Common Literary Terms 9th Grade Ramapo HS

When someone says one thing but means the opposite.

An indirect reference to something outside the literary work. Could be a reference to a myth, historical event etc

When the opposite of what is expected takes place.

Non-literal language that the author uses for effect. Metaphors and similes are the most common forms of this

The author's attitude toward his subject, generally conveyed through language choice.

Language that sounds like what it means --snap, crackle, pop.

When the author tells you directly what the character is like.

A challenge or problem that drives the story's action.

The main character of hero who is the focus of the plot and changes in some significant way over the course of the story

A character who is the adversary of the protagonist, or hero, of the story.

The way an author presents the characters in a story.

The narrator relates events of the story from outside the frame of the story and refers to the characters as he & she

When the reader knows more than the character in the story

The sequence of events in the story

A comparison using "like" or "as"

A story's emotional atmosphere.

An underlying message or BIG idea in a story.

When the narrator is a character telling the story as he observed it as a witness to events.

Exaggeration for effect

An object used to represent an idea.

Saying the same thing several times for effect.

Expressing an idea by saying or showing the opposite.

The author allows you to draw your own conclusion about a character by showing you what they say, think, do to others

A phrase made up of two seemingly opposite words. Examples include "deafening silence" and "Jumbo shrimp."

Descriptive language which appeals to the senses.

A hint about the fate of a character or the direction the story will take.

How the narrator relates the events.

A comparison made without using the words "like" or "as"

Language giving human like qualities to nonhuman things.