20 Essential Literary Terms
1. Symbol/symbolism– one thing (object, person, place) used to represent something else
1. Symbol/symbolism– one thing (object, person, place) used to represent something else
2. Theme– the underlying main idea of a literary work. Theme differs from the subject of a literary work in that it involves a statement or opinion about the subject.
3. Tone– the author’s attitude toward the subject of a work.
4. Simile– a direct comparison of dissimilar objects, usually using like or as
5. Personification– figure of speech in which non-human things are given human characteristics
6. Metaphor– an implied comparison between dissimilar objects
7. Imagery– language that appeals to the five senses
8. Irony-
Dramatic…when the reader or audience knows something a character does not
Situational…when there is a disparity between what is expected and what actually occurs
Verbal…when the speaker says one thing but means the opposite
9. Genre– type or category to which a literary work belongs
10. Diction-word choice to create a specific effect
11. Figurative Language–language that represents one thing in terms of something dissimilar (non-literal language).Includes simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, symbol)
12. Conflict-struggle between two or more opposing forces (person vs. person; nature; society; self; fate/God)
13. Allusion -a reference to something well-known that exists outside the literary work
14. Cause and Effect – relationship where on event directly brings about the other
15. Audience – the person(s) that an author means to reach
16. Inference – a logical guess based on evidence from the text
17. Allegory - a work with two levels of meaning; where objects, people and events stand for abstract ideas or qualities
18. Satire: a literary term used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting, or changing, the subject of the satiric attack.
19. Connotation - The associations called up by a word that goes beyond its dictionary meaning. Poets, especially, tend to use words rich in connotation.
20. Syntax - The grammatical order of words in a sentence or line of verse or dialogue. The organization of words and phrases and clauses in sentences of prose, verse and dialogue.
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