Literary Terms
English 11 AP
The Foil
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A foil is a minor character who
prevents the main character from
carrying out plans and/or
succeeding.
A foil may also be used to contrast
the traits of a character.
In this way, Tybalt can be seen as a
foil, as he is in direct contrast with
Romeo and ruins his hopes for
happiness.
Anachronism
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An anachronism is an event that
does not belong in the time period in
which it is presented. This image, for
example, is anachronistic.
http://www.dezignwithaz.com/images/mona-lisa-painting-on-canvas.png
Static and Dynamic Characters
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A static character is a character who
does not undergo an important
internal change. (This is not a bad
thing, necessarily. Thomas More, in
A Man for All Seasons, was a static
character.)
A dynamic character undergoes an
important internal change
throughout the course of the text.
Maxim, Aphorism, Proverb
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A maxim is a basic rule of conduct.
(“Actions speak louder than words.”)
A proverb is a wise, true, often
metaphorical statement. (“Look before
you leap.”)
An aphorism is a brief sentence
expressing a general thought. (“We must
become the change we wish to see.”)
Satire
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A literary work in which human vice
or folly is attacked through irony,
derision, or wit.
A Modest Proposal, by Jonathan
Swift, is the classic example of satire
in the English language.
Pathetic Fallacy
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Pathetic Fallacy is a type of
personification, where inanimate
objects are specifically given human
feelings and emotions.
“A Cruel Wind” would be a good
example of this.
Aristotle’s Unities
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Unity of place (stories should take
place in one specific area)
Unity of time (stories should take
place within a single day)
Unity of action (elements of the story
should only contribute directly to the
action of the plot.)
Example – “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
Metonymy
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Metonymy - A figure of speech in
which one word or phrase is
substituted for another with which it
is closely associated, as in the use of
Washington for the United States
government or of the sword for
military power.
(www.dictionary.com)
Cliché
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Any word, phrase, or plot device that
has become trite or commonplace
through overuse.
“When Hell freezes over!”
“Everyone and his dog knows a
cliché!”
“More clichés than you can shake a
stick at!”
Synecdoche
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A figure of speech where a part of
something stands for the whole.
“Catch some rays”
“Pumped him full of lead”
“200 head of cattle”
“Ask for her hand”
Archetypes
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An original model or type after which
other similar things are patterned; a
prototype: “‘Frankenstein’ . . .
‘Dracula’ . . . ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde’ . . . the archetypes that have
influenced all subsequent horror
stories” (New York Times)
The Tragic Hero
The Damsel in Distress
The Hooker with a heart of gold
The Mean Girl
Assonance, Consonance and
Dissonance
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Assonance – repeated vowel sounds
Consonance – repeated consonant
sounds
Dissonance – harsh sounds,
cacophony, unpleasant sounds in a
work of literature.
Pastoral
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Charmingly simple and serene; a
literary or other artistic work that
portrays or evokes rural life, usually
in an idealized way.
Think of Blake’s “The Lamb” and
even Coleridge’s “Frost at Midnight.”
Symbol
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Something that represents
something else by association,
resemblance, or convention,
especially a material object used to
represent something invisible.
(www.answers.com)
The Great Rooted Bed will symbolize
the permanence of Odysseus’
marriage to Penelope.
Rhetoric
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The art of speaking or writing
persuasively and effectively. There
are a number of rhetorical
techniques that allow a writer to
develop his or her style, including
metaphor, simile, alliteration,
assonance, consonance, dissonance,
irony, hyberbole, and dozens more.
Now that you know…
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Now that you know these literary
terms, be prepared to define them
(your own words are acceptable!)
and offer an example.
Try to remember the presentations
made by the groups when thinking of
examples.