Literary Terms Glossary
By: Alicia Virthe
Figurative Language- The literal meaning of a word is its definition as you would find it in a dictionary. Figurative language uses words in some way other than literal meanings to make a comparison, add emphasis, or say something in a fresh and creative way.
Alliteration- When two or more words are repeated in the same sound. (ex. Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers.)
Hyperbole- an exaggeration. (ex. It took a million years for the car to be fixed)
Idiom- An exaggeration that cannot be understood from the meanings of its unusual words. (ex. The cat is out of the bag; it's raining cats and dogs.)
Imagery- Language that portrays sensory experiences or experiences of the five senses: taste, touch, hear, smell, and sight. (ex. You could hear the popping, sizzling, and crackling of the bacon being cooked.)
Metaphors- Comparing two things without saying like or as (ex. He was/is a giraffe, meaning he is so tall.)
Simile- Comparing two things USING like or as. (ex. he was LIKE a giraffe; he was AS tall AS a giraffe.)
Onomatopoeia- The use of words to imitate the sounds of what they describe. (ex. buzz, click, tick tock, splash, swoosh, etc;)
Personification- Describing nonhuman animals, objects, and ideas as though they possess human qualities or emotions. (ex. My alarm clock burst to life in the morning.)
Here is a way to remember figurative language:
S.O.P.H.I.M.I.A (sophie-me-a)
Simile, Onomatopoeia, Personification, Hyperbole, Imagery, Metaphor, Idiom, and Alliteration
Protagonist
Antagonist
Minor Character
Point of View
Static Character
Dynamic Character
Direct Characterization
Indirect Characterization
Climax
The point in a play, novel, short story, or narrative poem at which the conflict reaches its greatest intensity and then it is resolved. The climax is also part of a narrative when the reader or audience member experiences the most-intense emotions. (ex. In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, act 3 is when the climax rises. When one of the characters find out that he killed his wife's cousin, a climax is formed.) You can remember climax by "when things finally get interesting". Kind of like when this giant problem comes up and the rest of the story unfolds the solution.