Literary Genres & Terms

What is a metaphor?

A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'Time is a thief')

What is a simile?

A figure of speech comparing two things using 'like' or 'as' (e.g., 'Her smile was like sunshine')

What is allegory?

A narrative in which characters and events symbolize broader themes or moral lessons (e.g., Orwell's Animal Farm)

What is the difference between fiction and nonfiction?

Fiction is imaginative or invented narrative; nonfiction presents factual information about real events, people, or ideas

What is a protagonist?

The main character of a story, often the hero or central figure around whom the plot revolves

What is an antagonist?

A character or force that opposes the protagonist, creating the central conflict

What is dramatic irony?

When the audience knows something that the characters do not, creating tension or humor

What is a sonnet?

A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme; two main types are Shakespearean (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG) and Petrarchan (ABBAABBA CDECDE)

What is stream of consciousness?

A narrative technique that presents a character's continuous flow of thoughts and feelings; used by James Joyce and Virginia Woolf

What is satire?

Literature that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize and expose human vices or societal problems