or feels.
19. The ___PLOT____________________ is the sequence of events, or what happens, in a story.
20. The “narrator” of a piece of writing, often a poem is the ___SPEAKER________________________.