Literary Terms
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Transcript of Literary Terms
LITERARY TERMS
Allegory• a work in which the characters and
events are to be understood as representing other things, usually a deeper, often spiritual, moral, or political meaning.
• Ex. The Lord of the Flies
Alliteration• is the repetition of sounds in words of
close prximity• generally more than 2 words
Ex. I stood still and stopped the sound of feet -from Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost
Allusion• a brief reference to a person, event, or
place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art.
• used to create a deeper meaning or understanding
Ex. He has the patience of Job.
Analogy• a similarity in some respects between things otherwise unlike
• like a metaphor, but with more elaboration
Characterization • the method used by a writer to develop a
character.• point of view• actions• personality• values• physical attributes
Conflict • a struggle between opposing forces
• conflict may be internal or external• man vs. self (internal) • man vs. man• man vs. nature• man v.s society
• a conflict is essential in a story
Diction• a writer’s choice of words, phrases,
sentence structures, and figurative language which combine to help create meaning
Foreshadowing
• hints about what will come later in the story
Hyperbole (hi–per-bo-lee)
• an obvious exaggeration used for effect
• Ex. I called you a million times today.
Imagery• language that evokes one or all of the
five senses
• Imagery is typically used to create a deeper understanding of theme, characters, setting,etc.
Ex. "A host of golden daffodils; / Beside the lake, beneath the trees, / Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”
-I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, William Wordsworth
Irony• The disconnect between what actually happens
and what might be expected to happen.
Situational: when and event is opposite of what would be expected
Dramatic: when the audience or reader is aware of something important but the characters in the story are not aware.
Verbal: what is said and what is meant are opposite
Metaphor• a comparison of two unlike things
• Often uses "to be“ verbs (is, am, are, was, were, etc.) instead of using ‘like’ or ‘as’
• Ex. Her eyes are crystal lakes.• Ex. I am an abandoned house.
Mood
• the emotional and/or physical atmosphere created by the setting and descriptions
Motif
• an important and sometimes recurring theme or idea
Oxymoron
• putting two contradictory words together
Ex. Deafening silence, a wise fool
Paradox• a statement, proposition, or situation that
seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true.
Ex. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” A Tale of Two Cities
Parody
• a piece of writing that deliberately copies or imitates another work in order to comment or critique it.
Ex. Tina Fey does a parady of Sarah Palin.
Personification• human qualities are attributed to
inanimate objects• abstract concepts are represented as a
person.
Ex. The flowers danced in the wind.Poseidon is the personification of the sea
Plot• sequence of events in a story Includes:
Rising actionClimaxFalling ActionResolution
Point of View• the person or entity through whom the
reader experiences the story
• Perspectives include:1st person2nd person3rd person (limited, omniscient, objective)
Satire• is the use of wit, especially irony,
sarcasm, and ridicule, to critique politics and society.
Setting
• the time and place where a story occurs
• setting can also be a character (Castaway, Into the Wild)
Simile• a comparison between two unlike things
• most often uses ‘like’ or ‘as’
Ex. “My love is like a red, red rose.”
Symbolism• the use of something concrete to
represent something abstract
Ex. A dove symbolizes peace.
Theme• the main idea or message of a piece
• Theme is NEVER just one word. “Love” isn’t a theme
“Love endures all things” is a theme
Ex. The idea that human beings are essentially brutal, savage creatures provides the central theme of the novel
Tone• the attitude of the speaker/narrator as
established through the language of the piece
Ex. The poem has a bitter tone, revealing the speaker’s anger and resentment.