1. Literary Elements

2. Alliteration
DEF: the repetition of a consonant sound in the first syllable of words within a sentence or passage (not vowel)
EX: She sells sea shells by the seashore (**tongue twisters are alliteration on steroids!)
EX: The glistening stars gleamed on the water’s surface.

3. Antagonist
DEF: the main character or force that opposes the protagonist (causes problems), creating conflict in the story
EX: Voldemort (archenemy of Harry Potter)
EX: Lex Luthor (archenemy of Superman)

4. Hyperbole DEF: extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or humor
EX: I am so tired I could sleep for two days straight.
EX: “. . . the shot heard round the world.” (Emerson)

5. Idiom An expression not meant literally
that means something other than the literal meanings of its individual words.
Ex: A chip on your shoulder - means you have a bad attitude
Ex: Sick as a dog - means you are very ill
Rub someone the wrong way - meaning to annoy or bother

6. Metaphor (figure of speech)
DEF: A comparison of two unlike things without using “like’ or “as”
EX: You are the radiant sun.
Ex: Life is a battle.

7. Onomatopoeia (figure of speech)
DEF: A word that imitates or suggests the sound that it describes
EX: The boom of the cannon scared me.
EX: The owl screeched all night long and kept me up.

8. Oxymoron combination of words that contradict each other
Ex: “deafening silence”
Ex: “wise fool”
Ex: “honest thief”
Ex: “biitersweet”

9. Personification (figure of speech)
DEF: Giving human traits (qualities, feelings, actions, characteristics) to something non-human.
EX: The sounds of the sea were calling me back home.
Ex: The thunder grumbled like an old man.

10. Protagonist
DEF: principal (main) character; the force that drives the action (plot) of the story
EX: Superman
EX: Romeo AND Juliet

11. Simile (figure of speech)
DEF: The comparison of two different things using “like” or as”
EX: James was flopping like a fish when Julie tickled him.
EX: Her eyes twinkled like stars.
EX: She was as cool as a cucumber during her interview.

12. Allusion
DEF: brief reference to a person, place, event or story that all people know. (If it starts with a capital letter and you don’t know what it is, it may be an allusion)
EX: Tests are my Achilles’ heel.
EX: Sally has a smile that rivals that of the Mona Lisa.
EX: If it keeps raining like this, we’re going to need to build an ark. (?)
EX:We saw the Hoover Dam on our recent trip to the West.
EX: Outside of the newly constructed Twin Towers, thousands paid homage to the victims of 9-11.

13. Direct Characterization
DEF: writer TELLS the audience the personality of a character; the description actually is IN THE TEXT.
EX: My mom is always thoughtful.
EX: Jack Sparrow is mysterious and charming.

14. Indirect Characterization
DEF: writer SHOWS the audience the personality of a character; the description may be implied* but NOT STATED, so the reader must infer*
EX: Thornton saves Buck (Call of the Wild)What is implied about Thornton?
EX: “We can have lots of fun that is funny.” (Cat in the Hat)

15. Conflict DEF: A struggle between opposing forces; the basis of plot
EX: Man vs. Man (Capulets Vs. Montagues)
Man vs. Nature (boy vs. raging wild fire)
man vs. machinery (woman Vs. Car that will not start)
man vs. society (man vs. how to feed the starving children in the world)

16. Internal Conflict
DEF: character’s decision-making; conflict that takes place in the mind
EX: Ponyboy’s (The Outsiders) decision to be true to himself vs. the gang
EX: study or watch TV
EX: run or fight

17. External Conflict
DEF: struggle between a character and an outside force
EX: fisherman vs. Storm (The Deadliest Catch)
EX: Tom Robinson vs. Mayella Ewell (To Kill a Mockingbird)

18. Denotation The dictionary meaning of a word.
Ex. The definition of “lake” is an “inland body of water”.

19. Foreshadowing
DEF: clues that hint at what is going to happen later in the plot
EX: Miss Gulch’s transformation (Wizard of Oz)
EX: “A plague on both your houses.” (Mercutio, Romeo and Juliet)
EX: scary, dramatic music gets louder in horror movie

20. Imagery
DEF: words or phrases that appeal to any of the five senses to recreate sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch
EX: music coursed through our veins
EX: the scent of warm cookies wafted in the air
EX: the fuzzy sweater caused me to itch

21. Situational Irony
DEF: Unexpected events; Irony that occurs when what we expect to happen is the opposite of what actually does happen
EX: The small “nerd” beats up the big “jock”.
EX: A single woman reluctantly goes to a wedding but ends up meeting the man she marries.
EX: The paint inside a can promises to stop metal from rusting, yet the metal can it is in is rusted.

