| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Simile | A figure of speech using LIKE or AS to compare seemingly unlike things "He eats like a pig" |
| Metaphor | A comparison of two unlike things "Fresh as a Daisy" |
| Onomatopoeia | A word that imitates the sound it represents. "Splash!" |
| Hyperbole | Exaggeration or overstatement. |
| Alliteration | A pattern or repetition of sounds. "Some fresh and fruitful flowers" |
| Personification | Giving human qualities to an animal or object "the moon was smiling" |
| Symbolism | Using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning. |
| Figurative Language | Language that goes beyond the literal meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or fresh insights into an idea or a subject. |
| Imagery | Language that evokes one or all of the five senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching. |
| Antagonist | The character or force that opposes the protagonist. |
| Protagonist | The main character in the story. |
| Dynamic Character | This character grows or progresses to a higher level of understanding in the course of the story. |
| Static Character | This character does not change in the course of the story. |
| Stereotype | A preconceived idea that attributes certain characteristics (in general) to all the members of class or set. |
| Theme | The general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express. |
| Irony | The contrast between what is expected or what appears to be and what actually is. |
| Inference | The process of arriving at a conclusion using experiences, clues, facts, etc. |
| Tone | The attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character: serious, humorous, sarcastic, ironic, etc. |
| Allusion | The 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. |
| Dialect | A regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. |
| Mood | The climate of feeling in a literary work |
| Point of View | The vantage point that a story is told. |
| Satire | A literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn. |
| Exposition | When plot elements are conveyed in dialogue, description, flashback or narrative |
| Narrative Hook | The opening of a story that "hooks" the reader's attention so that he or she will keep reading on. |
| Rising Action | A series of events that builds from the conflict. It begins with the inciting force and ends with the climax. |
| Climax | It is the high point of the story for the reader. Frequently, it is the moment of the highest interest and greatest emotion |
| Falling Action | The events after the climax which close the story. |
| Resolution | Rounds out and concludes the action. |
| Narration | The way a story is told |
| Internal Conflict | In literature and drama, a struggle which takes place in the protagonist's mind and through which the character reaches a new understanding or dynamic change |
| External Conflict | The struggle between the protagonist and another character against nature or some outside force. |
| Foreshadowing | The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in literature. |
| Flashback | A scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. |
| Setting | The time, place, physical details, and circumstances in which a situation occurs. |
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