Literary Terms 2021

The act of giving inanimate objects human qualities in order to create a comparison or give added meaning.

The repetition of similar sounds at the beginning of words in a group, usually consonant clusters

A comparison between two unlike things (without “like” or “as”) with the intent of getting added meaning to one of them

The personality a character displays; also the means by which an author reveals that personality

A comparison made between two dissimilar things through the use of a specific word or comparison such as like or as

A confusion between what is expected or intended and what actually occurs.

The use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest what action is to come

When the intended meaning of a statement differs from the meaning that the words appear to express

A representation of the speech patterns of a particular region or social group

A struggle between two opposing forces or characters in a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem

That quality of a literary work that makes the reader or audience uncertain or tense about the outcome of events

when the audience knows more about present or future events in a story than the characters do

A reference in one work of literature to a person, place, or event in another work of literature

The vantage point from which a narrative is told

Language that appeals to any sense or any combination of senses

Any object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something larger than itself

The sequence of events or happenings in a literary work

Usually, the humorous use of a word or phrase to suggest two or more meanings at the same time

A writer's choice of words

The main idea or the basic meaning of a literary work