a
brief but purposeful references, within a literary text, to a person, place, event, or to another work of literature. There are five main types: historical, mythological, religions, literary, and popular culture.
allusion
an elaborate metaphor that compares two things that are startlingly different. Conceit is a specific use of extended metaphor.
conceit
A form of language use in which writers and speakers convey something other than the literal meaning of their words. Examples include hyperbole or exaggeration, understatement, simile and metaphor, which employ comparison.
Figurative Language
uses sensory details to create a vivid and concrete description of a scene, object, person, or idea. It appeals to the reader’s senses of sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell, and is used to create a specific mood or atmosphere in a literary work.
imagery
a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character’s mind. The technique seeks to replicate the disjointed, fragmented, and often chaotic nature of the human mind.
Stream of consciousness
An allegory is a story in which characters, events, and settings symbolize abstract or moral concepts from the real world. It is used to express large, complex ideas in an approachable manner. Writers can distance themselves from political or societal issues --especially when what they are writing is a critique of these issues.
Allegory
The associations called up by a word that goes beyond its dictionary meaning. Connotation is commonly defined in contrast to denotation, a literary term that refers to the "dictionary definition," or the explicit and literal definition of a word or phrase. The word "swan," for example, denotes a swan. But what "swan" connotes is grace, beauty, love, and purity.
Connotation
a device that moves an audience from the present moment in a chronological narrative to a scene in the past. Flashbacks are often abrupt interjections that further explain a story or character with background information and memories.
Flashback
involves placing two contrasting things or ideas side by side to highlight their differences or similarities. It can be used to compare and contrast characters, settings, themes, or ideas.
juxtaposition
an object, action, or event represents a larger concept, idea or emotion.Symbols are used in literature to create layers of meaning and to convey themes, ideas, or messages. Symbols can be concrete or abstract.
symbol
a novel that follows a protagonist 'growing up' in some way – not just in age, but psychologically or morally.
Boldungsroman
is Latin for “a god from the machine.” It is when some new character, force, or event suddenly shows up to solve a seemingly hopeless situation.
Deus ex Machina
a character who acts as contrast to another character. A foil character, or character foil, is a character whose actions and traits contrast those of another character—often the protagonist.
Foil
a contradiction between what is said or done and what is actually meant or expected. It is often used to create a humorous, dramatic, or sarcastic effect, or to highlight a discrepancy between appearance and reality.
Verbal Irony: occurs when someone says one thing but really means something else.
Situational Irony: takes place when there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, and what really does happen.
irony
: the grammatical order of words in a sentence or line of verse or dialogue. It is the organization of words and phrases and clauses in sentences of prose, verse, and dialogue.
syntax
the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
Indirect characterization: the author reveals what the character is like by describing how the character looks and dresses, by letting the reader hear what the character says, by revealing the character’s private thoughts and feelings, by revealing the characters effect on other people (showing how other characters feel or behave toward the character), or by showing the character in action. In other words: the character’s actions, speech, and thoughts.
Direct characterization: the author tells us directly what the character is like: devious, generous, self-centered, etc.
Characterization
a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of the inhabitants of a certain geographical area.
Dialect
gives the audience hints or signs about the future. It suggests what is to come through imagery, language, and/or symbolism. It does not directly give away the outcome, but rather, suggests it.
Foreshadowing
the atmosphere of a literary piece that creates an emotional setting that surrounds the reader. It is developed through various methods, including setting, theme, tone, and diction.
mood
The implied attitude of a writer toward the subject and characters of a work. Compare tone to mood and understand the difference.
Tone
a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse. Ex.: “strong as an ox,” “better safe than sorry.”
cliche
The selection of words in a literary work. A work's diction forms one of its centrally important literary elements, as writers use words to convey action, reveal character, imply attitudes, identify themes, and suggest values.
Diction
a literary device that involves using exaggerated statements or claims to emphasize a point or create a dramatic effect. It is an intentional exaggeration that is not meant to be taken literally, but rather used to make a point or create a vivid image in the reader’s mind. Hyperbole can be used to express strong emotions, create humor, or to emphasize a particular point in a text.
Hyperbole
a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. Examples: “Jumbo shrimp.” “Pretty ugly.” “Bitter-sweet”
oxymoron
A is a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same time.
Paradox