Literary Terms

A metaphor directly equates two unlike things, as in calling time a thief, without using like or as.

A simile compares two things explicitly using like or as, as in describing someone as brave as a lion.

Personification gives human qualities to non-human things, as when the wind is said to whisper.

Hyperbole exaggerates deliberately for effect, as in claiming to have told someone a million times.

Irony creates a gap between expectation and reality, as in the irony of a fire station catching fire.

An allegory tells a story with hidden symbolic meaning, as Animal Farm does for the Russian Revolution.

Literary symbolism uses objects like a dove to represent deeper ideas such as peace.

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more than a character, building tension from that gap.

An allusion indirectly references another work or figure, like calling someone a Scrooge, relying on audience recognition.

Foreshadowing hints at later events, like an early mention of a gun that is fired before the story ends.

The protagonist is the central character whose journey drives the story, like Harry Potter in his series.

An antagonist opposes the protagonist and drives the central conflict, as Sauron does in The Lord of the Rings.

A plot twist unexpectedly reshapes the reader's understanding, often recontextualizing the whole story.

A flashback interrupts the present story to reveal an earlier event, such as a character's childhood memory.

Epic poetry tells long narratives of heroic deeds, centered on a legendary quest as in Homer's Odyssey.

Alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds across nearby words, adding rhythm to phrases like Peter Piper's tongue twister.

Onomatopoeia forms words that imitate the sounds they describe, like buzz or clang.

A sonnet is a structured fourteen-line poem, traditionally exploring love, as in Shakespeare's Sonnet 18.

A haiku follows a traditional five-seven-five syllable pattern, often capturing a single natural image.

A motif recurs throughout a work to reinforce its theme, like the green light in The Great Gatsby.

A theme is a work's underlying message, often expressed indirectly, such as the corrupting nature of power.

Stream of consciousness presents a character's continuous thought flow, as in passages of Joyce's Ulysses.

Satire uses humor or exaggeration to criticize society, as Gulliver's Travels does with politics and folly.

Tragedy ends in downfall or death, often driven by a fatal flaw, as with Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Comedy is built around humor and typically ends happily, resolving misunderstandings as in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

A soliloquy reveals a character's private thoughts aloud, as in Hamlet's famous To be or not to be speech.

Juxtaposition places contrasting elements side by side, like a war scene next to a peaceful one, to highlight difference.