Terms : Hide Images
| 14446178869 | allegory | suggests a hidden meaning via the use of metaphoric examples; this is a device where the meaning of a greater, often abstract moral or political concept is conveyed with the aid of more material objects (characters, figures, or events) or ideas being used as an example | 0 | |
| 14446193391 | allusion | a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance; a figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a passing reference | 1 | |
| 14446209616 | anecdote | a short and interesting story, or an amusing event, often proposed to support or demonstrate some point, and to make the audience laugh; the story is usually a reminiscence from the teller's life but at best is a related story of fact, as opposed to a contrived work of fiction | 2 | |
| 14446228642 | archetype | a typical character, an action, or a situation that seems to represent universal patterns of human nature; a reference to a concept, a person, or an object that has served as a prototype of its kind and is the original idea that has come to be used over and over again; also known as "universal symbol;" for example, Romeo and Juliet are an archetype of eternal love and a star-crossed love story | 3 | |
| 14446240453 | antithesis | a figure of speech involves the bringing out of a contrast in the ideas by an obvious contrast in the words, clauses, or sentences, within a parallel grammatical structure; refers to the juxtaposition of opposing or contrasting ideas or meanings | 4 | |
| 14446260078 | artistic unity | that condition of a successful literary work whereby all its elements work together for the achievement of its central purpose; the single purpose that ties all elements of a work together | 5 | |
| 14446267612 | atmosphere | the feeling, emotion, or mood that an author creates in a narrative through descriptive language | 6 | |
| 14446274464 | cacaphony | the use of words and phrases that imply strong, harsh sounds within the phrase; these words have jarring and dissonant sounds that create a disturbing, objectionable atmosphere (usually use of t, k, d, and g) | 7 | |
| 14446281449 | euphony | the use of phrases and words that are noted for possessing an extensive degree of notable loveliness or melody in the sound they create; pleasant to listen to (usually use of m, n, l, and r) | 8 | |
| 14446286688 | genre | a type of art, literature, or music characterized by a specific form, content, and style; for example, literature has four main ones: poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction | 9 | |
| 14446292978 | imagery | to use figurative language to represent objects, actions, and ideas in such a way that it appeals to our physical senses | 10 | |
| 14446301925 | juxtaposition | a literary technique in which two or more ideas, places, characters, and their actions are placed side by side in a narrative or a poem, for the purpose of developing comparisons and contrasts | 11 | |
| 14446313128 | metonymy | the practice of not using the formal word for an object or subject and instead referring to it by another word that is intricately linked to the formal name or word; for example, it's common practice to refer to celebrity life and culture in the United States as "Hollywood," as in "Hollywood is obsessed with this new diet" | 12 | |
| 14446320232 | mood | a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions; a definitive stance the author adopts in shaping a specific emotional perspective towards the subject of the literary work; the mental and emotional disposition of the author towards the subject, which in turn lends a particular character or atmosphere to the work | 13 | |
| 14528850005 | moral | a message conveyed by, or a lesson learned from, a story, a poem, or an event; it can be left for the audience to derive but this can be clearly stated in the shape of a proverb | 14 | |
| 14528850793 | motif | any element, subject, idea, or concept that is constantly present throughout the entire body of literature and has a symbolic significance | 15 | |
| 14529050946 | prose | a communicative style of language that has no metrical structure; it applies a natural flow of speech and ordinary grammatical structure; normal everyday speech is spoken in this, and most people think and write in this form | 16 | |
| 14529065831 | synecdoche | a literary device that uses a part of something to refer to the whole or vice versa; for example, "all hands on deck" is a demand for all the crew, the "hands," to help. | 17 | |
| 14529223087 | theme | a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which may be stated directly or indirectly; the base that acts as the foundation for the entire literary piece; it can be an enduring pattern or motif throughout the literary work, occurring in a complex, long winding manner or it can be short and succinct and provide a certain insight into the story | 18 | |
| 14529240690 | tone | an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience; this is generally conveyed through the choice of words, or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject; this can portray a variety of emotions and helps the reader ascertain the writer's feelings towards a particular topic and influences the reader's understanding of the story | 19 | |
