allegory
a work that functions on a symbolic level
alliteration
repetition of initial consonant sounds
allusion
a reference to another work of literature, person, or event
antagonist
the character who works against the protagonist in the story
apostrophe
a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction
aside
a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage
ballad
folk song, narrative poem
blank verse
unrhymed verse (usually in iambic pentameter)
cacophony
loud confusing disagreeable sounds
caesura
a pause or break within a line of poetry
catharsis
a release of emotional tension
character
a person or animal who takes part in the action of a literary work
climax
the turning point of the story
comic relief
A humorous scene or speech intended to lighten the mood
conflict
opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot)
connotation
the implied or associative meaning of a word
convention
traditional aspect of a literary work
couplet
Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme
denotation
The dictionary definition of a word
denoument
conclusion
diction
a writer's or speaker's choice of words
dramatic monologue
A type of poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener. As readers, we overhear the speaker in a dramatic monologue.
elegy
a mournful poem, usually about the dead
enjambment
When the meaning of a line of poetry is completed on the next line. This technique can emphasise an idea or add to the rhythm and flow of the lines.E.G. "How long have they tugged the leash and strained apart, My pack of unruly hounds! (D.H Lawerence)
epic
a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
exposition
The introductory material which gives the setting, creates the tone, presents the characters, and presents other facts necessary to understanding the story.
fable
a short moral story (often with animal characters)
figurative language
Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.
flashback
a scene or event from the past that appears in a narrative out of chronological order, to fill in information or explain something in the present
foreshadowing
the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot
free verse
poetry without a regular pattern of meter or rhyme
hyperbole
extreme exaggeration
idyll
a short descriptive poem of rural or pastoral life
image
a verbal approximation of a sensory image in a work of literature
imagery
The use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, thing, place, or experience
impressionism
writing that reflects a personal image of a character, event, or concept
irony
an unexpected outcome, or the use of a word that is opposite of its literal meaning
lyric poetry
Personal, reflective poetry that reveals the speaker's thoughts and feelings about the subject
metaphor
comparison not using like or as
metaphysical poetry
The work of poets, particularly those of the seventeenth century, that uses elaborate conceits, is highly intellectual, and expresses the complexities of love and life
metonymy
A figure of speech in which something is referred to by using the name of something that is associated with it
monologue
a (usually long) dramatic speech by a single actor
motif
A recurring theme, subject or idea
narrative poem
a poem that tells a story
narrator
the person who tells the story
ode
a complex, generally long lyric poem on a serious subject
onomatopoeia
the use of words that imitate sounds
oxymoron
an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined
parable
a short narrative designed to teach a moral lesson
parallel plot
secondary story line that mimics and reinforces the main plot
parody
an artistic work that imitates the style of another work for comic effect
pathos
a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow)
personification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
plot
the story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.
point of view
the perspective from which a story is told
protagonist
The main character in a literary work
resolution
End of the story where loose ends are tied up
rhetorical question
a question asked for an effect, not actually requiring an answer
satire
form of literature in which irony, sarcasm, and ridicule are employed to attack human vice and folly
simile
comparison using like or as
soliloquy
in drama, a character speaks alone on stage to allow his/her thoughts and ideas to be conveyed to the audience
sonnet
a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme
subplot
a secondary or subordinate plot, as in a play, novel, or other literary work; underplot
symbol
something that stands for something else
synechdoche
Uses a part to explain a whole or a whole to explain a part. ex. Lend me an ear.
syntax
The grammatical structure of prose and poetry
theme
a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in a literary or artistic work
tone
The attitude of the author toward the story (e.g., serious or humorous).
tragic hero
A literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy