American Lit Terms

Repetition of sounds at the beginning of words

• Alliteration

• Assonance

• Dialect

• Rhyming

Opposes the main character

• Protagonist

• Antagonist

• Characterization

• Mood

Story of a person's life written by that person

• Biography

• Denouement

• Autobiography

• Epic

An overused expression

• Cliche

• Climax

• Style

• Imagery

Highest turning point in the story

• Exposition

• Climax

• Cliche

• Denouement

Final outcome of a story

• Climax

• Exposition

• Action

• Denouement

Written conversation

• Dialect

• Dialogue

• Speaking

• Quotations

Hints that predict what will come next

• Flashback

• Foreshadow

• Irony

• Imagery

The opposite of what you think would happen

• Irony

• Imagery

• Local Color

• Metaphor

When something has human qualities

• Personification

• Protagonist

• Suspense

• Simile