Literary Terms

Front

Symbol

Back

A person, place, thing, or event that stands for both itself and for something beyond itself.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

Front

Allusion

Back

A reference to a person, place, or event from history, literature, sports, movies, or the arts.

Tags

CCSS.L.7.5A

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

Front

Alliteration

Back

The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.RL.2.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

Front

Static Character

Back

A character that does not change in response to events in the plot.

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

Front

Simile

Back

A comparison of two things using 'like' or 'as'.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

Front

Metaphor

Back

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

Front

Oxymoron

Back

A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

Tags

CCSS.L.9-10.5A

Front

Idiom

Back

A phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5B

CCSS.L.5.5B

Front

Tone

Back

The attitude or approach that the author takes toward the work's central theme or subject.

Tags

CCSS.L.3.3A

CCSS.L.4.3A

CCSS.L.5.3A

CCSS.L.6.3A

CCSS.L.6.3B

Front

Theme

Back

The central topic, subject, or message within a narrative.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.7.2D

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D