Literary Terms

The REPETITION of consonant sounds at the beginning of non rhyming words or syllables in neighboring words. For example: "Towering trembling pine trees."

• allusion

• alliteration

• anecdote

• antagonist

An indirect reference to a well-known person, character, place, event, concept ,or literary work.

• Arguement

• Assonance

• Analogy

• Allusion

A comparison that shows similarities between two things that are otherwise dissimilar. They are usually expressed through metaphors and similes.

• Anecodote

• Antagonist

• Protagonist

• Analogy

A brief story based on a SINGLE interesting event from a person's life. Writers usually use it to support their opinions and clarify their ideas.

• Anecdote

• Author's perspective

• Allusion

• Characterization

A person or force in society or nature that opposes the protagonist ( main character) in a story or drama.

• Author's Perspective

• Antagonist

• Character

• Protagonist

The combination of experiences, values, and ideas that shape the way the author looks at the world or at a particular subject.

• Author's purpose

• Author's perspective

• Context

• Diction

An author's intent in writing a literary work. Authors typically write for one or more of the following reasons: to persuade, to inform, to explain, to entertain, or to describe.

• Persuasion

• Logic

• Tone

• Author's purpose

The story of a person's life.

• Autobiography

• Plot

• Sequence of events

• Third-person narrative

A narrative poem originally meant to be sung or recited.

• Stanza

• Sonnet

• Fairy tale

• Ballad

A leaning toward a certain opinion or position on a topic, possibly arising from prejudice.

• Point of view

• Bias

• Style

• Tone