Literary Terms

LITERARY TERMS

Allegory: the use of characters or events to represent ideas or principles in a story

-the characters in the Wizard of Oz represent historical figures and ideas

Alliteration: a repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words

-“He sways his head from side to side, like movements of a snake.”-“Macavity: The Mystery Cat”

Allusion: reference to a famous person, place, event, or work of literature

-In “Playing for keeps,” the narrator makes allusion to Wyatt Earp, a famous lawman of the

American West, when he describes how Johnny stood up to the alien.

Analogy: a way of showing a relationship between things which seem dissimilar

- cow : milk :: chicken : egg a cow gives us milk to drink and a chicken gives us eggs to eat

Anecdote: a brief account of an interesting incident or event, usually intended to

entertain or make a point

Antagonist: character or element in conflict with the protagonist

Aphorism: a short statement that expresses a general observation about life in a

clever or pointed way. –“Sometimes the human heart is the only clock

in the world that keeps true time”-“Keeping Time”

Apostrophe: the direct address of the absent or dead as if they were present, or the

inanimate as if it were animate e.g. when Juliet talks to dead Romeo in Romeo and Juliet

Archetype: an image, character or pattern of circumstance that recurs throughout

literature and thought consistently enough to be considered universal

--wise grandparent, generous thief, innocent maiden

Aside: an author directly addresses the audience but is not supposed to be heard by other actors

on the stage

Assonance: a repetition of vowel sounds. e.g. How now brown cow

Biases: an inclination for or against a person, place, idea, or thing that inhibits impartial judgement

Characterization: a...