| Term | Definition |
| personification | when something is given qualities it normally does not have |
| simile | comparison using "like" or "as" |
| metaphor | comparison NOT using "like" or "as" |
| symbol | when something stands for something else |
| alliteration | when two or more words are next to each other that begin with the same letter or sound |
| imagery | when the author forms an image in your mind |
| idiom | a phrase that cannot be taken literally, but its meaning is understood |
| hyperbole | an exaggeration |
| irony | when the opposite of what is expected happens |
| onomatopoeia | when the sound of an action is spelled like it sounds |
| character | The people or animals who are in the story |
| characterization | when a description is given in the story of the characters & their actions |
| dialogue | words spoken by characters |
| foreshadowing | a hint in the story of something that will happen later in the story |
| setting | the time and place of the story |
| conflict | struggle in the story |
| climax | highest point of the story, purpose of reading the story, a discovery is made |
| resolution | characters return to as normal a life as possible |
| theme | the "message" of the story |
| point of view | the angle from which the story is told |
| flashback | when a portion of the story goes back in time |
| plot | the development of the story line from start to finish |
| Allegory | story or poem tha teaches a lesson or moral |
| Allusion | an implied reference to ideas, books or people that reader already knows |
| antagonist | one who opposes, causes conflict - a villain |
| Apostrophe | speaking to someone or something not present as if it were there |
| Assonance | repeating of vowel sounds - like breeze thru the trees |
| Climax | most exciting part of the story - the part when the conflict is resolved |
| Crisis | The point when the story reaches a turning point - something changes |
| Denouement | the solution - the outcome |
| exposition | material necessary for the understanding of the story |
| fiction | an imaginary story |
| figurative language | description of something by comparison |
| Genre | a type or category - like poetry, short story, fable, etc. |
| Hero or Heroine | main character (male or female |
| nonfiction | literary work other than fiction |
| paradox | a apparent contradiction that is actually true (such as "alone in a crowd" |
| parody | a funny imitation of a written story (a funny fake of a story) |
| protagonist | the good main character in a story |
| sattire | when something is made fun or to provoke a change |
| structure | parts of story (form, plot, characters, point of view, setting) |
| style | type of writing used to create a mood |
| subject | the topic of the story |
| symbolism | someone or something stands for something, when a thing represents more than just itself |
| tone | the author's attitude toward a subject |