| A | B |
|---|
| Time and place in which the story occurs; device used to create mood, give clues about character, and signal a change in plot | setting |
| Clues that give a hint of events that will occur later on in a story | foreshadowing |
| Way an author uses words, phrases, and sentences to express his ideas | author's style |
| A character who develops or changes as a result of events in the story | dynamic character |
| A character who does not change throughout the story | static character |
| The main character in a story | protagonist |
| Person or thing working against the main character in a story | antagonist |
| Words spoken by a character in a story or novel | dialogue |
| A simplified, standardized conception or image of a person or group (all teenagers are troublemakers) | stereotype |
| A struggle between two opposing forces in a novel or story; struggle may be internal or external | conflict |
| Device in which an episode ends at a moment of heightened tension | cliffhanger |
| Short, popular saying that expresses a well-understood truth (EX. A penny saved is a penny earned.) | proverb, aphorism, maxim |
| The feeling a piece of literature arouses in a reader | mood |
| First part of a plot in which the author describes the setting, introduces characters, and gives background information | exposition |
| Part of the story in which the author describes the conflict that the characters must face | rising action |
| Part of the story in which the author describes how the problem is solved | falling action |
| The part of the story which brings it to a satisfactory end | resolution |
| Category or type of literature (science fiction, fairy tale, etc.) | genre |
| Reference to something with which the reader is likely to be familiar such as a person, place, or event from history | allusion |
| A person, place, or thing used to represent something else | symbol |
| A character about whom little information is provided. | flat character |
| Repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry. | assonance |
| A form of nonfiction in which a person tells the story of his or her life | autobiography |
| The story of a person’s life that is written by someone else. | biography |
| A poem that tells a story and is meant to be sung or recited; ryhme scheme is abcb | ballad |
| A character who is fully described by the author (several character traits, background information, etc.) | round character |
| A character about whom little information is provided | flat character |
| The author directly states a character’s traits or makes direct comments about a character’s nature. | direct characterization |
| The author does not directly state a character’s traits; instead the reader draws conclusions and discovers a character’s traits based upon clues provided by the author. | indirect characterization |
| A 14 line poem of four stanzas; three quatrains and a couplet | sonnet |
| A type of figurative language containing an overused expression or a saying that is no longer considered original | cliche |
| The idea and feeling associated with a word as opposed to its dictionary definition | connotation |
| The exact or dictionary meaning of a word | denotation |
| The repetition of consonant sounds anywhere within a line of poetry | consonance |
| Form of literature meant to be performed by actors before an audience; characters’ dialogue and actions tell the story; written form is known as a script. | drama |
| A form of language that is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people | dialect |
| A brief tale that teaches a lesson about human nature; often feature animals as characters | fable |
| An interruption of the chronological sequence of an event of earlier occurrence; a technique that allows a writer to present past events during current events, in order to provide background for the current narration. | flashback |
| A simple story that has been passed from generation to generation by word of mouth; often involve the number 3; primarily to entertain rather than to teach a lesson | folktale |
| Poetry without regular patterns of rhyme and rhythm | free verse |
| A unit of meter within a line of poetry | foot |
| A broad statement about an entire group | generalization |
| A literary technique in which the whole is represented by naming one of its parts (or vice versa). Example: “You've got to come take a look at my new set of wheels.” The vehicle here is represented by its parts, or wheels. | synecdoche |
| A contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens; unexpected twists | irony |
| A traditional form of Japanese poetry, usually dealing with nature | haiku |
| A story handed down from the past about a specific person, usually someone of heroic accomplishments | legend |
| A short humorous poem composed of five lines that usually has the rhyme scheme aabba, created by two rhyming couplets followed by a fifth line that rhymes with the first couplet; typically has a sing-song rhythm. | limerick |
| A type of autobiography about the author’s personal experiences; does not necessarily cover the author’s entire life | memoir |
| The metaphorical substitution of one word or phrase for another related word or phrase. Example: “The pen is mightier than the sword" OR "Payment to the crown" | metonymy |
| A traditional story that attempts to explain how the world was created or why the world is the way that it is; often contain a god or godess | myth |
| Fiction that explores a past time period and may contain references to actual people and events of the past | historical fiction |
| The use of words whose sound suggest their meaning (ex. buzz, bang, hiss) | onomatopoeia |
| A form of figurative language combining contradictory words or ideas (ex. jumbo shrimp, bittersweet) | oxymoron |
| The writer’s attitude or feeling about his or her subject | tone |
| A humorously exaggerated story about impossible events; contains many hyperboles | tall tale |
| The person telling the story is one of the characters in the story. It is the “I” point of view. It is the most limited among the types because the narrator can only state what he or she sees, feels, and hears. He or she cannot go into the minds of the other characters | first person point of view |
| Refers to the use of “you” in explanations or arguments. It is not frequently used, but is appropriate in certain circumstances; most occur within instructions that are meant to be followed. | second person point of view |
| The person telling the story is not one of the characters in the story. He or she is an outside observer. The reader can only know what one character learns through interaction with other characters or through overheard conversations. The narrator cannot supply the thoughts or feelings of other characters in the story | third person limited |
| The narrator is not a character in the story, but the events in the story are seen through the eyes of more than one of the characters. The narrator is considered to be “all knowing” and cannot only see and hear everything that is happening to all characters in the story, but can also enter their minds and tell the reader what each is thinking and feeling. | third person omniscient |
| A first hand account of an event; Examples: diaries, journals, letters, speeches, news stories, photographs, and pieces of art | primary source |
| Information compiled by someone who did not experience or participate in an event first-hand | secondary source |
| Prose writing in which a writer explores unexpected possibilities of the past or the future by using scientific data and theories as well as his or her imagination | science fiction |
| A statement that seems to contradict itself but is, nevertheless, true | paradox |
| A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author’s work for comic effect or ridicule | parody |
| Text that uses false or misleading information to present a slanted point of view | propaganda |
| The ordinary form of spoken and written language. Examples: essays, stories, articles, speeches | prose |
| The repetition of initial vowel or consonant sounds | alliteration |
| A story in which people, things and actions represent an idea about life; often have a strong moral or lesson | allegory |
| Addressing someone or something not present, as though present | apostrophe |
| A two-syllable foot with stress on the second syllable | iamb |
| A two-syllable foot with stress on the first syllable | trochee |
| The pattern of rhythm of syllables | meter |
| five iambs to a line of ten syllables | iambic pentameter |
| The use of praise to mock someone or something; the use of mockery or verbal irony | sarcasm |
| A grouping of two or more lines within a poem; comparable to a paragraph in prose. | stanza |
| The arrangement of words to make writing more interesting or to emphasize a particular point | syntax |
| A short amusing or interesting story about a real situation or real person | anecdote |
| Special words or expressions used by a particular profession | jargon |
