Literary Term Toolbox

Alliteration

repetition of the same or similar sounds at the beginning of adjacent words

Examples:Billy bought a box of blueberries.Donald Duck...Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

Antagonist

character, institution, or concept that stands in or represents opposition against the protagonist

Example:The Grinch is an antagonist to the people of Whoville.

Allusion

an indirect or casual reference to something from an external context

Examples:Chocolate was her Achilles’ heel. (Greek Mythology)

As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death / I take a look at my life and realize there’s nothing left (Psalm 23)

Analogy

a comparison between two things

Examples:Life is like a box of chocolates.Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard.I feel like a fish out of water.

Anecdote

a short and interesting story about a real event or personExample:At the beginning of a speech about fire safety, the speaker tells a short cautionary tale about a serious injury that occurred as a result of not following protocol.

Archetype

a perfect example; a model or original upon which others are based; universal symbol

Examples:The hero: Luke Skywalker, BeowulfThe outcast: Cinderella, Harry PotterThe obstacle: a dragon, Gollum

Assonance

repetition of the same or similar vowel sound in stressed syllables of adjacent words

Examples:The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.The cat ran after the alligator.

Cacophony

a mixture of harsh or inharmonious sounds

Examples:“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!Beware the Jubjub bird, and shunThe frumious Bandersnatch!”

Characterization

description emphasizing qualities

Examples:Characterizing a kind girl: She gently knelt down and stretched out her hand to help her friend return to her feet after her friend fell on the field.

Consonance

repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in close proximity

Examples:Some mammals are clammy.shush, wish, cushion, squash

Conflict

competing desires or an obstacle that needs to be overcomeExamples:Man vs. Man: Rafa Nadal playing Roger Federer.Man vs. Nature: Someone climbing Mt. Everest. Man vs. Self: A chocolate lover trying to stay away from sugar.Man vs. Society: Gandhi encouraging non-violent protests.

Connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes other than its literal meaning

Examples:“Home” could suggest warmth, comfort, and affection.“Politician” could imply insincerity.

Denotation

the literal meaning of a word

Examples:A home is literally a place where one lives.A politician is a person involved in politics.

Diction

word choice; the style of speaking that an author or character uses

Examples:Howdy, y’all!Yo, what’s up?It’s a pleasure to see you again.

Euphemism

a mild or indirect word or expression used to replace one that is considered too harsh or bluntExamples:You’re starting to thin out of top (go bald).She’s in the family way (pregnant).certified pre-owned car (used)

Euphony

pleasing to the ear; an especially harmonious combination of words

Examples:cellar doorSeasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness

Flashback

an interjected scene set at an earlier time than the main storyline

Examples:In a story about a girl who is afraid of heights, there is a flashback to a time when she fell off of the top of a playground as a young child.

Foil

a character who contrasts with the main character, usually to emphasize their characteristics

Examples:Albus Dumbledore and Lord VoldemortJay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan

Foreshadowing

a warning or indication of future events

Examples:FRODO: It’s a pity Bilbo didn’t kill [Gollum] when he had the chance.GANDALF: Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo’s hand. Many that die deserve life, and some that live deserve death. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play, for good or ill, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.

Hyperbole

an extreme exaggeration to make a point

Examples:If I don’t get the new iPhone, I’ll die.I had a ton of chores to do.My dad is always working.

Imagery

visually descriptive or figurative language; appeals to the five senses

Examples:The eerie silence was shattered by her scream.He could hear the footsteps of doom approaching.She was like a breath of fresh air.

Internal Rhyme

a rhyme that occurs within a single line or between multiple internal lines

Examples:Once upon a midnight dreary / While I pondered weak and weary

Irony

the use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of the literal meaning

Examples:A cop getting his license suspendedThe Titanic was promoted as 100% unsinkable.

Juxtaposition

two things seen or placed close together for contrast

Examples:Beggars can’t be choosers.All’s fair in love and war.

Metaphor

an implicit, implied, or hidden comparison

Examples:You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dogDon’t go chasing waterfallsCause, baby, you’re a firework

Mood

atmosphere or feeling of a story or scene

Examples:“The river, reflecting the clear blue of the sky, glistened and sparkled as it flowed noiselessly on.” (peaceful)

Motif

element, subject, idea, or concept repeated throughout a story

Examples:A “rags to riches” storyThe coexistence of good and evil

Narrator

character that recounts the events of a story

Examples:Morgan Freeman

Onomatopoeia

words that sound like what they describe

Examples:boom, clapwoof, moo, meowwhoosh, crack

Paradox

a statement that leads to a senseless or logically unacceptable conclusion

Examples:Be cruel to be kind.Nobody goes to that restaurant because it’s too crowded.

Oxymoron

contradictory terms that appear in conjunction

Examples:tiny giant squidawfully luckypainfully beautiful

Personification

giving human-like characteristics to something that’s not human

Examples:The river roared.Every Disney movie where animals or plants talk, dance, clean, etc.

Plot

the main events of a story

Exposition

part of the story where the characters, setting, etc. are introduced

Inciting Incident

the event that starts the story’s problem or conflict

Examples:Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her sister in The Hunger Games.

Rising and Falling Action

the events leading up to and following the climax of a story

Climax

the most exciting, intense, or important part of a story

Resolution

the answer or solution to the conflict

Point of View

the eyes through which the story is told

● first person (I, me, my)● second person (you, your)● third person (he, she, they)

○ limited (knowledge of one or few characters)○ omniscient (knowledge of everything)

Protagonist

leading or main character

Examples:Simba in The Lion KingHarry Potter

Pun

a joke that explores the possible meanings of the word or phrase

Examples:She had a photographic memory but it never developed.

Satire

a use of humor or irony to expose or criticize someone’s stupidity or vices

Setting

the time or place that a story takes place

Examples:Ms. Wagner’s classroom at Trillium Academy in Taylor, MI at 12:00pmSeptember 11th, 2015

Speaker

the narrative voice that discusses their situation or feelingsNOT the same as the author

Stanza

poetry’s version of a paragraph; an arrangement of lines in a pattern usually repeated throughout a poem

Symbolism

representation of ideas or qualities; attributing meanings to objects, events, or relationships Examples:Black - death/evilWhite - goodSpring - renewal, life

Syntax

the arrangement of words, phrases, or punctuation to create a well-formed sentence

Theme

underlying message of a story

Examples:hope, change, death, love

Tone

perspective or attitude in a story

Examples:informal, positive, playful, serious, condescending

Tragic Hero

a character with heroic or potentially heroic qualities that is doomed to suffer

Examples:Romeo & JulietBatman