1. Literary Devices and Terms: Write ‘em, Learn ‘em, Love ‘em

2. Allegory A story with more than one level of meaning – a literal level and one or more symbolic levels. An allegory can make a moral, religious, or political point.

3. Characterization Direct characterization is when a writer states a character’s traits. Indirect characterization is when a writer reveals a character’s traits through: – His or her actions, thoughts, feelings, words, and appearance. – Another character’s observations and reactions. The act of creating and developing a character.

4. Flashback A section of a literary work that interrupts the sequence of events to relate an event from an earlier time.

5. Foreshadowing The use of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur.

6. Image A word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses – sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell.

7. Imagery Descriptive language used to create sensory experiences and word pictures for the reader.

8. Irony A contrast between what is stated and what is meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. Not to be confused with COINCIDENCE: the occurrence of events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have some connection.

9. Mood The feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage. The mood may be suggested by: – The writer’s choice of words. – Events in the literary work. – The physical setting.

10. Moral A lesson taught by a literary work. Always eat your vegetables.

11. Personification When a nonhuman subject is given human qualities.

12. The perspective from which a story is told. – First person pov: “I”, “me”, “we”, “our”, etc. – Second person pov: “you”, “your” – Third person pov: “he”, “she”, “they”, etc Point of View

13. Setting The time and place of the action. The setting can provide a background for the action, be a crucial element in the plot/conflict, or create a certain mood.

14. Symbol Anything that stands for or represents something else.

15. Theme A central idea, concern, or purpose in a literary work. The insight that the writer wants to pass along to the reader.