| A | B |
|---|
| allusion | a reference in a work of literature to something outside the work, especially to a well-known history or literary event, person, or work |
| attitude | a speaker’s, author’s, character’s disposition toward or opinion of a subject |
| details | the items or parts that make up a larger picture or story |
| diction | word choice |
| figurative language | writing that uses devices (as opposed to literal language or that which is actual or specifically denoted) such as metaphor, simile, and irony. |
| imagery | the sensory details of a work; the figurative language of a work |
| irony | a figure of speech in which intent and actual meaning |
| metaphor | a figurative use of language in which a comparison is expressed without the use of a comparative term like “as,” “like,” or “than.” |
| narrative techniques | the methods involved in telling a story; the procedures used by a writer of stories or accounts |
| satire | writing that seeks to arouse the reader’s disapproval of an object by ridicule. It is usually comedy that exposes errors with an eye to correct vice and folly |
| setting | the background to a story; the physical location of a play, story, or novel. It involves both time and place |
| simile | a directly expressed comparison; a figure of speech comparing two objects, usually with “like,” “as,” or “than.” |
| jargon | the special language of a profession or group |
| parable | a story designed to suggest a principle, illustrate a moral, or answer a question. They are allegorical stories |
| paradox | a statement that seems to be self-contradicting but, in fact, is true |
| parody | a composition that imitates the style of another composition normally for comic effect |
| personification | a figurative use of language which endows the nonhuman (ideas inanimate objects, animals, abstractions) with human characteristics |
| reliability | a quality of some fictional narrators whose word the reader can trust |
| rhetorical question | a question asked for effect, not in expectation of a reply |
| stereotype | a conventional pattern, expression, character, or idea. |
| parallel structure | a similar grammatical structure within a sentence or within a paragraph |
| ambiguity | multiple meanings a literary work may communicate, especially two meanings that are incompatible |
| connotation | the implications of a word or phrase, as opposed to its exact meaning |
| denotation | the dictionary meaning of a word |
| euphemism | a figure of speech using indirection to avoid offensive bluntness |
| hyperbole | deliberate exaggeration, overstatement |
| rhetorical strategy | the management of language for a specific effect. the planned placing of elements to achieve an effect |
| structure | the arrangement of materials within a work; the relationship of the parts of a work to the whole; the logical divisions of a work |
| style | the mode of expression in language; the characteristic manner of expression of an author |
| symbol | something that is simultaneously itself and a sign of something else |
| syntax | The structure of a sentence; the arrangement of words in a sentence. |
| theme | the main thought expressed in a work |
| tone | the manner in which as author expresses his or her attitude; the intonation of the voice that expresses meaning |
| allegory | a story in which people, things, and events have another meaning |
| exposition | writing that explains, gives information, defines, clarifies |
| complication | something difficult or complex that adds to the rising action |
| climax | the highest or most intense point in a story’s plot |
| resolution | a solution, as of a problem |
| conflict | a struggle or clash between forces |
| external conflict | a struggle against an outside force |
| internal conflict | a struggle that takes place within a character’s own mind |
| dynamic character | a character that changes as a result of the story’s events |
| static character | a character that does not change much in the course of a story |
| foil | a character used as a contrast to another character |
| protagonist | the main character |
| antagonist | the opponent of the protagonist |
| point of view | the vantage point from which the writer has chosen to tell the story |
| first person p.o.v. | one character tells the story, using “I” |
| third person limited p.o.v. | the narrator focuses on the thoughts and feeling of one character |
| omniscient p.o.v. | narrator knows everything about all characters and their problems |
| atmosphere | a dominant mood or tone |
| dialect | a way of speaking, characteristic of a particular region or group |
| dialogue | conversation |
| foreshadowing | the use of clues to hint at events that will occur later in the plot |
| verbal irony | when a writer or speaker says one thing but means another |
| dramatic irony | when the audience knows something the character does not |
| situational irony | a contrast between what would seem appropriate and what happens |
| pseudonym | a fictitious name used by an author to conceal his/her identity |
| stereotype | a fixed idea of a character that does not allow for any individuality |
| symbol | something that stands for itself and for something beyond itself |