| 14529453369 | topic | the subject or theme of a discourse or of a section of a discourse; a matter dealt with in a text, discourse, or conversation | 20 | |
| 14529453370 | setting | this is used to identify and establish the time, place, and mood of the events in the story; this provides the backdrop to the story and helps create mood; for example, in The Poisonwood Bible, it takes place in Congo, Africa during the late 50s and early 60s | 21 | |
| 14530100515 | symbol | an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning; this is a literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts, or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone | 22 | |
| 14530101638 | verisimilitude | the likeness to the truth, such as the resemblance of a fictitious work to a real event; this tends to be based around the appearance or proximity to being real, or the truth; however, just because something can be described as having this does not mean that it is true, only that merely appears to or seems to be true | 23 | |
| 14530163841 | verse | this is used to refer to any single, long line of a poetry composition; a metrical writing line is known as this; the word can also refer to a stanza or any other part of the poetry | 24 | |
| 14530172827 | voice | the individual style in which a certain author writes his or her works; authors are generally thought to have a unique one that appears across their entire oeuvre, even if they change from one genre to another | 25 | |
| 14530182977 | zeugma | use of two different words in a grammatically similar way that produces different, often incongruous, meanings; a figure of speech in which a word or phrase joins together two distinct parts of a sentence; for example, "she tossed her hair back and the salad;" the word "tossed" in this example has two functions in the sentence | 26 | |
| 14534667531 | antagonist | this character presents an obstacle or is in direct conflict with the protagonist; in literature, this is a character, or a group of characters, which stands in opposition to the protagonist, which is usually the main character | 27 | |
| 14534670330 | character | any person, animal, or figure represented in a literary work, and each one has its own development and function in the work | 28 | |
| 14534684772 | characterization | the step by step process wherein an author introduces and then describes a character; the character can be described directly by the author or indirectly through the actions, thoughts, and speech of the character | 29 | |
| 14535007653 | deuteragonist | the secondary character, right behind the protagonist in importance; he/she may be on the protagonists side, he/she can be a villain, or he/she could also be a neutral character | 30 | |
| 14535011756 | direct characterization | the way an author or another character within the story directly describes or reveals a character, through the use of descriptive adjectives, epithets, or phrases | 31 | |
| 14535011757 | dynamic character | someone who undergoes and important, internal chance because of the action in the plot, as a change in personality or attitude; for example, Leah in The Poisonwood Bible, is a dynamic character because she goes through the change of disobeying her father and finding her true faith, not in God, but in Anatole | 32 | |
| 14535084746 | flat character | a type of character that does not change too much from the start of the narrative to its end; for example, Rachel in The Poisonwood Bible is seen as a flat character because she remains her narcissistic self throughout the whole book | 33 | |
| 14535084747 | foil | another character in a story who contrasts with the main character, usually to highlight one of their attributes; this may also be used for any comparison that is drawn to portray a difference in two things | 34 | |
| 14535149002 | hero | as a literary device, this can be defined as the principal character of a literary work; the term is also used in a specialized sense for any figure celebrated in ancient legends or in such early heroic epics as Gilgamesh, the Iliad, Beowulf, or La Chanson de Roland | 35 | |
| 14535149003 | hubris | extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character, which ultimately brings about his/her downfall; you can tell the difference between this and just regular arrogance or pride by the fact that the character has seemed to allow reality slip away from them | 36 | |
| 14535213214 | indirect characterization | the process of describing a character through the character's thoughts, actions, speech, and dialogue | 37 | |
| 14535213215 | protagonist | the central/main character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel, etc. | 38 | |
| 14535270033 | round character | a character with a complex personality; they have depth in feelings and passions; similarly, this character has many layers of personality; it is the character with whom the audience can sympathize, associate with, or relate to, as he seems a character they might have seen in their real lives | 39 | |
