This document defines various English literary terms used to analyze and understand different elements of literature. It provides definitions for over 30 terms including protagonist, antagonist, imagery, metaphor, simile, mood, theme, and point of view. The terms cover a wide range of concepts related to characters, plot elements, literary devices, and the analysis of meaning and purpose in creative works.

1. 7-8 Chatham Central School
English Terms
Analyze
The process of breaking down a piece of literature into its elements/ parts so they can be
individually examined.
Antagonist
The character in a piece of literature that is working against the protagonist (the main
character) trying to stop them.
Antecedent
The noun or pronoun to which a pronoun refers -- the noun usually precedes it.
Author’s Purpose
The reason an author has for creating a particular piece of writing: to entertain, to
persuade, to inform, etc.
Autobiography
A piece of nonfiction which is the story of a person’s life written by that person.
Bias
In a piece of writing, the author’s preference for one side over another about an issue
Biography
A piece of nonfiction about a person’s life written by someone else
Cause and Effect

2. Twoevents-- one brings about the other
Dynamic Character
A character in a piece of writing who changes significantly throughout the plot
Static Character
A character in a piece of literature who changes just a little or not at all throughout the
plot
Chronological Order
In a story, the order in which events occur in time
Clarify
The reader’s process of pausing occasionally while reading to review what they
understand
Comparison
The process of identifying similarities and differences
External Conflict
A character’s struggle against another character or outside force
Internal Conflict
A character’s struggle with him or herself.
Connotation
The meaning of a word based on its use in context
Denotation
The dictionary definition of a word

3. Evaluate
The process of judging the worth of someone or something-- a work of literature can be
evaluated based on entertainment value, believability, originality, emotional power, etc.
Flashback
A literary technique in which the author interrupts the plot and takes the reader toan
earlier time in order to build the background for a story or a character’s situation.
Foreshadowing
Occurs when a writer provides hints about a future action that will occur in a story
Homophones
Words that sound alike but that have different spellings or meanings (ex.-- hear and
here)
Hyperbole
An extreme exaggeration used for effect in writing
Idiom
An expression whose meaning is different from the literal meaning (ex.-- “dime a
dozen”)
Imagery
Descriptive words and phrases that appeal to the reader’s five senses
Inference
A logical guess readers make while reading based on their own experience and evidence
provided in the reading
Irony

4. The contrast between what is expected tohappen and what actually happens
Metaphor
A comparison between two things that have some aspects in common. There is no use of
the words “like” or “as” in the comparison
Mood
The feeling a literary work conveys to the readers
Onomatopoeia
Words that sounds like what they mean (ex.-- buzz, click, woosh)
Poetry
A type of literature in which ideas and feelings are expressed in imaginative language--
words are often arrange din patterns, rhymes, and/ or rhythms
Third Person Limited Point of View
A method of storytelling in which the narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of a
single character--- pronouns used are he, she, it, they, etc.
First Person Point of View--
Perspective of storytelling in which the narrator is a character in the story-- pronouns
used are I, me, we, us, etc/
Problem and Solution
A method of writing in which conflict is presented and resolutions are differed
Prose
Writing done in paragraph form

5. Protagonist
The central character or hero in a story who is trying to accomplish a goal-- the audience
usually identifies with this character
Simile
A comparison between two things which uses “like” or “as”
Stage Directions
In a drama, this takes the place of narration to provide the setting and movement of
actors.
Suspense
The feeling of growing tension and excitement created in literature to raise questions
within the readers about what might happen next
Symbol
A person, place, object, or action that stands for something beyond itself
Theme
The meaning, moral, or message about life or human nature that is communicated by a
literary work