| A | B |
|---|
| alliteration | them repetition of beginning consonant sounds |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, work of art, etc. |
| antagonist | the person or force in conflict with the main character |
| assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds |
| autobiography | a form of nonfiction in which the author writes about himself/herself |
| ballad | a songlike narrative poem, often one dealing with adventure or romance |
| biography | a form on nonfiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person |
| blank verse | poetry written in iambic pentameter lines |
| direct characterization | the author directly states a character's traits |
| indirect characterization | an author tells what a character looks like, does, and says, but it's up to the reader to draw his/her own conclusion |
| climax | the highest point of interest or suspense in a work of literature |
| comedy | a work of literature, usually a play, that has a happy ending |
| conflict | struggle between opposing forces |
| couplet | a pair of rhyming lines |
| dialogue | a conversation between characters |
| diction | word choice |
| cliche | an overused expression |
| archetype | the "typical" of something; also a reoccuring pattern |
| drama | a story written to be performed by actors (a play) |
| dramatic poetry | the speaker and the poet are not the same person |
| narrative poetry | poetry that tells a story |
| lyric poetry | highly musical verse that expresses the thoughts and feelings of the poet |
| epic | a long, narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heros |
| essay | a short, nonfiction work about a particular subject |
| fiction | prose writing that tells of imaginary events |
| protagonist | the main character of a literary work |
| figurative language | writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally |
| genre | a division or type of literature, such as poetry, prose, drama |
| imagery | words and phrases that appeal to the five senses |
| onomatopoeia | words that imitate sounds |
