Literary Terms Flashcards
(44 cards)
Analogy
A comparison that shows similarities between two things that are otherwise unalike
Alliteration
A repetition of the consonant sound at the beginning two or more words that are together
Analyze
To examine a concept, book, statement, etc. critically,carefully, and in detail
Antagonist
The character that is against the protagonist
Argument
A statement, reason, or fact for or against a point
Audience
The people viewing the story
Characterization
The way a character is presented by the author:
Direct: character described by the author or narrator
Indirect: traits are revealed by thoughts, actions, dialogue, or appearance
Climax
Turning point in a story
Compare
Compare determine similarities between two things
Conflict
The force that opposes the protagonist:
Internal: a character struggles against him/herself
External: a character struggles against an outside force
Contrast
To determine the differences between two thing
Couplet
A stanza of two lines (generally rhyming)
Descriptive paragraph
Writing that shows what a thing looks like, sounds like, smells like, and feels like in detail
Dialect
A variation of language by one group of people in one place
Dialogue
A conversation between two or more people
Diction
An author’s choice of words
Dramatic irony
The audience or reader knows information that other characters do not know
Essay
Writing that attempts to explain something from a personal point of view
Euphemism
The substitution of a mild word or phrase for a word that would be considered undesirable because it is too direct, unpleasant or direct
Evaluate
Forming a personal judgement about an idea’s or a literary work’s value
Foreshadowing
Clues that tell what will happen later in the story
Genre
A category or type of literature
Imagery
Words that depict a picture in a work of literature that appeal to one or more senses
Inference
A judgement based on reasoning rather than on direct or explicit statements