Literary Terms

Allusion

a reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature. Allusions are often indirect or brief references to well-known characters or events

Antagonist

The antagonist in a work of fiction is the character who opposes the hero, or protagonist. The antagonist, when there is one, provides the story's conflict.

Character trait

a character's personality; a trait is not a physical description of a character.

Direct characterization

the author directly states a character's traits or makes direct comments about a character's nature.

Indirect characterization

the author shows character, rather than telling it directly. The author gives clues through speech, thoughts/feeling, actions, effects on others, actions, and looks.

Dynamic character

a character who changes throughout the course of the story.

Flat character

a character about whom little information is provided.

Round character

is a character who is fully described by the author (several character traits, background information, etc.)

Static character

a character who does not change or who changes very little in the course of a story.

Conflict

the tension or problem in the story; a struggle between opposing forces

Central conflict

the dominant or most important conflict in the story.

External conflict

the problem or struggle that exists between the main character and an outside force. (ex: person vs. person, person vs. society, person vs. nature, person vs. the supernatural, person vs. technology, etc.)

Internal conflict

the problem or struggle that takes place in the main character's mind (person vs. self)

dialect

a form of language that is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people

foreshadowing

occurs when the writer provides clues or hints that suggest or predict a future event in a story.

hyperbole

a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect.

imagery

the use of words and phrases that appeal to the five senses. Writers use sensory details to help readers imagine how things look, feel, smell, sound, and taste.

verbal irony

occurs when the speaker means something totally different than what he or she is saying and often times the opposite of what a character is saying is true. The opposite to the expected is said.

dramatic irony

occurs when facts are not known to the characters in a work of literature but are known by audience. The audience knows more than the characters do.

cosmic irony

suggests that some unknown force brings about dire and dreadful events.

situational irony

the difference between what is expected to happen and the way events actually work out. An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience.

metaphor

a comparison is made between two things. Unlike a simile, a metaphor does not contain an explicit word of comparison, such as "like" or "as".

mood

the mood or atmosphere that a literary work conveys to readers. Mood is created through the use of plot, character, the author's descriptions, etc. Mood is the emotion that you feel while you are reading.

personification

a figure of speech where animals, ideas or inanimate objects are given human characteristics.

point of view

perspective from which a story is told. Understanding the point of view used in a work is critical to understanding literature; it serves as the instrument to relay the events of a story, and in some instances the feelings and motives of the character(s).

protagonist

the main character (the central or primary personal figure) of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify.

satire

a literary technique in which ideas or customs are ridiculed for the purpose of improving society.

simile

a simile makes a comparison between two otherwise unlike objects or ideas by connecting them with the words "like" or "as.

style

how a writer says something; many elements contribute to style, including word choice, sentence length, tone, and figurative language.

symbol

using something specific to stand for something else, especially an idea. A symbol is a person, place, object or action that stands for something beyond itself.

theme

a common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout a literary work. A theme is a thought or idea the author presents to the reader about life or human nature. Generally, a theme has to be extracted as the reader explores the passages of a wo

tone

the attitude that an author takes toward the audience, the subject, or the character.