22. Dramatic Irony
DEF: Irony which occurs when the audience or reader knows something important that a character does not know.
EX: In a movie, a slasher is in the woods and the audience can see him. The character runs to the woods to hide not knowing the slasher is in the woods.
EX: Romeo does not know Juliet is just asleep in the tomb. The reader or audience knows this information.

23. Verbal Irony
DEF: Irony where a writer or speaker says something but means something else.
EX: Your D’s and F’s Will surely get you in the Smart People of America Club.
How wonderful it is that the water will be turned off for six hours tomorrow!

24. Point of View
DEF: perspective from which the narrator tells a story (first person, third person omniscient, third person limited- occasionally second person)
First person -- one of the characters is usually the narrator telling the story (pronouns I, me, my, mine)
Third person omniscient -- the person telling the story knows everything about the characters and their problems. The narrator is not in the story
Third person limited -- the narrator, who is one of the characters, zooms in on one character’s thoughts and feelings.

25. Pun
A play on words involving a word with two or more different meanings or two words that sound alike but have different meanings.
EX: Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
EX: What did the grape say when it got stepped on? Nothing - but it let out a little whine.
EX: Santa’s helpers are subordinate Clauses.

26. Symbol DEF: word or object that stands for another word or object.
EX: In The Most Dangerous Game red was a symbol for blood, violence, and death on Ship-Trap Island.
EX: dove -- peace; apple -- sin
EX: windmill in Animal Farm-- pig’s manipulation

27. Theme
DEF: subject, topic, or focal idea of an artistic piece; author’s message to audience or point of focus
EX: A theme in Romeo and Juliet is love.
EX: coming of age; friendship; war
**In analysis, theme is given as a complete sentence= Love inspires sacrifice.

28. Elements in Context
The large black shoulders that had once towered over his opponent were plastered to the floor; David had again defeated Goliath.
The giant’s growl was now only a weak whimper. However, he accepted his defeat graciously, welcoming the warm wet tongue of “the enemy” that licked his wounds. Although there would be a million more battles, an unlikely pair had managed to strike up a friendship. Lovingly, Ares threw his arm around the little man standing over him and begged for mercy.
Tomorrow the energetic Rottweiler puppy will again challenge my older, wiser dachshund, for it seems he hasn’t quite come to grips with the pecking order in our family!

29. Archetype a perfect example of something
universal characters, situations, images and symbols that occur in the stories of all cultures
Example: Water =birth, death, resurrection, purification, redemption, fertility, growth; Hero= superior strength, integrity, and looks

30. Connotation
ideas and feelings associated with a word in addition to its explicit dictionary meaning
EX: Cheap v. inexpensive
EX: slender v. gaunt
EX: assertive v. pushy

31. Dynamic Character
DEF: the major character who encounters conflict and is changed by it
EX: Jo in Twister (movie)
EX: Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
EX: Harry Potter
EX: Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story

32. Flashback
A flashback is an interruption in the plot to describe an action of the past. After the flashback, the story returns to the present time of action.
Flashbacks provide background information in a more interesting way; this could be thru thoughts, memories, or dreams
Flashbacks can explain the reasons behind a character’s behavior or events and situations that might be unclear

33. Flat Character
DEF: Characters who have only one or two personality traits and don’t change; a 2-dimensional character that can be described in one sentence
EX: the witch (Wizard of Oz)
EX: Kelso (That 70’s show)
EX: the hero’s sidekick: Robin

34. Mood
DEF: the feeling/atmosphere the writer creates through tone; emotional response created IN the READER
EX: sympathetic, outraged, shocked, disappointed, excited, nervous, hopeful, satisfied, appreciative, energized
MY (the reader’s) feelings while reading

35. Parallelism
the repetition of a grammatical structure in order to create a rhythm and make words more memorable.
Ex. “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” Elie Wiesel
hiking, biking, and swimming

36. Repetition
the use of a sound, word, phrase, clause, or sentence more than once for emphasis
“I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them Sam I am.”
“Never in his life has he been so vilely treated and never in his life had he been so angry.” -The Call of the WIld

37. Rhetorical Question
Questions with obvious answers, used to emphasis that opinion; thus, proving the need for agreement with the author/speaker
EX: Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?
Ex:How did that idiot ever get elected?
Ex: What business is it of yours?
Ain’t I a woman?

