Define English literary terms with example

 

• English literary terms 

1.**Alliteration**: Using the same initial sound repeatedly in closely spaced words. 

Example:-"She sells sea shells by the sea shore."

2. **Allusion**: Making a reference to something without expressing it out loud. 

Example:-"He's a real Romeo gg hu with the ladies." (Referring to Romeo from "Romeo and Juliet")

3. **Ambiguity**: The quality of having multiple interpretations CT. 

Example:-"I can't find my glasses; they're either on the table or in the car."

4. **Analogy**: Drawing similarities between two items through comparison.

Example:-"Just as a sword is the weapon of a warrior, a pen is the weapon of a writer."

 5. **Assonance**: When two words that are close to one another repeat the same vowel sound. 

Example:-"The cat sat on the mat."

6. **Characterization**: Providing a psychological profile of a fictional character. 

Example:- In "The Lion King," Simba is shown as brave and strong.

7. **Conflict**: A story's issue or problem or conflict.

Example:-In "Harry Potter," Harry has conflicts with Voldemort.

 8. **Connotation**: The thoughts or sentiments that a word conveys.

Example:- **Connotation**: "Home" implies warmth, family, and comfort.

 9. **Denotation**: A word's exact meaning. 

Example:-"Cat" refers to a small domesticated carnivorous mammal.

10. **Foreshadowing**: Dropping clues about what will occur in a later section of the narrative. 

Example:-  In "The Hunger Games," Katniss volunteering for her sister foretells her bravery

11. **Hyperbole**: Using exaggeration to accomplish a goal. 

Example:-"I've told you a million times."

12. **Imagery

**: Conjuring up a clear picture in words.        

Example:-   "The sky was a deep shade of blue, and the sun glinted off the water."

13.**Irony**: Expressing one thing while really meaning something else, typically the reverse. 

Example:-   A fire station burning down.

14. **Metaphor**: Comparing one thing to another in order to highlight their similarities. 

Example:- "Her smile is the sun on a cloudy day."

15. **Mood**: The tone or ambiance of a narrative. 

Example:-The atmosphere in "The Tell-Tale Heart" is tense and eerie.

16. **Onomatopoeia**: Synonyms for similar words.

 

Example:-"The clock ticked loudly."

17. **Oxymoron** An oxymoron is the mash-up of two opposing words.

 

Example:-"Deafening silence" or "bittersweet"

18. **Personification**: imbuing non-human entities with human characteristics. 

Example:-"The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky."

19. **Point of View**: The narrative's source. 

Example:-"The Outsiders" is told from Ponyboy Curtis' perspective.

20. **Simile**: Using "like" or "as" to compare two items.

Example:-"He runs like a cheetah."

 21. **Symbolism**: The representation of ideas through symbols.

 Example:-The green light in "The Great Gatsby" symbolizes Gatsby's hopes and dreams.

22. **Theme**: The central notion or lesson of a narrative. .

Example:-The theme of "The Catcher in the Rye" is alienation.

23. **Tone**: The tone in which the author approaches the topic.

Example:-The tone of "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift is satirical.

 24. **Antagonist**: The one who opposes the main figure. 

Example:-In "Snow White," the Evil Queen is the antagonist.

25. **Climax**: A story's most thrilling section.

Example:-The peak of tension in "The Odyssey" is when Odysseus blinds the Cyclops.

26.**dialogue**: Characters speaking to one another. 

Example:- "Hi," said Tom. "Hey," replied Sally.

27. **Flashback**: Returning to a previous point in the narrativ.

Example:-In "The Godfather," Vito Corleone's rise to power is shown through flashbacks.

 28. **Foil**: A character that stands in opposition to another. 

Example:-In "Pride and Prejudice," Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley act as foils to each other.

29. **Genre**: A story's classification or kind.

Example:- "1984" falls into the genre of dystopian fiction.

30. **Imperative**: An order or solicitation. 

Example:-"Turn off the light."

31. **Juxtaposition**: Combining two items to make a comparison. 

Example:-In "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," the contrast between Jekyll and Hyde highlights their duality.

32.**Motif**: An concept or theme that keeps coming up.

Example:-The recurring motif of blindness in "Oedipus Rex" symbolizes ignorance and insight.

 33. **Narrative** : An account(story)

Example:- "Moby-Dick" narrates Captain Ahab's quest for the white whale.

34. **Paradox**: A genuine statement that appears to contradict itself.

Example:-"I am nobody." (A paradox because it's a statement that negates itself)

 35. **Protagonist**: The protagonist( main character in drama,story and any other) 

Example:-In "The Wizard of Oz," Dorothy is the protagonist.

36. **Satire**: Pointing out defects by making fun of something. 

Example:-"Animal Farm" satirizes totalitarianism and corruption.

37. **Setting**: The place and time of a narrative. 

Example:-"Treasure Island" is set on a remote island.

38. **Soliloquy**: A monologue delivered. by a character on stage. 

Example:-Hamlet's famous soliloquy "To be or not to be" in Shakespeare's play.

39. **Sonnet**: a pattern-following poetry of fourteen lines.

Example:-Shakespeare's Sonnet 116: "Let me not to the marriage of true minds."

40.**suspense**: Maintaining the viewer's curiosity about what will come next. 

Example:-In "The Da Vinci Code," the suspense builds as the characters unravel historical mysteries.

41. **Syntax**: The arrangement of words in sentences.

 Example:-"She is running." versus "Running, she is."

42. **Tenseness**: Maintaining the audience's enthusiasm and attention.

Example:-In "The Walking Dead," tension builds as survivors face threats from zombies and other survivors.

 43. **Tragedy**: A depressing tale in which the protagonist meets his or her end. 

Example:-"Othello" ends tragically with the deaths of Othello and Desdemona.

44. **Verse**: A poetic line

. 

Example:- "The woods are lovely, dark and deep" (from Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening").

45. **Imperative Sentence**: An orderly sentence.

Example:-"Close the door, please

 46. **Interrogative statement**: An interrogative statement poses a query.

Example:-"What is your name?"

 47. **Declarative Sentence**: An expression of a position.

Example:- "The movie was great."

 48. **Exclamatory statement**: A powerfully emotive statement. 

Example:-"What a wonderful surprise!"

49. **Anachronism**: An item that doesn't belong in this era.

 

Example:-A medieval knight using a smartphone.

50. **Ballad**: A narrative poetry or melody.

Example:-"Barbara Allen" is a traditional ballad telling a tragic love story.