Tags & Description
character foil
a character that is in contrast with the protagonist - the character helps to define the protagonist (Leia/Han Solo)
verisimilitude
when a piece of literature contains a high level of validity (The Martian)
flashback
interrupting what is taking place in the present to tell of something in the past
onomatopoeia
the use of words in which meaning is suggested by sound (boom)
protagonist
the central character in a piece of fiction (Luke Skywalker)
setting
the place, time, or weather in which a story takes place (Shakespeare - setting matters)
theme
the abstract concept explored in a literary work - the big ideas that a piece of literature is about (not everyone is who they say they are - Othello)
assonance
repetition of vowel sounds (the rain in spain)
plot
the organizational logic that most drama and fiction follows (hero's journey - The Hobbit)
cliché
an expression that is used too often that its freshness and clarity are outworn (raining cats and dogs)
round character
a character that is complex and has many aspects to their personality and behaviour (Megamind)
archetype
a model or pattern; image, character, symbol, etc. that is used repeatedly in literature (damsel in distress)
hyperbole
an extravagant exaggeration (so hungry I could eat a horse)
juxtaposition
arrangement of two or more ideas, characters, words, etc. side-by-side or in similar narrative moments for the purpose of comparison, contrast, suspense, etc. (jumbo shrimp)
connotation
the meaning that a word carries beyond its definition (that's sick)
simile
a comparison using like or as (happy as a clam)
consonance
repetition of consonant sounds (peter piper picked a pack of pickled peppers)
cacophony
a harsh discordant mixture of sounds (screaming, screeching, grumbling)
metaphor
a comparison not using like or as (drowning in a sea of grief)
personification
humanizing something that is not human (the sun smiled down on us)
imagery
visually descriptive or figurative language (my head is pounding like a drum)
symbol
an object, person, situation, or action that has a literal meaning in a story but suggests or represents other meanings (dove = freedom/peace) (crow = death)
euphony
pleasant to listen to because of a harmonious combination of words (so long as men can breathe, or eyes can see)
allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one (Animal Farm)