38. Round Character
DEF: well-developed character with varied personality traits, usually dynamic(sometimes honest, sometimes not/sometimes caring, sometimes selfish...)
EX: Eric (That 70’s Show)
EX: Napoleon (Animal Farm)

39. Static Character
DEF: minor characters who do not change or grow in the course of the story, often flat
EX: Sherlock Holmes
EX: Kermit the Frog
EX: Tom Sawyer
EX: Robin -- Batman’s counterpart

40. Tone
DEF: the writer’s attitude towards his or her subject; tone reflects the writer’s feelings
EX: matter-of-fact or straightforward, sincere, suspenseful, argumentative, sarcastic, whimsical or playful, pessimistic, reflective

41. Antithesis
Two sentences of contrasting meanings near each other to create a balance between opposite qualities or to emphasize the different perceptions or duality of a subject
EX: "Evil men fear authority; good men cherish it.
EX: "One small step for a man, one giant leap for all mankind."
EX: “You are easy on the eyes, but hard on the heart.”

42. Analogy
DEF: comparison built on relationships between words; to complete an analogy, identify the relationship between the known elements and create the same relationship with the unknown element
EX: Fish is to swim as bird is to fly.
EX: Word:Sentence::Page:Book
EX: furious:anger::terrified:_______

43. Autobiography
DEF: a person’s account of his or her own life; a story written by one’s self
EX: The Diary of Anne Frank
EX: Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton

44. Biography DEF: an account of a person’s life written by someone else
EX: Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power
EX: Ever After: Diana and the Life She Had

45. Diction/Dialect
Diction- refers to the writer’s word choice; why choose simple, easy to understand words? complex, technical terms? sophisticated language? slang?
Dialect refers to the speech patterns of a particular region or social group; naturally, it changes from location to location and is often a reflection of an author’s native region
Example: ain’t, hafta, yessum, ‘Smatter
Shet de do’ -- Shut the door.
Ex. Different words for soft drink in various regions of the country ( Coke, pop, soda)

46. Euphemism EX: “Passed away” for “Died”
A “nicer” way of saying something- a mild, indirect, or vague expression used in place of a more direct, offensive, harsh, or blunt.
EX: “Passed away” for “Died”
EX: Letting someone go instead of firing someone
EX: Put to sleep instead of euthanize or kill
EX: Between places instead of homeless

47. Foil Character
a character who sets off another character by providing a sharp contrast.
Characters may be different in personalities, situations, behaviors, physical appearance and attitudes.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. hyde
Mercutio/Romeo
Voldemort/Professsor Dumbledore

48. Paradox
a statement that seems contradictory but actually reveals a deeper truth; an extended oxymoron of sorts
Ex. jumbo shrimp is an oxymoron (2 words)
Ex.You shouldn't go in the water until you know how to swim = paradox
Ex. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the title character states, "I must be cruel to be kind."
You can’t win for losing.

49. Plot DEF: how the action of the story is presented
Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
plot triangle

50. Stages of the Writing Process
prewriting (mapping, charting)
drafting (writing- content focused)
revising(rewording,moving paragraphs)
editing (grammar, spelling corrections)
publishing (printing, sharing work)

51. Syntax
refers to sentence structure- the way words are organized to express ideas; used to establish tone,
Ex. Hemingway wrote very short, descriptive sentences.
Ex. Faulkner wrote long, twisty stream of consciousness sentences.

52. Understatement
A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or less serious than it actually is; opposite of hyperbole
EX: "Well, that's cast rather a gloom over the evening, hasn't it?" (when the Grim Reaper comes to dinner in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life)
EX: “I have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain." (Holden Caulfield, The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger)