Literary Terms

the main character who drives the action

language with meaning from word images and figures of speech, as opposed to literal language

a common type of character commonly associated with different genres

a character who sets off another character by strong contrast

the use of words in which the intended meaning is contrary to the literal meaning

the vantage point from which the writer tells the story

the repetition of accented vowel sounds in words that are close together in a poem

the attitude a writer takes toward a reader, a subject, or a character

an expression that means something different from the literal meaning of each word

a line of poetry that contains five iambs “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”

the turning point in action and/or the highest point of interest

the resolution that comes near or at the end of a literary work

an inherent incompatibility between the objectives of two or more characters or forces

"What goes around comes around" or "The good/bad guy always gets what's coming to him."

the atmosphere or feeling created by the writer in a literary work or passage

implication through plot or character that the actual situation is different than presented

the telling of the backstory of the characters, usually at the beginning of the story

a scene that interrupts the present action to show events that happened at an earlier time

a person, place, thing, or event that stands both for itself and for something else

a reference within a literary work to other works of literature, art, or real events

when the audience knows or understands something that a character on stage doesn't know

the use of language to create mental images and sensory impressions

the common thread or lesson incorporated throughout a literary work

the use of words that sound like what they represent, such as "meow" or "achoo"

when the main character realizes something important about himself that helps resolve the plot

the use of symbols to represent abstract ideas in concrete ways

the opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero or main character in a story

giving human-like characteristics to nonhuman objects, especially animals

figurative language in which nonhuman things are represented as having human qualities

the time and place in which a story occurs

prose that deals with real people, places, things, and events

an apparent contradiction that is actually true

the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

a very brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something

a subtle comparison using words that are not meant to be taken literally

a long speech in which a character alone onstage expresses his/her private thoughts or feelings

a character who changes in some important way because of what happens in the story

an event or detail that is historically out of place (such as a clock or book in Julius Caesar)

an unexpected power or event coming in and saving a hopeless situation

the musical quality in language produced by repetition

a comparison of two things that are essentially different using "like" or "as"

a combination of contradictory words ("fiend angelical" and "dove-feathered raven" for example)

a rhetorical technique in which something is represented as less than it actually is

the repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together

when a character either speaks directly to, or acknowledges, the audience

a character who does not change much in a story

an intentional and extreme exaggeration for emphasis or effect