Literary Terms

A second plot within the larger main plot

When a word's sound suggests its meaning

The person or thing creating conflict for the protagonist

A series of related events that make up a story

The quality in a literary work that makes the audience uncertain or tense about what is to come next

The use of hints or clues to predict what will happen next

The "hero" or good guy, usually the main character in a story

A comparison using is, was, or are

The perspective from which a story is told

Language that is specific to a region or social group

A character who grows or changes throughout the story

A character who does not grow or change in a story

An interruption of the action in a story to tell about something that happened earlier

The author's lesson or purpose for writing a story

Words and phrases not meant to be taken literally

Conversation between characters

A comparison using "like" or "as"

Reference to a famous person, event, literature/art

Exaggeration of truth for emphasis or dramatic effect

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things

Using concrete details to create a mental picture

The repetition of first sounds in words

The mood or atmosphere of a text

A struggle between two opposing forces

The time and place in which events of a story take place