Literary TermsLiterary Terms

J. King and J Roper

Rev. 2010

J. King and J Roper

Rev. 2010

AlliterationAlliteration• A figure of speech in which consonants ,

especially at the beginning of words, or stressed syllables, are repeated.

• Ex. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

• Ex. “…Hunting thee hence with hunt’s up to the day.” Romeo and Juliet (3.5.34)

AllusionAllusion• Usually an implicit reference, perhaps to another

work of literature or art, to a person or an event,• Ex: “Christy didn’t like to spend money. She was

no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased anything except the bare necessities.” (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)

• Ex: “Like the prodigal son, he returned to his home town and was welcomed by all who knew him.” (The Bible, Luke 15:11-32)

AphorismAphorism• A terse statement of a truth or dogma; a pithy

generalization, which may or may not be witty.• Ex: “Have you somewhat to do tomorrow, do it

today.”• Ex: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man

healthy, wealthy, and wise.”• “Haste makes waste.”• Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin

ArchetypeArchetype• A basic model from which copies are

made; therefore a prototype.

• Ex: Character or personality types, for instance: Don Juan (womanizer), the damsel in distress, Odysseus ( the all-conquering hero).

AssonanceAssonance• Consists of the repetition of similar vowel

sounds, usually close together, to achieve a particular effect of euphony

• “The Lotos blooms below the barren peak:

The Lotos blows by every winding creek:

All day the wind breaths low with mellower tone

Thro’ every hollow cave and alley lone,

Round and round the spicy downs the yellow Lotos-dust is blown.

Lotos-Eaters by Tennyson

CharacterizationCharacterization• the way the author describes a character’s

personality through his or her dialogue, physical appearance and abilities, judgment of character, and actions or responses to conflict.

• revealed through• What the character does• What the character says• What others say about the character

Character TypesCharacter Types• PROTAGONIST - main character

• Ex: Othello

• ANTAGONIST - character who opposes the protagonist

• Ex. Iago

• TYPE / STOCK - predictable, easily recognized familiar “type” of personality

Character Types (Continued)

Character Types (Continued)

• ROUND - complex, realistic human-like, strengths and weaknesses

• FLAT - only one or two significant traits, usually all good or all bad

• STATIC - unchanged by his experiences or events in the story

• DYNAMIC - learns, grows, develops, matures in response to conflict or experiences

ConflictConflict• The tension in a situation between

characters, or the actual opposition of characters.

• Five main types: • Man vs. Man• Man vs. Fate/Gods• Man vs. Nature• Man vs. Himself• Man vs. Society

Conflict (Continued)Conflict (Continued)• External Conflict: the main character struggles

against an outside force.• Ex: The Most Dangerous Game by Richard

Connell—Rainsford struggles against General Zaroff to stay alive.

• Internal Conflict: a character in conflict with himself or herself.

• Ex: Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing—Jerry struggles to overcome his fears in order to hold him breath and swim through the tunnel and ultimately transform from a child to an adolescent.

ConnotationConnotation• The suggestion or implication evoked by a

word or phrase

• Ex: “There is a cockroach.”

• May inspire a shudder or distaste in one person , but a scientific inquiry, like “What is it?” in another person.

ConsonanceConsonance• The close repetition of identical consonant

sounds before and after different vowels.

• Ex. Slip—Slop

• Ex. Creak—Croak

• Ex. Black—Block

DenotationDenotation• The most literal and limited meaning of a

word, regardless of what one may feel about it or the suggestions and ideas it connotes.

• Ex: Apartheid denotes a certain form of political, social, and racial regime. It connotes much more.

Elements of PlotElements of Plot• EXPOSITION / BACKGROUND - explains

background information, establishes setting, introduces characters

• INCITING/INITIAL INCIDENT/PROBLEM/CRISIS - the first event indicating the main conflict

• COMPLICATIONS – the plot elements get complicated

• RISING ACTION - the complications that develop which increase the difficulty of resolving the conflict and add to the tension/suspense in the reader

Elements of Plot (continued)

Elements of Plot (continued)

• HIGHEST POINT OF CRISIS – the point of tension when it is the highest (where the audience could hear a pin drop).

• CLIMAX – The action which occurs after the highest point of Crisis/ the point at which the protagonist must choose/act in order to resolve the conflict

• FALLING ACTION / RESOLUTION / DENOUEMENT - the events or results caused by the protagonist’s decision, the author may clarify any remaining confusions

Elements of Plot (continued)

Elements of Plot (continued)

Exposition/backround

crisis

complications

Ris

ing

actio

n

Highest point of crisis

climax

Falling action

Resolution

/

denouement

ForeshadowingForeshadowing• The technique of arranging events and

information in a narrative in such a way that later events are prepared for or showed forth beforehand.

• Ex: “The Cape buffalo is not the most dangerous big game.” he sipped his wine. “Here on my preserve on this island,” he said in the same slow tone, “I hunt more dangerous game.”

• The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

HyperboleHyperbole• A figure of speech which contains an

exaggeration for emphasis

• Ex: She almost exploded with excitement

• Ex: “There is no world without Verona walls...” Romeo and Juliet (3.3.17)

IdiomIdiom• A form of expression, construction or phrase

peculiar to a language and often possessing a meaning other than its grammatical or logical one

• Ex: A Blessing In Disguise: Something good that isn't recognized at first

• Ex: A Chip On Your Shoulder: Being upset for something that happened in the past.

