alliteration
the repetition of a constant sound in words 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 told 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 a part of it.
ballad
a song or song like poem that tells a story.
biography
an account of a person's life of a part of it, written or told by another person.
character
static
dynamic
a person or an animal in a story or another literary work.
doesnt change in the story
changes through the story's actions
characterazation
the way a writer reveals the personalities of a character.
chronological order
the arrangement of events in the order of which they occured
climax
the point in a story that creates the greatest suspense or interest.
conflict
external
internal
a struggle between opposing characters or opposing forces
a character struggles with an outside force
takes place within a characters own mind
connotation
a meaning, association, or emotion suggested by a work, in addition to its dictionary definition, or denotation
dialect
a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group or people
dialogue
conversation between two or more characters a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain geographical area or a certain group or people
dictation
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 a society
epilogue
a brief closing section to a piece of literature
exposition
the kind or writing that explains or gives information
fable
a brief story told in prose 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 presentation of a plot to show events that happened at an earlier time
folktale
a story that has no author and was originally passed from generation to another by word of mouth
foreshadowing
the use of clues or hints to suggest events that will occur 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
imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which a thing is said to be another thing
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
personification
a figure of speech in which an object or animal is spoken of as if it had human feelings, or attitudes
plot
the series of events that make up a story
prose
any writing that is not poetry
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, 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 towards his or her subject, characters, and audience