1. Alliteration: The repetition of first consonants in two or more words as in “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.” or Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

2. Antagonist: A major character who opposes the protagonist in a story or play.

3. Characterization: The means by which an author establishes character. An author may directly describe the appearance and personality of character or show it through action or dialogue.

4. Climax/Turning Point: The point at which the action in a story or play reaches its emotional peak.

5. Conflict: The elements that create a plot. Traditionally, every plot is build from the most basic elements of a conflict and an eventual resolution. The conflict can be internal (within one character/self) or external (among or between characters, society, and/or nature).

6. Resolution/Denouement: The resolution of the conflict in a plot after the climax. It also refers to the resolution of the action in a story or play after the principal drama is resolved—in other words, wrapping up a story.

7. Figurative Language: Language that does not convey it usual meaning. For example, you can call someone who is very angry “steaming.” Unless steam was actually coming out of your ears, you were using figurative language.

8. First Person Point of View: The point of view of writing which the narrator refers to himself or herself as “I.”

9. Flashback: A flashback is an interruption of the chronological sequence (as in a film or literary work) to go back to an earlier event or occurrence.

10. Foreshadowing: A technique an author uses to give a clues or hint about something that will happen later in the story.

11. Genre: Refers to the kind art or literature. Some literary genres are include realistic fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, westerns, and romances.

12. Hyperbole: A huge exaggeration. For example, “Dan’s the funniest guy on the planet!” or “That baseball card is worth a zillion dollars!”

13. Idiom: Idioms are phrases or expressions that have hidden meanings. The words in the expressions do not have their usual meaning. what the words say. NOT LITERAL. Example: He has two left feet. It’s raining cats and dogs. She spilled the beans. Does the cat have your tongue.

14. Imagery: The use of description that helps the reader imagine how something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or taste. Most of the time, it refers to appearance. For example, “The young bird’s white, feathered wings flutter as he made his way across the evening sky.”

15. Inference: An inference is an idea or conclusion that is drawn from evidence and reasoning. An inference is an educated guess.

16. Metaphor: A comparison that does NOT use “like” or “as”— such as “He’s a rock” or “I am an island.”

17. Mood: The emotional atmosphere the author creates for the reader/audience in a given piece of writing. (the reader’s feelings)

18. Onomatopoeia: The use of words that sound like what they mean such as “buzz.”

19. Personification: Giving inanimate object human characteristics. For example, “The flames reached for the child hovering in the corner.”

20. Plot: The sequence of events or action in the story.

21. Prose: Writing organized into sentences and paragraphs

22. Protagonist: The main character of a novel, play, or story.

23. Sensory imagery: Imagery that has to do with something you can see, hear, taste, smell, or feel. For example, “The stinging, salty air drenched his face.”

24. Simile: A comparison that uses “like” or “as” For example, “I’m as hungry as a wolf,” or “My love is like a rose.”

25. Suspense: Suspense is a state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety.

26. Symbolism: The use of one things to represent another. For example, a dove is a symbol of peace.

27. Theme: The central idea of a work; a general life message.

28. Tone: The author’s attitude toward his or her subject. For example, a tone could be pessimistic, optimistic, or angry.