ImageryImagery• Occurs when language appeals to one or

more of the five senses.• Ex: “How silver-sweet sound lovers’

tongues by night.” Romeo and JulietThis line appeals mostly to the sense of ___.• Ex: “O that I were a glove upon that hand

that I might touch that cheek.” Romeo and Juliet

This line appeals mostly to the sense of___.

IronyIrony• A difference between appearance and reality• 3 different types of Irony• Verbal Irony:• This is the contrast between what is said and

what is meant. Most sarcastic comments are ironic.

• For instance, the person who says, "Nice going, Einstein," isn't really paying anyone a compliment.

Irony (continued)Irony (continued)• Dramatic Irony:• This is the contrast between what the character thinks

to be true and what we (the reader) know to be true.  Sometimes as we read we are placed in the position of knowing more than what one character knows.  Because we know something the character does not, we read to discover how the character will react when he or she learns the truth of the situation. 

• It's when you know the boogeyman is hiding in the attic, but the hero of the movie doesn't know that. You want him to get a clue and stay away from the attic. "Don't open that door! Get out of the house!" The irony is that the hero thinks he is safe, when you know he's in danger. There is that element of contrast again.

Irony (continued)Irony (continued)• Situational Irony:

• It is the contrast between what happens and what was expected. Irony of situation is often humorous, such as when a prank backfires on the prankster.

• It's the equivalent of a person spraying shaving cream in his own face when he was trying to spray his best friend.

MetaphorMetaphor• A figure of speech where two dissimilar

things are being compared.

• Ex: The river is a winding ribbon moving down the mountainside.

• Ex: “…and Juliet is the sun.” Romeo and Juliet (2.2.3)

• Ex: “…the mask of night is on my face.” Romeo and Juliet (2.2.85)

MotifMotif• One of the dominant ideas in a work of

literature; a part of the main theme.

• It may consist of a character, a recurrent image or a verbal pattern.

• Ex: Carpe Diem

OnomatopoeiaOnomatopoeia• The formation and use of words to imitate

sounds.

• Ex: The tinkling sound of the bells rang out.

• Ex: The tires screeched when he hit the brakes.

• Ex: “…Who, nothing hurt withal, hissed him in scorn.” Romeo and Juliet (1.1.113)

OxymoronOxymoron• A figure of speech which combines

incongruous and apparently contradictory words and meanings for special effect.

• Ex: Dodge Ram

• Ex: Jumbo Shrimp

• Ex: “..O brawling love, O loving hate…” Romeo and Juliet (1.1.177)

PersonificationPersonification• The attribution of human qualities to

inanimate objects

• Ex: The arms of the rainbow stretched across the sky.

• “The gray-eyed morn smiles on the frowning night…” Romeo and Juliet (2.3.1)

Point of ViewPoint of View• The vantage point from which a story is

told.

• 1st person

• 3rd person limited

• 3rd person omniscient

PunPun• A figure of speech which involves a play

upon words.

• Ex: “Ask for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man.” spoken by Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet

• The word grave is a pun because it means both_____ and ______.

RhymeRhyme• The repetition of accented vowel

sounds and all sounds following them.

• Ex: Choice/Voice• End Rhyme: Occurs when the rhyme

is at the end of two lines of poetry.• Ex: “Old Mother Hubbard

Went to the cupboard.”.

Rhyme Rhyme • Internal Rhyme: occurs when the rhyme

is within a single line of poetry• Ex: “His neck was flappy, but I was

happy.”• Slant / approximate / near Rhyme:

means that the two words are alike in some sound but do not rhyme exactly.

• Ex: “It little hurts me now to know.”

SatireSatire• A literary work holding up human vices and

follies to ridicule or scorn.

• Ex: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

• The elements of satire in the book include the depiction of the nouveau riche ("newly rich"), the sense of vulgarity of the people, the parties intended to draw Daisy over, the grotesque quality of the name "Great" Gatsby in the title.

SettingSetting• The where and when of a story or play; the

locale.

• Ex: Verona, Italy, 1600’s or 17th century—Romeo and Juliet

SimileSimile• A comparison of two dissimilar things

using like or as.

• Ex: he is as mean as a junkyard dog.

• Ex: “…She would be as swift in motion as a ball…” Romeo and Juliet (2.5.13)

SuspenseSuspense• A state of uncertainty, anticipation, and

curiosity as to the outcome of a story or play, or any kind of narrative in verse or prose.

• Ex: “ The suspense in Hamlet, for instance, is sustained throughout by the question of whether or not the Prince will achieve what he has been instructed to do and what he intends to do.”

SymbolSymbol• An object, animate or inanimate, which

represents or ‘stands for’ something else.

• Ex: Dove=peace

• Ex: Lion=strength or power

• Ex: Rose=beauty

ThemeTheme• The central idea of a work (the moral of

the story).

• Ex: Othello=Jealousy

• Ex: Romeo and Juliet=Love, Death, Light/Darkness

• Ex: The Odyssey=Hospitality

ToneTone• The reflection of a writer’s attitude

(especially towards his readers), manner, mood and moral outlook in his work; even perhaps the way his personality pervades the work.

• Note: mood / atmosphere is the emotion created in the reader.

Works CitedWorks Cited• Cuddon, J.A. Dictionary of Literary Terms

& Literary Theory. London: Penguin,

1999.

• And knowledge of Mrs. King and Mr. Roper