Literary Terminology

Archetype

• A unique character with no common traits.

• A common character type or story pattern found in many stories (e.g., hero, villain).

• A specific plot twist that occurs in a story.

• A narrative technique used to create suspense.

Allusion

• A direct quote from a text.

• A reference to another story, myth, or historical event.

• A type of metaphor used in poetry.

• A summary of a historical event.

Plot

• The sequence of events that make up the story.

• The main character's internal conflict.

• The setting where the story takes place.

• The moral lesson of the story.

Narrator

• The person or voice telling the story.

• A character in the story who provides commentary.

• The main character of the story.

• The setting where the story takes place.

Suspense

• The excitement of a thrilling event.

• The tension or uncertainty that keeps the reader interested in what happens next.

• A feeling of joy and happiness in a story.

• The resolution of a conflict in a narrative.

Personification

• Giving human qualities to non-human things (e.g., the wind whispered).

• A literary device that uses exaggeration for emphasis.

• A technique that involves comparing two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.

• A method of storytelling that focuses on the inner thoughts of characters.

Symbolism

• When something represents a physical object.

• When something stands for more than itself (e.g., a dove symbolising peace).

• When something is used to create a visual effect.

• When something is a direct representation of reality.

Theme Statement

• A sentence that expresses what the author is saying about a theme (e.g., Power can corrupt even the most noble).

• A brief summary of the plot of a story.

• A character's personal opinion about a subject.

• A description of the setting in a narrative.

Simile

• A figure of speech that exaggerates for emphasis.

• A comparison using like or as (e.g., as brave as a lion).

• A statement that contradicts itself.

• A type of metaphor that does not use comparison.

Protagonist

• The main character, often the hero of the story.

• A character who opposes the protagonist.

• A minor character in the story.

• The setting of the story.