| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Allegory | in fiction, the representation of abstract ideas or qualities as actions and characters |
| Alliteration | the repetition of initial sounds |
| Allusion | reference to a well-known person, place, thing, idea, event, etc. |
| Analogy | a comparison of two or more similar objects, suggesting that if they are alike in certain respects, they will probably be alike in other ways as well |
| Antagonist | a character who opposes the main character |
| Characterization | method the author uses to acquaint readers with characters |
| Indirect | learn about characters through what they say, what others say about them, and what they do |
| Direct | learn about characters directly through exposition by the author |
| Static | never-changing character |
| Dynamic | always changing |
| Cliche | an overused, predictable, and therefore uninteresting expression or idea |
| Dialogue | conversation carried on by the characters in a literary work |
| Epitaph | the inscription on a tomb or gravestone |
| Epithet | a descriptive name given to a person |
| Eulogy | a spoken or written praise, often of somebody dead |
| Euphemism | use of a less direct, less offensive word or phrase |
| Fable | a short, simple story teachinglesson, usually with animals |
| Fiction | writing from a writer's imagination |
| Figurative Language | using figures of speech to heighten meaning |
| Flashback | interruption to show an episode from the past |
| Foreshadowing | a hint to the reader of what is to come |
| Genre | a form or type of literature |
| Homonyms | two words that are spelled alike, sound alike, but have different meanings |
| Hyperbole | an extreme exaggeration |
| Imagery | the sensory details that create pictures in our minds |
| Irony | a contrast between what appears to be and what really is |
| Jargon | language of a trade or profession |
| Metaphor | an implied comparison |
| Mood | the emotions the literature makes the reader feel |
| Myth | a traditional story connected with religion of a people |
| Onomatopoeia | words sounding like the thing being discussed |
| Oxymoron | contradictory terms placed together |
| Parable | a brief fictional work teaching a lesson |
| Personification | giving human qualities to non-living objects |
| Point of View | the relationship between the teller of the story and the characters |
| First Person | narrator is a character is in the story |
| Third Person | an outside narrator tells the story |
| Omniscient | all knowing; the narrator knows everything about the characters |
| Protagonist | main character |
| Simile | a comparison using like or as |
| Symbol | something concrete that represents something else |
| Theme | the main idea of a piece of literature |
| Tone | the author's attitude toward the subject matter |
Combine with other sets
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