| 14535270034 | stock character | a stereotypical character in literary work from which he/her is immediately known from typical recurring characters in history | 40 | |
| 14535270035 | tragic flaw | a trait in a character leading to his/her downfall, and the character is often the hero of the literary piece; this trait could be the lack of self-knowledge, lack of judgment, and often it is hubris | 41 | |
| 14535462684 | aside | a short comment or speech that a character delivers directly to the audience, or to herself/himself, which other actors on the stage appear not to hear | 42 | |
| 14535462685 | colloquial | words common in everyday speech; may be dependent on region/dialect; ex. pop, soda, etc.; the use of everyday language or informal words, phrases, or even slang in a piece of writing | 43 | |
| 14539624255 | dialogue | when writers employ two or more characters to be engaged in conversation with one another; in literature, it is a conversational passage, or a spoken or written exchange of conversation in a group | 44 | |
| 14539624256 | dialect | language used by the people of a specific area, class, district, or any other group of people; it involves the spelling, sounds, grammar and pronunciation used by a particular group of people and it distinguishes them from other people around them; it is also a very powerful and common way of characterization, which elaborates the geographic and social background of any character | 45 | |
| 14539901290 | diction | the choice of words and style of expression that an author makes and uses in a work of literature; it can have a great effect on the tone of a piece of literature, and how readers perceive the characters; it is not just a writer's choice of words; it can include mood, attitude, dialect, and style of writing | 46 | |
| 14539901291 | euphemism | using a comparatively milder form of a negative description instead of its original, unsympathetic form; this device is used when writing about matters such as sex, violence, death, crimes, and things "embarrassing;" the purpose of this is to substitute unpleasant and severe words with more gentle ones in order to mask the harshness; for example, someone passed away is a euphemism for someone died | 47 | |
| 14540025462 | figure of speech | a phrase or word having different meanings than its literal meaning; it conveys meaning by identifying or comparing one thing to another, which has connotation or meaning familiar to the audience; often it uses comparisons to describe something (simile, metaphor, personification, etc.) | 48 | |
| 14540025550 | invective | this denotes speech or writing that attacks, insults, or denounces a person, topic, or institution; it involves the use of abusive and negative language; it is insulting language used to express blame or severe disapproval; this often occurs due to deeply seated ill will | 49 | |
| 14540177127 | monologue | a speech that one character delivers aloud to express his or her inner thoughts; characters generally present these either to another character or to the audience in the understanding that other characters are able to hear them | 50 | |
| 14540178324 | overstatement | an act of stating something more profoundly than it actually is, in order to make the point more serious, or important, or beautiful, etc.; this is hyperbole, where the statement is exaggerated; for example, "you gave me a heart attack" | 51 | |
| 14544873369 | proverb | a brief, simple, and popular saying, or a phrase that gives advice and effectively embodies a commonplace truth based on practical experience or common sense; for example, "time is the best medicine" | 52 | |
| 14544876227 | pun | a very popular literary device wherein a word is used in a manner to suggest two or more possible meanings; this is generally done to the effect of creating humor or irony or wryness; for example, "make like a tree and leave" | 53 | |
| 14544956202 | sarcasm | a literary and rhetorical device that is meant to mock, often with satirical or ironic remarks, with a purpose to amuse and hurt someone, or some section of society, simultaneously; it can be quite harsh and biting, or it can be said in teasing jest | 54 | |
| 14544957406 | soliloquy | a speech that a character makes in a work of drama only to him or herself; this is presented for the audience to understand the character's inner thoughts and feelings as though they were not being spoken at all; generally, no other characters hear this | 55 | |
| 14545146290 | slang | words that are non-standard in a given language and is generally spoken to show inclusion in a certain social group; for example, lit, snatched, fried | 56 | |
| 14545146291 | understatement | a figure of speech employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation seem less important than it really is; it is the opposite of hyperbole; for example, it's fine. | 57 | |
| 14545264360 | apostrophe | a writer or speaker, using this, speaks directly to someone who is not present or is dead, or speaks to an inanimate object; for example, "ugh, phone, why aren't you working?" | 58 | |
