| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Alliteration | The repitition of initial consonant or vowel sounds in two or more successive or nearby words. |
| Allusion | A reference to a well-known person, place, event, thing, myth, or religion. |
| Analogy | A comparison of two things that are somewhat alike. |
| Antagonist | A character, institution, group, or force that is in conflict with the protagonist. |
| Archetypes | Primordial images and symbols that occur in literature, myth, religion, and folklore. |
| Climax | The high point in the plot, after which there is falling action. May coincide with crisis. |
| Conflict | The struggle between characters and other characters, forces of nature, or outside forces beyond their control, internal conflict within a character who struggles with moral choices and matters of conscience. |
| Consonance | The repetition of a consonant at the end of two or more words. |
| Denouement | The falling action or final revelations in the plot. |
| Ellipsis | Three periods (...) that signify the omission of one or more words. |
| Epic | A long narrative poem about the adventures of gods or a hero. |
| Epithet | A word or phrase describing a quality of a person, place, or thing that is repeated throughout a work. |
| Extended metaphor | A metaphor that is elaborated on and developed in several phrases or sentences. |
| Falling action | All action that takes place after the climax. |
| Figurative language | The use of figures of speech to express ideas. |
| Foil | A character who, through contrast, reveals the characteristics of another character. |
| Hyperbole | A figure of speech that uses exaggeration. |
| Irony | The opposite of what is expected. A reality different from appearance. |
| Metaphor | A figure of speech in which one thing is said to be another thing. |
| Myth | A fictional tale about gods or heroes. Allusions to Greek, Roman, Norse, and Celtic myths are common in English literature. |
| Onomatopoeia | A figure of speech that uses words tho imitate sound. |
| Personification | A figure of speech that attributes human qualities to an inanimate object. |
| Poetic devices | Words with harmonious sounds including assonance, consonance, alliteration, repetition, and rhyme. |
| Protagonist | The main character. |
| Pun | A play on words. |
| Repetition | A poetic device that uses the repeating of words, sounds, phrases, or sentences. |
| Rhyme | Words with identical sounds, but different spellings. |
| Rhyme scheme | The pattern of rhyming words. |
| Rising action | The path of the plot leading to the climax. |
| Sensory imagery | Language that evokes images and triggers memories in the reader of the five senses. |
| Simile | A figure of speech that compares two things that are not alike, using words like, as, or than. |
| Assonance | The repition of vowel sounds in two or more words that do not rhyme. |
| Absolute Brush Stroke | Engine smoking, gears grinding, the car went into the parking lot. |
| Appositive Brush Stroke | The car, a 1936 Ford, went into the parking lot. |
| Participle Brush Stroke | Sliding on the loose gravel, the car went into the parking lot. |
| Adjective-Out-of-Order Brush Stroke | The car, dented and rusty, went into the parking lot. |
| Adding an Active Verb | The car chugged into the parking lot. |
| Agamemnon | King of Mycenae. Greek side. |
| Clytemnestra | Wife of Agamemnon. |
| Menelaus | Son of Atreus, younger brother of Agamemnon. Husband of Helen. |
| Helen | Daughter of Zeus and Nemesis. Abducted by Paris. |
| Achilles | Son of Peleus and sea-goddess Thetis. Totally awesome. |
| Patroclus | Best friend of Achilles. |
| Phoenix | Achilles' tutor. |
| Ajax | Second greatest Greek warrior. |
| Odysseus | Son of Laertes, king of Ithaca master of strategies. |
| Calchas | Chief prophet of the Greeks. |
| Priam | King of Troy. Father to Paris, Hector, Deiphobus and Cassandra. |
| Hecuba | Wife of Priam. |
| Hector | Son of Priam and Hecuba. Husband of Andromache, father of Astyanax, brother of Paris, Commander of Trojan forces. |
| Andromache | Hector's wife. |
| Astyanax | Hector's son. |
| Polydamas | Hector's counselor. |
| Paris | The prince of Troy, abductor of Helen. |
| Aeneas | Son of Aphrodite and Anchises. |
| Brisies | Achilles' prize of honor. |
| Chryseis | Priest of Apollo, Agamemnon's prize of honor. |
| Theme | A central idea. |
| Tragedy | Ba ba ba! |
| Rhapsode | A story teller. |
| Arete | The strive for excellence. |
| Arete | First step to nemesis. |
| Hubris | Arrogance. |
| Hubris | Second step to nemesis. |
| Ate | A rash action, done without thinking of the consequences. |
| Ate | Third step to nemesis. |
| Nemesis | The retribution of the ate. |
| Linking Verb Cheer | Be is am are was were been, have has had do does did can, could should would may must might will, shall being... HUH HUH! |
| Contractions | Never use!!!!!! |
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