Dynamic Character
A character who grows, learns, or changes as a result of the story's action
Static Character
A character that does not change from the beginning of the story to the end
Diction
A writer's or speaker's choice of words
Exposition
A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.
Archetype
A detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response
Flashback
A method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events
Narrative point of view
The agent who tells the story.The perspective from which a story is told
Theme
Central idea of a work of literature
Metaphor
a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them (as in drowning in money); broadly : figurative language
Personification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
Antagonist
A character or force in conflict with the main character
Denotation
The dictionary definition of a word
Mood
Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader
Climax
Most exciting moment of the story; turning point
Resolution
End of the story where loose ends are tied up
Foreshadowing
A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.
Simile
A comparison using "like" or "as
Tone
A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.
Extended Metaphor
A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds
Allusion
A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. Allusions can be historical, literary, religious, topical, or mythical. There are many more possibilities, and a work may
Satire
A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies.
Protagonist
Main character
Connotation
All the meanings, associations, or emotions that a word suggests
Direct Characterization
Author directly describes character
Indirect Characterization
Author subtly reveals the character through actions and interactions.
Conflict
A struggle between opposing forces
Genre
A category or type of literature (or of art, music, etc.) characterized by a particular form, style, or content.
Style
A basic and distinctive mode of expression.
Figures Of Speech
Expressions, such as similes, metaphors, and personifications, that make imaginative, rather than literal, comparisons or associations.
Imagery
Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
Inference
A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning
Paradox
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.