Terms I
The essential background information at the beginning of a literary work
Exposition
An extended metaphor, where the entire story or poem has a secondary symbolic meaning.
Allegory
a dramatic device in which a character makes a short speech intended for the audience but not heard by the other characters on stage
Aside
The manner in which an author develops characters and their personalities
Characterization
a technique an author uses to convey to the reader a meaning with the goal of persuading him or her towards considering a topic from a different perspective or to effectively transmit the author’s message to the reader
Rhetorical Devices
the development of conflict and complications in a literary work
Rising action
the literal meaning of a word—the meaning you would find in a dictionary
Denotation
word choice to create a specific effect
Diction
repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds: “Anna’s apples,” “the pond is long gone”
Assonance
The tone writers use when they are trying to make fun of what they are writing about.
Satire
uninfluenced by emotions or personal prejudices
Objective
a reference to something well-known that exists outside the literary work
Allusion
struggle between two or more opposing forces (person vs. person; nature; society; self; fate/God.)
Conflict
a dramatic device in which a character is alone and speaks his or her thoughts aloud
Soliloquy
a recurring feature of a literary work that is related to the theme
Motif
results or effects of the climax of a literary work
Falling action
a character that is the source of conflict in a literary work
Antagonist
the reason behind what an author writes, not the main idea of the story.
Author’s Purpose
a hint of what is to come in a literary work
Foreshadow
use of a word whose sound imitates its meaning: “hiss”
Onomatopoeia
the emotional meaning of a word—the deeper meaning a word is being used to represent. For example, “house” and “home” are literally very similar, but their connotations are very different. A house is just a building, while a home is the place you belong and where your family is. “Home” has a different emotional effect than “house” does, so it has a different connotation
Connotation
the author’s attitude toward the subject of a work
Tone
direct speech between characters in a literary work
Dialogue
language that represents one thing in terms of something dissimilar (non-literal language). Includes simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, symbol)
Figurative Language
a phrase that consists of two words that are contradictory: “living dead” or “pretty ugly”
Oxymoron