Key Literary Terms

1. Key Literary Terms

2. alliteration • Repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words. • Ex: In clichés: sweet smell of success, a dime a dozen Can you name the song and identify the lines with alliteration?

3. allusion • A brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art. Also, reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event. Can you name the song and identify the allusion? Hint: Forrest Gump

4. characterization • How a writer develops characters. Includes: (1) showing appearance, (2) displaying actions, (3) revealing thoughts, (4) speech, & (5) the reactions of others. How does the narrator in this song characterize his subject?

5. conflict • The struggle between two forces: Character vs. Character Character vs. Self Character vs. Society Character vs. Nature/Supernatural Character vs. Society What is the conflict in this song?

6. euphemism Substitution of an agreeable or at least non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant. Ex: Sanitation engineer Pre-owned vehicles Protein Spill Area Denial Munitions

7. figurative language • Speech or writing that departs from literal meaning in order to achieve a special effect or meaning; speech or writing employing figures of speech. • Ex: hyperbole, metaphor, simile, personification

8. foreshadowing The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in literature.

9. genre • A category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content. • Ex: Rock, rap, hip-hop, country, etc.

10. hyperbole Exaggeration. The opposite of hyperbole is understatement.

11. imagery Language that appeals to the senses. Six basic kinds of imagery: visual (sight), auditory (sound), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), tactile (touch), & kinesthetic (movement).

12. irony Situational: when the results of a situation are the opposite of what was expected Ex: A firehouse burns How is this song ironic?

13. irony Verbal : Where the meaning is intended to be the exact opposite of what the words actually mean.

14. irony Dramatic: a discrepancy between what the character knows and what the reader knows to be true; the reader knows something the character does not know.

15. metaphor A comparison of two generally unlike things meant to illuminate truth. Direct metaphors use "is" to make the comparison explicit. Implied metaphors suggest the comparison. Can you name this song and identify the lines with metaphors?

16. onomatopoeia Sounds are spelled out as words; or, when words describing sounds actually sound like the sounds they describe.

17. oxymoron A contradiction in terms. Ex: Jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly

18. paradox an assertion seemingly opposed to common sense, since the elements of it cancel each other out, but has truth in it.

19. personification A kind of metaphor in which human characteristics are given to a creature, an idea, or an object. Ex: The sun smiled down; it was a beautiful day.

20. point of view • The identity of the narrative voice; the person or entity through whom the reader experiences the story. May be third-person (no narrator; omniscient or limited) or first-person (narrated by a character in the story).

21. setting Time & place where a story occurs. What’s the setting of this slide?

22. simile An indirect relationship where one thing or idea is expressed as being similar to another. Similes contain the words “like” or “as.” “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”

23. sound devices • Sound devices (or musical devices) are the various ways a poet uses the sound of words in his or her poetry to make the poem have a musical quality. Examples: repetition, alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, assonance, onomatopoeia.

24. Symbol/symbolism • A symbol is a person, place, thing or idea that stands for something else.

25. tone The writer's attitude toward his readers and his subject; his mood or moral view. A writer can be formal, informal, playful, ironic, and especially, optimistic or pessimistic. What is the tone of this song?

26. tragedy • A story that ends with a negative or unfortunate outcome which was essentially avoidable, usually caused by a flaw in the central character’s personality. • How is this song tragic?

27. tragic flaw The single characteristic (usually negative) or personality disorder which causes the downfall of the protagonist. Hubris: Excessive pride or self-confidence.

28. tragic hero • A protagonist who comes to a bad end as a result of his own behavior, usually cased by a specific personality disorder or character flaw • Ex: Caesar, Antigone, Oedipus

29. WORKS CITED Braiman, Jay. “Literary Devices.” Mr. Braiman’s English Online. 30 July 2007 <http://mrbraiman.home.att.net/lit.htm> Cremona, Joey. “The History of the Janus Masks.” The Comedy Tragedy Mask Page. Oct. 2006. 30 July 2007 <http://www.angelfire.com/art/masks/maskhistory.html>. Fry, Michelle.”Glossary of Literary Terms By Michelle Fry.” Counter Attack. 30 July 2007 <http://www.sassoonery.demon.co.uk/litterms.htm> Harris, Robert. “A Glossary of Literary Terms.” Virtual Salt. 4 Jan. 2004. 30 July 2007 <http://www.virtualsalt.com/litterms.htm>. Hogue, Dawn. “Literary Terms to Know.” Cyber English 9. 23 Aug. 2006. 30 July 2007 <http://www.sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/cyberenglish9/Gen_Info/literary%20terms.htm>

30. WORKS CITED Scaife, Ross. “A Glossary of Rhetorical Terms with Examples.” Department of Modern & Classical Languages, Literatures, & Cultures. 22 Dec. 2004. University of Kentucky. 31 July 2007 <http://www.uky.edu/AS/Classics/rhetoric.html#19>.