Literary Terms English 11
The narrative perspective from which a story is told.
Point of view
When a nonhuman thing is talked about as if it were human.
personification
The reason behind a character’s behavior
motivation
A struggle between opposing forces
conflict
The central point or message in a literary work
theme
The turning point in the action
climax
The character or force against which the main character is pitted
antagonist
Repeated word or phrase, used by writers to call attention to it
repetition
A character that undergoes a significant change throughout the story
Dynamic character
The use of a character’s appearance, words, or actions to reveal something about a character
characterization
A work of literature that is meant to be performed
Drama
A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, using like or as
simile
When a writer uses hints or clues to indicate events that will occur
foreshadowing
Language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation; includes similes, metaphors, personification and symbols
Figurative language
When the same consonant is used at the beginning of a series of words, creating a regular sound pattern
alliteration
The attitude a writer takes toward the audience or his or her subject
tone
The use of language that appeals to the senses
imagery
A speech in a dramatic work in which a character speaks his or her feelings aloud; this is to reveal the character’s inner thoughts, feelings, and plans to the audience
soliloquy
The use of a person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and for something beyond itself as well.
symbolism
The overall atmosphere of a literary work or the feeling the reader gets
mood
When a story is told by a voice outside of the action, not by one of the characters
Third person
The outcome of the conflict in a plot
resolution
A reference in a literary work to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature
allusion
The sequence of action and events in a story
plot
When the reader or audience is aware of something that the characters in the story are not aware of
Dramatic Irony
A character who provides a striking contrast to another character
foil
A literary work that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one
allegory
When the author lays the groundwork for the plot and introduces readers to the character and setting, and conflict
exposition
A character who remains essentially the same throughout the story
Static character
The central or main character in a story, novel, or play
protagonist
When a person uses words to convey the opposite of the literal meaning of those words
Verbal Irony
The point of view in which the narrator is a character telling the story
First person
The time and place in which a story takes place
setting
A written conversation between two or more people
dialogue
A comparison that does not use like or as
metaphor
A dramatic work that presents the downfall of a character of high status who has a flaw that leads to his or her destruction
tragedy
When the opposite of what is expected to happen is what happens
Situational irony