| 14545264361 | conceit | a figure of speech in which two vastly different objects are likened together with the help of similes or metaphors; this develops a comparison which is exceedingly unlikely but is, nonetheless, intellectually imaginative; for example, "the broken heart is a damaged china pot" | 59 | |
| 14545850916 | extended metaphor | a comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph, or lines in a poem | 60 | |
| 14545851649 | hyperbole | an exaggeration of ideas for the sake of emphasis; for example, "it's been ages since I've seen you" | 61 | |
| 14577571266 | metaphor | refers to a meaning or identity ascribed to one subject by way of another; in other words, a resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics; for example, "the assignment was a breeze" | 62 | |
| 14577580547 | personification | the practice of attaching human traits and characteristics with inanimate objects, phenomena and animals; for example, "the fire swallowed the whole forest" | 63 | |
| 14577580548 | oxymoron | a significant literary device as it allows the author to use contradictory, contrasting concepts placed together in a manner that actually ends up making sense in a strange, and slightly complex manner; for example, "he possessed cold fire in his eyes." | 64 | |
| 14577580549 | simile | the practice of drawing parallels or comparisons between two unrelated and different things, people, beings, places and concepts using "like" or "as;" for example, "he was about as fast as a cheetah" | 65 | |
| 14577601040 | climax | the particular point in a narrative at which the conflict or tension hits the highest point; also known as the "turning point" of the story | 66 | |
| 14577603857 | conflict | in literature, this is a literary element that involves a struggle between two opposing forces; it is the result of competing desires or the presence of obstacles that need to be overcome | 67 | |
| 14577603858 | exposition | a narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances | 68 | |
| 14577604268 | denouement | this occurs just after the climax and is the final moment in which there is resolution for any remaining conflicts in the plot; an outcome or solution | 69 | |
| 14577604269 | falling action | this occurs right after the climax, when the main problem of the story resolves; this wraps up the narrative, resolves its loose ends, and leads toward the closure | 70 | |
| 14577604729 | rising action | a series of relevant incidents that create suspense, interest, and tension in a narrative; in literary works, this includes all decisions, characters' flaws, and background circumstances that together create turns and twists leading to a climax | 71 | |
| 14577662875 | dramatic irony | irony that occurs in a piece of literature when the audience knows something that some characters in the narrative do not | 72 | |
| 14577666249 | irony | the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning; a contrast between expectation and reality | 73 | |
| 14577666250 | situational irony | irony that occurs when incongruity appears between expectations of something to happen, and what actually happens instead; the outcome was very different of opposite of what was expected | 74 | |
| 14577666251 | verbal irony | irony in which a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning | 75 | |
| 14577711651 | epistolary novel | a novel written as a series of documents; a literary genre pertaining to letters, in which writers use letters, journals, and diary entries in their works, or they tell their stories or deliver messages through a series of letters | 76 | |
| 14577712695 | first person POV | the point of view involving the use of either of the two pronouns "I" or "we;" this is the narrator who is usually the protagonist of the story, and this point of view allows the reader access to the narrator's inner thoughts and reactions to the events occurring | 77 | |
| 14577714251 | flashback | interruptions that writers do to insert past events, in order to provide background or context to the current events of a narrative; by using these, writers allow their readers to gain insight into a character's motivations, and provide a background to a current conflict | 78 | |
| 14577714252 | flashforward | a literary device in which the plot goes ahead of time; meaning a scene that interrupts and takes the narrative forward in time from the current time in the story; generally, this represents expected or imagined events in the future, interjected into the main plot, revealing important information to the story that has yet to be brought to light | 79 | |
| 14577715640 | in medias res | a type of nonlinear structure; narrating a story from the middle after supposing that the audiences are aware of past events; for example, the book In the Woods by Tana French uses this when going back to figure out who murdered the little girl | 80 | |
| 14577719780 | limited omniscient POV | the author tells the story, using the third person, but is limited to a complete knowledge of one character in the story and tells us only what that one character thinks, feels, sees, or hears | 81 | |
