Any force aligned against the protagonist

Purification that brings emotional relief or renewal

Most exciting moment of the story; turning point

Opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot)

The final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work

In literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem.

An unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, esp. as a contrived plot device in a play or novel

A major category or type of literature

The possession of excessive pride, which often surfaces in a character’s defiance of authority or the gods

The person telling the story

The main character embroiled in conflict

Where and when the story takes place

The arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work;For a poem, how it is organized with rhyming patterns, meter, grammar, and imagery.

The choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work

The main idea or meaning of a text

A narrative or description having a second, deeper meaning beyond the surface layer.

There is a literal meaning to the narrative or description, which also represents a higher meaning often relating to a system of principles or ideas

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of a wordExamples: mirror, moon, money

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Addressing someone absent or dead or something inhuman as if it were alive and present and could reply

Repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds in neighboring words

Unrhymed verse (usually in iambic pentameter)

A harsh, unpleasant-sounding choice and arrangement of sounds

Rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words

Extended metaphor or simile, often yoking together two apparently unconnected, highly dissimilar ideas

The implied emotional meaning of a word

The repetition of consonant sounds at the end of a wordExamples: spook, plague, sticker

A song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person

Unpleasant or inharmonious combination of sound

A mournful poem

A line that ends with a natural speech pause, usually marked by punctuation

A long narrative poem telling of a hero’s deeds

Any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds

One accented syllable with one, two, three or zero unaccented syllablesBasic unit of rhythmic measurement in a line of poetry, formed by a combination of two or three syllables, either stressed or unstressed.

Unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern or rhyme sceme

Couplet consisting of two rhymed lines of iambic pentamenter and written in an elevated style

Metrical unit made up of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable

Language in a literary work which appeal to one or more of the senses (sight, taste, touch, hearing, and smell)

A rhyme between words in the same line

A contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or occurs

A type of poem that explores the poet’s personal interpretation of and feelings about the world;Poem that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker;Different types include elegies, odes, and sonnets

The idea that is intended

A particular metrical unit or group;The rhythm of a piece of poetry

A figure of speech indirectly comparing two unlike things;Does NOT use “like” or “as” to compare

Consistent rhythmThe organization of stressed and unstressed syllables

A lyric poem usually marked by serious, respectful, and exalted feelings toward the subject;A lyrical poem of elaborate metrical form and expressing enthusiastic emotion

Word that imitate sounds it describes

A verse line having five metrical feet

The speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing

A stanza of four lines

A repeated work, phrase, or line or group of lines, normally at some fixed position in a poem written in stanzas

Repeating words or phrases for a stronger emphasis

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry

A direct comparison of two unlike things, using the words “like” or “as.”

14-line lyric poem written in iambic pentameter that focuses on single theme

A speech given by a person who is talking to himself or herself or is unaware of anyone present who may be listeningIt is a way of letting the audience know the character’s true thoughts.

The relative prominence of a syllable

Something that has literal meaning and meaning beyond literal

The attitude an author conveys about the subject he is writing about

A metrical foot consisting of one accented (stressed) syllable followed by one unaccented (unstressed) syllable

An author belief toward his or her subject, and/or his or her audience

Elements such as rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and onomatopoeia – gives poetry a musical quality

Choice of words an author uses to create an intended response and to reflect a particular style

A type of understatement replacing an offensive term with a milder one that is less likely to offend or be thought of as harsh

An exaggeration used to emphasize

A type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite

The arrangement and grammatical relationship of words, phrases, and clauses in sentences; the ordering of words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.

The overall pervading feeling or emotion of the poem itself that is intended to influence the reader’s emotional response.The feeling the reader receives when reading a work

Methods of telling a story – point of view, argument, allegory, description, exposition, monologue, interior monologue, dialogue, stream of consciousness, manipulation of time

Refers to a story’s type of narration; the perspective/angle from which a story is told

The devices used in effective or persuasive language

Humorous writing or speech that is meant to point out the errors, lies, foibles, or failings.

Its purpose is to inform and reform human behavior or society and its social institutions;The intention is to bring about reform

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

A set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms or criteria (customs) of a particular world

The literal definition of a word

Any text whose main purpose is to teach or instruct

The employment of run-on lines, which carry the completion of a statement from one line to another without rhetorical pause

A witty saying;A pithy, sometimes satiric couplet or quatrain which was popular inclassic Latin literature and in European and English literature of the Renaissanceand the neo-Classical era

Without interpretation or embellishment; the denotative meaning of something

Songlike; characterized by emotions, subjectivity, and imagination.

