1. Glossary of Literary Terms
1st person P.O.V The narrator is a character in the story who refers to him/herself using (“I”)
3rd person limited The narrator is outside the action and is able to describe the thoughts and feelings of one character
Allegory A work in literature in which people, objects, and events stand for abstract qualities
Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
Allusion A reference to another work of literature, art, a person, or event
Antagonist Principal character in opposition to the protagonist
Aside A remark in an undertone by a character to either the audience or another character
Biography A true account of a person’s life told by someone else
Climax The point where the conflict is resolved; the turning point where the resolution is determined
Connotation The implied meaning of a word; the feeling associated with a word
Denotation The dictionary definition of a word
Diction Choice and use of words in speech or writing
Direct
Characterization Direct description of a character
Dynamic
Character A character who undergoes a permanent internal change during the story
Exposition The background information of a story, usually includes characters, settings, and conflicts
External Conflict A problem or struggle between a character and another character or outside source
Falling Action The events that occur after the climax
Flashback A conversation or event that occurs before the beginning of a story
Foil A character whose traits contrast with those of another character
Foreshadow A writer’s use of hints or clues to indicate events that will occur later in the story
Genre A category in literature marked by a distinctive style, form, or content
Hyperbole A figure of speech that expresses an extreme exaggeration
Imagery The language that appeals to the senses
Indirect
Characterization Describes a character through his/her speech, thoughts, actions; or what others say about them.
Internal Conflict A conflict within a character
When a character says one thing but means the opposite; a contrast between what one expects
Irony and what actually occurs
Metaphor A figure of speech that compares two things by stating that it "is"…
Meter The regular pattern of accented and unaccented (stressed/unstressed) syllables in poetry
Monologue A dramatic device in which a character speaks his or her thoughts aloud, in words meant to be heard
by either the audience or another character
Oxymoron Figure of speech when contradictory terms are combined
Paradox A seeming self-contradictory statement, that upon further thought reveals an element of sense or truth
Parallel Structure The same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance
Parody A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for
comic effect or ridicule
Pastoral A genre of literature that focuses on shepherds and rustic life
Personification A figure of speech in which an object, animal, or idea is given human characteristics
Plot The order of events in a story

2. Primary Source An original document pertaining to an event or subject; a firsthand or eyewitness account of an event
Protagonist The central character that usually overcomes an obstacle or makes a change
Pun A joke that comes from a play on words
Resolution The point when the loose ends are tied up
Rhetoric Skill in using language effectively and persuasively
Rhyme Scheme The pattern of rhyme in a stanza or poem
Rising Action The addition of complications or events that lead to the climax
Satire A literary technique in which ideas or customs are ridiculed for the purpose of improving society
Secondary Source Accounts written after the fact. They are interpretations and evaluations of primary sources
Setting Creates the mood, helps to motivate the characters; establishes time and place of the story
Simile A figure of speech that compares two things by using the words "like" or "as"
Soliloquy A speech in which a character alone on stage expresses his or her thoughts and feelings
Sonnet A poem of fourteen lines with a specific rhyme scheme and often meter
Static Character A literary character who remains basically unchanged throughout a work
Symbol A person, place activity, or object that stands for something beyond itself
Theme The central idea of a work the writer wishes to convey to the reader
Thesis Statement Statement found in the introduction paragraph that states the author’s position
Tone A writer’s attitude, manner, mood, and moral outlook
Tragedy A dramatic work that presents the downfall of a dignified character, involved in historically or
socially significant events