| 14577719781 | linear structure | stories told using this narrative structure will have a clear beginning, middle and end; these present stories in a logical manner by telling what happens from one point in time to the next without using flashbacks or flash-forwards and then returning to the present | 82 | |
| 14577720469 | objective POV | with this type of point of view, the writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story's action and dialogue; the narrator never discloses anything about what the characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer | 83 | |
| 14577720470 | omniscient POV | this point of view uses pronouns like "he," "she," etc.; this POV allows the author to delve into the thoughts of any character, making the narrator seem godlike | 84 | |
| 14577721333 | narrator | the one who tells a story; in a work of fiction, they determine the story's point of view | 85 | |
| 14577721334 | nonlinear structure | when the plot is presented in a non-causal order, with events presented in a random series jumping to and from the main plot with flashbacks or flashforwards, or in any other manner that is not chronological; for example, in medias res | 86 | |
| 14577723128 | point of view (POV) | the perspective from which a story is narrated; simply put, this determines the angle and perception of the story unfolding, and thus influences the tone in which the story takes place | 87 | |
| 14577723129 | stream of consciousness | a literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur; refers to an uninterrupted and unhindered collection and occurrence of thoughts and ideas in the conscious mind | 88 | |
| 14577723817 | unreliable narrator | a narrator whose account of events appears to be faulty, misleadingly biased, or otherwise distorted and therefore has a lack of credibility; for example, Nick is an unreliable narrator in The Great Gatsby | 89 | |
| 14577920479 | anticlimax | a conclusion that is unsatisfying because is does not meet the expectations that the narrative has been building toward | 90 | |
| 14577920480 | catastrophe | a final resolution that unravels the mystery or intrigue, and brings the story toward a logical end; in a tragedy, it could be the death of a protagonist or other character; this is a synonym of denouement | 91 | |
| 14580788335 | comic relief | comic episodes in a dramatic or literary work that offset more serious sections; it is deliberately inserted to make the audiences feel relief | 92 | |
| 14580788336 | dilemma | a rhetorical device in which a conflicting situation arises for a person to choose between right and wrong, where both seem of equal worth | 93 | |
| 14580935833 | deus ex machina | it refers to the incidence where an implausible concept or character is brought into the story in order to make the conflict in the story resolve and to bring about a pleasing solution | 94 | |
| 14580936733 | indeterminate ending | an ending in which the central conflict is left unsolved; no definite conclusion is reached | 95 | |
| 14581181937 | inversion | changing the conventional placement of words, in order to achieve a particular effect of emphasis; for example, what a beautiful picture it is or where in the world were you | 96 | |
| 14581181938 | motivation | in literature, this is defined as a reason behind a character's specific action or behavior; this type of behavior is characterized by the character's own consent and willingness to do something; a character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner | 97 | |
| 14594662700 | mystery | a genre of literature whose stories focus on a puzzling crime, situation, or circumstance that needs to be solved; for example, the Nancy Drew series is this genre | 98 | |
| 14594664059 | paradox | the use of concepts or ideas that are contradictory to one another, yet, when placed together hold significant value on several levels; this is the juxtaposition of a set of seemingly contradictory concepts that reveal a hidden and/or unexpected truth; for example, wise fool | 99 | |
| 14594688216 | parallel plot | a secondary storyline that mimics and reinforces the main plot; a story structure in which the writer includes two or more separate narratives linked by a common character, event, or theme | 100 | |
| 14594706166 | plot | the events that make up a story, or the main part of a story; these events relate to each other in a pattern or a sequence; the structure of a novel depends on the organization of events of this | 101 | |
| 14594712424 | plot manipulation | a situation in which an author gives the plot a twist or turn unjustified by preceding action or by the characters involved | 102 | |
| 14594712993 | plot device | an object, a character, or a concept introduced into the story by the author to advance its plot; often breaks suspension of disbelief; for example, the cross cutting montage at the end of The Godfather | 103 | |
