Literary Terms
Central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes. may lack courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples.
what is an "antihero"
attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object (Personification)
What is "anthropomorphism"
the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.
What is "characterization"
Opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a story.
what is an "antagonist"
Comparison made between two things to show how they are alike
what is an "analogy"
is a word or phrase, often a figure of speech, that has become lifeless because of overuse.
What is "cliche"
repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together.
What is "alliteration"
a word or phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal writing but is inappropriate for formal situations.
What is "colloquialism"
the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds especially in words that are together.
What is "assonance"
a poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died.
What is an "elegy"
In poetry, a type of rhetorical balance in which the second part is syntactically balanced against the first, but with the parts reversed. Coleridge: “Flowers are lovely, love is flowerlike.”
What is "chiasmus"
deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work.
What is "ambiguity"
story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities.
What is an "allegory"
Commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thus emphasizing the parts equally: instead of X, Y, and Z... the writer uses X,Y,Z....
What is "asyndeton"
Balancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted, often by means of grammatical structure.
What is an "antithesis"
calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing, or a personified abstract idea. If the character is asking a god or goddess for inspiration it is called an invocation.
What is "apostrophe"
A sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit, developed throughout a piece of writing.
What is EXTENDED METAPHOR
reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference tosomething (usually from literature, etc.).
What is an "allusion"
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer’s point more coherent.
What is "anaphora"