Alliteration
The repetition of consonant sounds in a word that are close together
Allusion
A reference to a statement, a person, a place, or an event from literature, the arts, history, religion, mythology, politics, sports, or science.
Analogy
A comparison made between two things to show how they are alike
Anecdote
A brief story to illustrate a point
Atmosphere
The overall mood or feeling of a work of literature
Autobiography
A person's account of his or her own life or of part of it
Ballad
A song or song like poem that tells a story
Biography
An account of a person's life or of part of it, written or told by another person
Character
A person or an animal in a story, a play, or another literary work
Static Character
Does not change much in the course of the story
Dynamic Character
Changes as a result of a story's events
Characterization
The way a writer reveals the personality of a character
Chronological Order
The arrangement of events in the order of which they occurred
Climax
The point in a story that creates the greatest suspense or interest
Conflict
A struggle between opposing characters or opposing forces
External
A character struggles with an outside force
Internal
Takes place within a character's own mind
Dialect
A way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group of people
Dialogue
Conversation between two or more characters
Diction
A writer or speaker's choice of words
Epic
A long narrative poem that is written in heightened language and tells stories of the deeds of a heroic character who embodies the values of society
Epilogue
A brief closing section to a piece of literature
Exposition
The kind of writing that explains or gives information
Fable
A brief story told in prose or poetry that contains a moral, a practical lesson about how to get along in life
Fiction
A prose account that is made up rather than true
Figure of Speech
A word or phrase that describes one thing in terms of another and is not meant to be understood as literally true
Flashback
Interruption in the present action of a plot to show events that happened at an earlier time
Folk Tale
A story that has no known author and was originally passed on from one generation to another by word of mouth
Foreshadowing
The use of clues or hints to suggest events that will occur later in the plot
Free Verse
Poetry without a regular meter or rhyme scheme
Historical Fiction
A novel, story, or play set during a real historical era
Imagery
Language that appeals to the senses
Irony
A contrast between expectation and reality
Limerick
A very short humorous or nonsensical poem
Metaphor
An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another
Narrative Poem
A poem that tells a story
Nonfiction
Prose writing that deals with real people, things, events, and places
Onomatopoeia
The use of words whose sounds imitate or suggest their meaning
Personifification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is spoken of as if it had human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes
Plot
The series of events that make up a story
Prose
Any writing that is not a poem
Setting
The time and place of a story, play, or narrative poem
Simile
A comparison between two unlike things, using a word such as like, as, than, or resembles
Symbol
A person, place, or thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well
Theme
The general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals
Tone
The attitude a writer takes toward his or her subject, characters, and audience