| 14594712994 | prologue | an introduction to a story that usually sets the tone for the story and acts as a bit of a backgrounder or a "sneak peek" into the story; these are typically a narrative 'spoken' by one of the characters and not from the part of the author | 104 | |
| 14594712995 | red herring | a kind of fallacy that is an irrelevant topic introduced into an argument to divert the attention of listeners or readers from the original issue; in literature, this fallacy is often used in detective or suspense novels to mislead readers or characters, or to induce them to make false conclusions; for example, in the book In the Woods by Tana French the lead on Damien, which took the attention away from Rosalind, was using this technique | 105 | |
| 14594713703 | scene | a division of an act in a play during which the action takes place in a single place without a break in time; it also means a part of a play, movie, story, etc., in which a particular action or activity occurs | 106 | |
| 14594713704 | suspense | a feeling of anticipation that something risky or dangerous is about to happen that an audience goes through while waiting for the outcome of certain events; it basically leaves the reader holding their breath and wanting more information; it is a literary device that authors use to keep their readers' interest alive throughout the work | 107 | |
| 14594714322 | suspension of disbelief | when the reader or viewer does not allow common sense or previous knowledge to keep them from believing events in the story; it is a willingness to suspend one's critical faculties and believe the unbelievable; for example, The Wizard of Oz has the readers in this phenomenon in the main character going to another world after a tornado | 108 | |
| 14594714323 | subplot | a supporting story for the main plot in a work of literature; it can involve characters other than the main protagonist and antagonist, and may not intersect much with the main narrative; however, there is usually some important connection between this and the main plot, either thematically, in setting, through characters, or because the action in this affects some aspect of the main plot | 109 | |
| 14594717469 | comedy | a literary genre and a type of dramatic work that is amusing and satirical in its tone, mostly having a cheerful ending | 110 | |
| 14594717470 | escapist literature | fiction that provides a psychological escape from depressing and grave realities of every day by immersing the readers in a fantastical or imaginative situations and events; the main aim of this is providing literature that is written purely for entertainment, with little or no attempt to provide insights into the true nature of human life or behavior | 111 | |
| 14594717477 | fable | a literary device that can be defined as a concise and brief story intended to provide a moral lesson at the end; this is a short piece of fiction that features animals in the role of the protagonist and usually includes or illustrates a moral; for example, the tortoise and the hare | 112 | |
| 14594718249 | fantasy | a form of literary genre in which a plot cannot occur in the real world; its plot usually involves witchcraft or magic, taking place on an undiscovered planet of an unknown world; for example, the Harry Potter series | 113 | |
| 14594718250 | homily | a sermon or speech that a religious person or priest delivers before a group of people to offer them moral correction; more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice | 114 | |
| 14594718855 | magical realism | an approach to literature that weaves fantasy and myth into everyday life; a genre of fiction in which elements of fantasy, myth, or the supernatural are included in a narrative that is otherwise objective and realistic | 115 | |
| 14594718856 | myth | a story that comes from an ancient culture and often includes supernatural elements; they are legendary or traditional stories that usually concerns an event or a hero, with or without using factual or real explanations; these traditionally were created to explain the origins of the world or of belief systems, practices, or natural occurrences in the location of that culture; an example of this is the story of Icarus | 116 | |
| 14594718857 | novel | this is a long narrative work of fiction with some realism; it is often in prose form and is published as a single book; an example of this is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley | 117 | |
| 14594718959 | novella | a type of prose fiction, which is shorter than full length novels and longer than short stories; it is a well-structured yet short narrative; often satiric or realistic in tone; it usually focuses on one incident, or issue with one or two main characters and takes place at a single location | 118 | |
| 14594719430 | parable | a short, didactic story that is meant to teach a moral or principal; these use human characters in believable situations so that the reader or listener feels able to relate; you often have heard stories from your elders, such as The Boy Who Cried Wolf | 119 | |
| 14594719431 | satire | a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society, by using humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule | 120 |
