Alliteration
The repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close together.
Allusion
A reference to a statement, a person, place, or an event from literature, the arts, history, religion, mythology, politics, sports, or science.
Analogy
A comparison 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 of part of it.
Ballad
A song or songlike 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 animal in a story, a play, or another literary work.
Static - Does not change much in the course of the story.
Dynamic - 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 in 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
Connotation
A meaning, association, or emotion suggested by a word, 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 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 a 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 or true.
Figure of Speech
A word or phrase that describes one thing in terms of another and is not meant to to be understood as literally true.
Flashback
Interruption in the present action of a plot to show events that happened at an earlier time.
Folktale
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 event 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 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 unimaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one 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.
Onomatapoeia
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, thoughts, 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, a place, a thing, or an event that has meaning in itself and stand 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.