English 10 Literary Terms (Literary Devices)

Words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant.

An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of characters, reader, or audience

Writer's attitude toward his or her subject

The introduction of setting, character, and basic situation in a story

An over-exaggeration

Jumbo Shrimp

A necessary part of a story that can be identified in all works of fiction.

A character telling the story is taking part in the story; i.e. I, me, my

Step mother and fairy godmother in Cinderella

A conversation between characters; can be used to move the action along.

The main character in a story

Giving inanimate objects human characteristics

A description that appeals to one's five senses

An author's word choice

The opposite of what is expected actually occurs.

Reference to a well-known person, event, place, literary work or work of art.

Comparison of two things without using like or as.

An element to a story that is left open to interpretation

A comparison between two things using like or as

A contradiction between what a character thinks and what the audience knows to be true.

Where and when a story takes place

Problem or struggle between opposing forces

When the character telling the story is an outside observer; i.e. they, he, she, it

Atmosphere or feeling we get from the story

Anything that stands for or represents something else

Universal idea or lesson about life; understood by most cultures

Denotation refers to the

Paradox and oxymoron are both contradictory. How are they different?

In a story, the highest or most intense point in the development