| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Allegory | A form of extended metahor in which objects, people, and actions in a narrative, are equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself |
| Analogy | drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity in some respect |
| Archetype | the usage of any object or situation as it was originally made |
| Conflict | the struggle found in fiction |
| Connotation | an implied meaning of a word |
| Denotation | the literal/dictionary meaning of a word |
| Diction | the manner in which something is expressed in words |
| Euphemism | an inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is considered offensive |
| Point of View | the perspective from which a story is told |
| Plot | same as conflict; the struggle found in fiction |
| Flashback | an action that interrupts to show an event that happened at an earlier time which is essential to better understanding |
| Foil | a character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another |
| Foreshadowing | the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in literature |
| Hyperbole | exaggeration or overstatement |
| Imagery | the ability to form mental images of things or events |
| Irony | incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs |
| Metaphor | the comparison of two unlike things not using like or as |
| Motif | a recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work; a dominant theme or central idea |
| Oxymoron | putting two contradictory words together. |
| Paradox | kind of truth which at first seems contradictory; two opposing ideas |
| Satire | a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness |
| Setting | the time and place in fiction. |
| Simile | comparison of two unlike things using like or as |
| Symbol | an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning. |
| Theme | the general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express |
| Syntax | the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences |
| Tone | the attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character: serious, humorous, sarcastic, ironic, satirical, tongue-in-cheek, solemn, objective |
| Tragedy | drama in which the protagonist is overcome by some superior force or circumstance |
| Understatement | the opposite of exaggeration. It is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than intended. |
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