Literary Terms

ALLEN LOIBNER-WAITKUS

LITERARY TERMS

LITERARY TERMS • UA-PTC • 1

alliteration—a number of words, having the same first consonant sound, occurring close together in a series allusion—a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance antagonist—the character who comes into conflict with the main character (not always the bad guy) Bildungsroman—a coming-of-age story cacophony—harsh, discordant sounds climax—the point of highest interest dénouement—the conclusion or resolution of a piece of fiction diction—the choice of language used by the speaker or writer dramatic irony—the reader or audience knows something the characters in the story or play don’t dynamic character—a character who changes over the course of the story epistolary—fiction written as a series of documents; the usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings, and other documents are sometimes used euphony—soothing, pleasant sounds exposition—the basic situation or introduction of a piece of fiction first person—the narrator IS a character in the story flat character—an underdeveloped, two-dimensional character 2 • LITERARY TERMS • Allen Loibner-Waitkus, Instructor

foreshadowing—hints of clues of what’s to come hyperbole—exaggeration for literary effect imagery—language that evokes one or all of the five senses in medias res—in or into the middle of a narrative or plot juxtaposition—placing close together or side by side for comparison or contrast Künstleroman—a story about an artist’s growth to maturity malapropism—confusion of words that are similar in sound metaphor—a resemblance of two contradictory or different objects is made based on a single or some common characteristics motif—recurrent thematic element onomatopoeia—words that sound like what they mean pathetic fallacy—giving human emotions to things that aren’t human personification—giving human characteristics to things that aren’t human protagonist—the MAIN character (not always the good guy) red herring—false hints or clues intended to confuse the reader round character—a well-developed, three-dimensional character satire—literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or LITERARY TERMS • UA-PTC • 3

scorn setting—where and when a story takes place simile—draws resemblance with the help of the words “like” or “as” situational irony—the opposite of what the reader expects to happen happens static character—a character who doesn’t change over the course of a story stock character—a character we see again and again in literature (the town drunk, the bumbling cop, the nerd, etc.) stream of consciousness—the unbroken flow of thought and awareness of the waking mind symbolism—signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense synecdoche—uses a part to represent the whole synesthesia—a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway theme—a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly third person—the narrator IS NOT a character in the story tone—the attitude of the author toward the characters, subject matter, reader, etc. verbal irony—the intended meaning of a statement differs from the 4 • LITERARY TERMS • Allen Loibner-Waitkus, Instructor

meaning that the words appear to express verisimilitude—the quality of seeming real

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LOIBNER-WAITKUS

6 • LITERARY TERMS • Allen Loibner-Waitkus, Instructor