A figure of speech characterized by substituting an aspect or detail from the experience, or closely related to the experience, to represent the whole experience;Figure of speech in which a representative term is used for a larger idea

A combination of contradictory terms

A short, simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson

A contrasting statement or phrase which illuminates a truth or insight

Humorous or satirical mimicry

Giving human qualities to an inanimate object

A conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image

The primary position taken by a writer; serves as the author’s point of view on a topic

Saying one thing but meaning the opposite

Where there is a disparity between appearance and reality;When a disparity exists between an actual situation and what is appropriate;When there is a situation with a recognizable oddity

When the audience knows something the character does not

Story that Encloses series of frames/short stories

A complex character with many qualities and traits

A simple character with only few traits

A character that remains the same throughout a plot; doesn’t experience change or grow as an individual

A changing character; one who undergoes awakening of some kind of grains insight

Characterization that occurs when the author tells us information about the character

Characterization that occurs when the author shows the reader the character, and some determination of inference about the character is made by the reader

Line-for-line, verbal fencing match between two principal characters, used to retort sharply to each other in lines that echo the opponent’s words and figures of speech

A literary technique presenting the thoughts of a character as they occur

Point of View that utilizes character to personally tell us about characters & actions

Point of View that uses a narrator who refers to you, the reader, as a character in the story

Point of View that describes a narrator guide who is on the outside of the story; tells readers what characters do and say and creates meaning by detailing the thoughts, opinions, motives, inner feelings, etc. of one character

The all-knowing point of view;The author knows everything the characters are thinking and feeling, and can relate any piece of information desired to the reader;Creates meaning by providing the reader with all the information available

Point of View in which reader observes action and hears dialogue but without the input of a narrator; like a self-guided tour

A group of three lines of verse, often rhyming together or with another triplet

A minor character whose situation or actions parallel a major character’s

Fixed form poem consisting of 19 lines;5 stanzas of 3 lines each and closing w/ stanza of 4 lines;The form includes repeating refrain, and the rhyme scheme depends on only two rhyming sounds

Logical argument where the conclusion is inferred from 2 previous truths that this structure employs;”If only x were reality, but y is reality; therefore, we have z.”

A rhythmical pattern of syllables consisting of poetic lines of five feet of unstressed and stressed syllables

The pattern of rhyming words in a stanza

Something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time

A comparison of similar things, often to explain something unfamiliar with something familiar

Repetition of an opening word or phrase in a series of lines

A combination of a monologue and a soliloquy in which a character reveals his or her thoughts as if there were no other characters on stage.The character speaks to the audience, but the other characters are not meant to hear what is said.

A form of narrative poetry that presents a single dramatic episode, which is often tragic or violent

A pause within a line of poetry. Usually a dash or comma will indicate the reader should pause

The creation and development of the people who take part in the story;Includes appearance, personality, behavior, beliefs, relationships

Language that is conversational or informal.

May contain slang or non-standard grammar usage.

Where the conflict is between people

Where conflict is psychological;Character grapples with his/her values/morals or some situation affect his/her life

Conversation between characters in a play or poem;Helps to develop a character

Compositions in prose or verse to narrate a story involving conflict between one or more characters and internal or external forces, or both

In drama, it is a convention which preserves the illusion of actual, everyday life

In drama, it is a convention which departs from preserving the illusion of actual, everyday life

Part of a complex poem that ends with 3 lines which include repeated end words sprinkled in the middle of the lines and then concluding the lines using some of the same 6 end words

Words that aren’t used in their ordinary meaning (such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, understatement, etc.)

Action that shows better understanding by interrupting to show an event that happened in the past

Method used to build suspense by providing hints of what is to come

Imagery of a sound

Imagery of a smell

Imagery of a taste

Imagery of a touch

Imagery of an internal feeling

Imagery of movement or tension in the muscles

A sonnet that has:1 eight line octet and 1 6 line sestetTypically, octet poses dilemma that is answered in sestetRhyme Scheme: ABBA CDDC CDECDE

A speech given by one person often alone on the stage. The actor speaks directly to the audience and is conscious of having a listener.

A recurring image, word, phrase, action, idea, object or situation that appears in various works or throughout the same work

Exaggeration of language in order to reveal a truth

The sequencing of events in a piece of fiction

A method or technique in fiction which provides an accurate portrayal of life

Stories refer to works recognizing the differences of specific areas of the country by focusing on the characters, dialect, customs, topography, and other particular features of the region

Minor division of a play

A change in perspectiveORmoving from one line of thought to another often signaled by words like: if, but, however or therefore.

