| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Allusion | An indirect reference to something. A brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or ficticious, or to a work of art. Casual reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event. |
| Symbol | Using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning. |
| Simile | The comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as". |
| Metaphor | Comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be" and not using like or as as in a simile. |
| Romanticism | Not literal. More on feelings. Emotion over reality. |
| Antagonist | The character who strives against another main character. This character opposes the hero or protagonist in drama. |
| Characterization | The method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes (1) showing the character's appearance, (2) displaying the character's actions, (3) revealing the character's thoughts, (4) letting the character speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others. |
| Conflict | The struggle found in fiction. May be internal or external and is best seen in (1) Man in conflict with another Man: (2) Man in conflict in Nature; (3) Man in conflict with self. |
| Personification | Giving human qualities to animals or objects. |
| Idealism | Wanting a perfect scenario. View as it should be as not as what it is. |
| Mood | The emotional attitude the author takes towards hir subject. |
| Narrator | Anyone who recounts a narrative. In fiction the term is used for the ostensible author or teller of a story. |
| Protagonist | The main character or lead figure in a novel, play, story, or poem |
| Realism | Things how they really are. |
| Theme | The general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express. |
| Style | A manner of putting thoughts into words or the characteristic mode of construction and expression in writing and speaking |
| Hyperbole | Exaggeration or overstatement. |
Combine with other sets
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