Glossary of Literary

Elements
Alliteration is the pattern of sound that includes the repetition of consonant
sounds. The repetition can be located at the beginning of successive words or inside
the words.

Antagonist is the character who is constant conflict with the protagonist of the
story.

Characterization is the different attitudes, mannerisms, and even appearances

of characters that can greatly influence the other major elements in a literary work,
such as theme, setting, and tone.
Indirect characterization: involves the author telling you what a
character is like through dialogue or actions
Direct characterization: involves the author telling you what a character is
like directly (ex. Physical features)

Diction is the choice of language used by the speaker or writer. Word choice helps
to establish tone, setting and the vocabulary of the characters
I.E: Vernacular (slang and conversational English of the era and/or
workplace)
terrifying bright wonderful horrifying spine tingling

Flashback is when the action of a story is interrupted by a scene from the past.
The scene from the past is the flashback.

Foreshadowing is the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in
literature.
Romeo and Juliet: Find me tomorrow and you will see a grave man
Foreshadow: He is going to die.

Hyperbole is exaggeration or overstatement.

Example:
I'm so hungry I could eat a horse

Imagery is language that evokes one or all of the five senses: seeing, hearing,
tasting, smelling, touching.

Irony is an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. The use
of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; a statement or situation
where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of the idea.
Three kinds of irony:
1. Verbal irony is when an author says one thing and means something else.
2. Dramatic irony is when an audience perceives something that a character
in the literature does not know.
3. Situational Irony: is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual
results.
I.E: rain on your wedding day, a free ride when you already paid

Metaphor the comparison of two UNLIKE things. A metaphor is a comparison. A

metaphor establishes a relationship at once; it leaves more to the imagination. It is

a shortcut to the meaning; it sets two unlike things side by side and makes us see
the likeness between them.
She is a cougar
He is a beast

Mood is the way the reader feels when reading a story

Narrator one who tells a story, the speaker or the voice of an oral or written
piece of work.

Onomatopoeia The use of words (such as hiss) that imitate the sounds
associated with the objects or actions they refer to

Personification gives human attributes to a nonhuman thing.

The wind whistled in the distance.

Point of View is the angle from which a story is told.

first-person: The narrator is a character in the story and refers to himself

as I.
third person: Neither the reader nor the narrator is the main character.
Narrator uses the pronoun he or she when referring to the main
character.

Protagonist is the main character of the story.

Simile compares two unlike things using like or as

She was as sneaky as a FOX

He was hairy like a bear

Symbolism is a word or object that stands for another word or object. The object
or word can be seen with the eye or not visible.
In the story of Adam and Eve when Eve ate the apple, the apple stood for sin.

Theme is the general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express.
Man Versus Nature, Man Versus Himself,
Survival

Family

Friendship

Rebellion

Love conquers all

Love
only the strong survive

Tone is the attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character

Angry, Happy, Depressed