Here is the list of literary terms with examples included:
Allegory: A story, poem, or picture that uses symbolic figures, events, or other elements to convey a deeper moral or political meaning.
Example: Animal Farm by George Orwell is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union.
Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words close to each other.
Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
Allusion: A reference to another literary work, historical event, or famous figure within a text.
Example: "He met his Waterloo," alluding to Napoleon's final defeat, suggesting someone's ultimate failure.
Antagonist: A character or force that opposes the protagonist or main character in a story.
Example: In Harry Potter, Voldemort is the antagonist who opposes Harry.
Characterization: The process by which an author reveals the personality of a character.
Example: In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout's narration reveals Atticus Finch as wise, compassionate, and principled.
Climax: The point of highest tension or turning point in a story.
Example: The climax of Romeo and Juliet occurs when Romeo kills Tybalt, which leads to his banishment.
Conflict: A struggle between opposing forces that drives the plot. It can be internal (within a character) or external (between characters or forces).
Example: In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield struggles with internal conflict as he grapples with his identity and place in the world.
Connotation: The emotional or cultural associations attached to a word, beyond its literal meaning.
Example: The word "home" connotes warmth, comfort, and family, beyond just being a place where one lives.
Denotation: The literal or dictionary definition of a word.
Example: The denotation of "home" is simply "a place where one lives."
Diction: The choice of words and style of expression used by the writer.
Example: In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's use of lyrical and poetic diction enhances the novel's romantic and tragic tone.
Foreshadowing: Hints or clues in a story that suggest future events.
Example: In Of Mice and Men, George's instructions to Lennie to hide in the brush if he gets into trouble foreshadow later events.
Hyperbole: An exaggerated statement used for emphasis or effect.
Example: "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).
Example: "The golden sunset poured over the horizon, casting long shadows on the warm sand."
Irony: A contrast between expectation and reality. Types include verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony.
Example: In Oedipus Rex, it's ironic that Oedipus seeks to find the murderer of the king, only to discover that he himself is the killer.
Metaphor: A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as."
Example: "Time is a thief."
Mood: The overall feeling or atmosphere that a piece of literature creates for the reader.
Example: Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven creates a mood of melancholy and dread.
Motif: A recurring element or symbol in a literary work that contributes to the theme.
Example: The green light in The Great Gatsby is a recurring motif representing Gatsby's hopes and dreams.
Narrator: The voice that tells the story; it can be first-person, third-person limited, or third-person omniscient.
Example: The Catcher in the Rye is narrated in the first person by Holden Caulfield.
Onomatopoeia: A word that imitates a sound.
Example: "The bees buzzed," and "The clock ticked."
Oxymoron: A figure of speech in which two opposite ideas are joined.
Example: "Bittersweet" or "deafening silence."
Paradox: A statement that appears contradictory but reveals a deeper truth.
Example: "This is the beginning of the end."
Personification: Giving human characteristics to non-human objects or abstract concepts.
Example: "The wind whispered through the trees."
Plot: The sequence of events in a story, typically including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
Example: In Romeo and Juliet, the plot follows the young lovers' meeting, their secret marriage, and their tragic deaths.
Point of View: The perspective from which a story is told (e.g., first-person, third-person).
Example: In 1984 by George Orwell, the story is told in third-person limited, focusing on Winston Smith's thoughts.
Protagonist: The main character or hero of a story.
Example: In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is the protagonist who fights against the oppressive government.
Satire: A genre that uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to criticize or poke fun at societal issues.
Example: Animal Farm satirizes the events leading up to the Russian Revolution.
Simile: A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as."
Example: "Her smile was as bright as the sun."
Symbolism: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.
Example: In Lord of the Flies, the conch shell symbolizes order and civilization.
Theme: The central idea or message conveyed by a literary work.
Example: A theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is the importance of moral integrity and the fight against prejudice.
Tone: The author's attitude toward the subject or audience, reflected in the style of writing.
Example: The tone in Pride and Prejudice is often witty and satirical as Jane Austen critiques societal norms.
These examples help illustrate how each term functions in literary analysis!
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