A figure of speech that consists of saying less than one means, or saying what one means with less force than the situation requires in order to reveal a truth

How the theme of a novel or play applies to individuals, transcending race, class, gender, and other systems which tend to segregate individuals

Creating an accurate and truthful portrayal of something

The relationship between a sentence’s subject and verb (active and passive);ORThe total “sound” of a writer’s style based on diction, syntax, and figurative language

Fiction meant to entertain and meet the demands of audiences whose pocketbooks drive the production of such works

Fiction created to express artistic intent and insight into important aspects of life

Narrator who is considered trustworthy

Narrator who is NOT considered trustworthy; untrustworthy

Narrator who is uncomprehending (child, simple-minded adult); he or she narrates the story without realizing its true implications

Narrator who keeps interrupting the narrative to address the reader

The part of a plot that leads through a series of events of increasing interest and power to the climax or turning point

The comic substitution of one word for another similar in sound, but different in meaning.

Functions to make characters look ignorant or amusingly uneducated

Fictitious name assumed by a writer who wished to remain anonymous or who chooses not to use her/his real name professionally

Literature depicting emotional matter in an imaginative form.Characteristics:individuality, subjectivity, spontaneity, freedom from rules, solitary life vs. life in society, the belief that imagination is superior to reason, devotion to beauty, worship of nature, fascination with the past, etc

Harsh, cutting, personal remarks to or about someone, not necessarily ironic

Employs illogical, dreamlike images and events to suggest the unconscious

The extent to which a narrator can be trusted or believed.The closer the narrator is to the story, the more his judgment will be influenced by forces in the story.

A terse statement of a principal or truth which expresses an observation on life, usually intended as a wise observation

A metaphoric compound word or phrase used as a synonym for a common noun

A short saying that expresses some commonplace truth or bit of folk wisdom

The description of one kind of sensation in terms of another”He is wearing a loud shirt.”

Figure of speech that utilizes a part as representative of the whole

Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme and that are written to the same meter, or pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables

Latin for “the middle of things.” The term describes the narrative practice of beginning a story in the middle of the action to involve the reader, and then using one or more flashbacks to fill in what led up to that point

The word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

Conjunctions are omitted, producing a fast-paced and rapid prose

Expressing similar or related ideas in similar grammatical structure;repetition of words, phrases, sentences that have the samegrammatical structure or that restate a similar idea

Where the conflict is between a person and natural forces/elements outside of human creation/control

Drama that is meant to amuse the audience through wit, humor, subtlety, character

Literature that is written with regular rhythm and is usually expressive, imaginative, and relevant to the life and experience of the reader/listener

Literature that’s not written with a regular rhythm.Includes novels, novellas, short stories, plays, essays

Drama that is meant to show the darker aspects of human existence that occur through nature of their own flaws

a fictional character that relies heavily on cultural types or stereotypesfor its personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics

Also known as tragic flawCharacter flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall

Everyday speech of the people

Novel in which actual persons & events are disguised as fictional characters

Of, relating to, or being a literary or other artistic work that portraysor evokes rural life, usually in an idealized way

A controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking aspecific opinion or doctrine.

describes a type of literature that attempts to apply scientific principles of objectivity and detachment to its study of human beings.implies a philosophical position

Works that use short descriptions and simple sentences

Reversal of normal order of words for dramatic effect

Specialized vocabulary used by group of people

Inspiration saying or platitude

A very short tale told by a character in a literary work

protagonist who has the opposite of most of the traditional attributes of a hero

A term used to describe universal symbols that evoke deep andsometimes unconscious responses in a reader

Brief quotation which appears at the beginning of a literary work

a word of phrase preceding or following a name which serves to describe the character

type of comedy based on a humorous situation

Unstressed/unstressed/stressed

Stressed/unstressed/unstressed

Stressed/stressed

Deliberately placing dissimilar things side by side for comparison

Sonnet that has:3 four line quatrains, and 1 two line coupletTypically, a couplet that reverses, alters, or challenges the meaning of the preceding 12 lines in an ironic twistRhyme Scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

A sonnet that is a variant on the Shakespearean sonnet, with 4 quatrains with interlocked rhyme schemeRhyme Scheme: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE

Form of free verse that lacks the formal shape of poetry