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Subject: English Secondary General 65

VI Block

Mr. Flores

Handbook of Literary Terms


Analogy
An analogy is a comparison drawn between two basically different things that have some points in common. It is used particularly to explain a difficult idea or point in terms of a simpler one.

Imagery
The use of concrete details that appeal to our five senses. By appealing to a readers senses, a writer can more easily communicate an experience.

Irony
A contrast between what is said and what is actually meant is called verbal irony; irony of situation occurs when things turn out contrary to what is expected; dramatic irony occurs when the reader or viewer is aware of something about which the character involved knows nothing; ironic is an adjective which may be applied when any of the above situations are being described. Irony is a frequently used device of satire.

Metaphor
A figure of speech which implies comparison between two fundamentally different things. The qualities of one are ascribed to the other. An extended metaphor is a metaphor continued throughout a stanza, paragraph, or entire work. A mixed metaphor is an inconsistent comparison.

Protagonist-antagonist__________________
The protagonist is the main character in a short story, play or novel. The adversary who opposes the protagonist is called the antagonist. The antagonist

Subject: English Secondary General 65

VI Block

Mr. Flores

may be another character in the work, the forces of nature, fate, chance or any combination of these.

Personification________________________

A figure speech in which human characteristics are attributed to non-human things and events. Its use allows the writer to condense and make more vivid descriptions of impersonal subjects and abstract ideas.

Plot__________________________________
A series of related events that present and resolve a conflict. The usual pattern of plot is conflict, climax and conclusion.

Setting________________________________
The time and place in which the action of a narrative occurs. The setting may be specifically described at the opening of a work, or it may be revealed gradually through dialogue and events. The setting may serve simply as a background for characters and events (thus making the story more believable to the reader) or it may help create the atmosphere from which the story evolves. Setting may directly affect the plot's development, and it may help in the understanding of character, or even be vital to that understanding.

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