Literary Terms

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itio

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De

Ex
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Alliteration The repetition of beginning consonant sounds in words Five fragrantly flowering fuchsias
Allusion A reference to a work, person, place or event outside of the story. It is assumed
the reader is familiar with it and therefore understands its significance

Antagonist The person or force that opposes the protagonist

Climax The final, culminating event in a series of actions The prince finds Cinderella
Connotation Ideas or feelings evoked by a word, other than its denotation (literal meaning) House=shelter BUT home=place of
warmth and family
External Conflict When a character is engaged in conflict with something outside of himself - Person vs. Person, Person vs. Nature
another person or thing.
Falling action The letdown stage following a dramatic crisis; it shows how the characters are Cinderella marries Prince Charming
affected by the climax
Flashback A break in the continuity of the story to present a scene occurring earlier Story starts in 1990 and then goes
back to 1985
Foreshadowing Literary device in which an author drops subtle hints about plot developments to
come later in the story. Each of these hints widens the range of possible
consequences and maintains tension throughout the narrative as these
possibilities narrow
Genre A literary type Poetry; novel; etc.
Hyperbole Exaggeration for effect I could sleep for a hundred years!
Internal conflict When a character is engaged in conflict with him/herself Princess Fiona's struggle to accept
being an ogre
Irony A combination of circumstances, or a result, which is opposite of what might be
expected or considered appropriate. Includes dramatic irony, verbal irony, and
situational irony
Metaphor A figure of speech in which two things are compared directly (not using the She is a willow/flower in the wind
words "like" or "as")
Oxymoron When two terms are combined that are normally opposite. Clear as mud
Personification Giving animals, ideas, or inanimate objects human form, character, or traits The clouds ran away
Protagonist The central character of a story. His/her main adversary is the antagonist Shrek
Suspense The tension and anxiety felt by the audience towards a character whose fate is
uncertain. The audience usually feels an intense emotional identification with
this character
Symbol A concrete entity that represents a general idea Rose=love
Theme The underlying central idea, or the generalization it communicates about life. It
expresses the author's opinion or raises a question about human nature or the
meaning of human existence