words that begin with the same sound or letter and are close together in a sentence
Ex: "Sally sold sea shells by the sea shore."
Alliteration
the first paragraph, paragraphs, or pages in a story where the characters, setting (time and place), and basic information is introduced.
Exposition
a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable; without using "like" or "as"
Ex: "Life is a highway", "Her eyes are diamonds"
Metaphor
A conversation between two or more characters in a story
Dialogue
Imagery
Ex: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
The events leading up to the climax of the story
Rising Action
Hints or signs that point to a future event or the outcome of a story; often conveyed through imagery, symbolism, or figurative language
Foreshadowing
The author's attitude towards the subject matter of their writing, or towards the audience to which they are writing to
Tone
The main topic in a story
Theme
The opposite of the protagonist; typically a villian of some kind
Ex: Voldemort from Harry Potter
Antagonist
A struggle between two opposing forces
Ex: Villain vs Hero
Conflict
When the opposite of what is expected to happen occurs; the difference between expectation & reality.
Ex: The fire station caught on fire.
Irony
The emotional response the writer evokes from the reader; the reader's feelings
Mood
The main message or moral of a story
Main Idea/Central Idea
A reference to something else
Ex: "shot me out of the sky, you're my Kryptonite"
Allusion
The highest point or the turning point of a story
Climax
When an object, idea, person, etc. is representative of something larger or greater
ex: The Mockingjay in The Hunger Games, The Iron Throne in Game of Thrones
Symolism/Symbol
the choice of words and phrases in speech and in writing; can be harsh, soft, strong, weak, etc.
Diction
a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.
Thesis/Thesis Statement
an emotion, character type, or event that is notably recurrent across the human experience
Ex: Walter White as the Anti-Hero, Jon Snow as the Leader, Tony Stark as the Creator, Eddard Stark as a Martyr
Archetype
the conclusion of a story's plot
Resolution OR Denouement
when two characters are placed next to one another in an effort to showcase how different they are
Ex: George and Lennie from Of Mice and Men; Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby
Juxtaposition
The use of a word to suggest a different meaning than its literal definition.
Ex: "I'm feeling blue", "They fell in love violently", "He's so cheap"
Connotation/Connotative Meaning
a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction
Ex: "grammatically incorrect", "deafening silence"
Oxymoron