A P Literary Terms

Sep 29, 2026

An A-to-P style reference page defining widely used literary terms and rhetorical devices. Entries explain core concepts such as allegory, alliteration, allusion, ambiguity, analogy, anaphora, anastrophe, anecdote, antagonist, antimetabole, antithesis, antihero, anthropomorphism, aphorism, apostrophe, apposition, assonance, and asyndeton, often reinforced with examples and brief notes. The material supports close reading by clarifying how authors structure language and meaning to create emphasis, contrast, character development, and interpretive complexity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time17 min

AccessFree to download

Literary Terms

A–P Definitions

A P LITERARY TERMS ALLEGORY story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities. EXAMPLE: Animal Farm; Dante’s Inferno; Lord of the Flies ALLITERATION repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together. EXAMPLE: “When the two youths turned with the flag they saw that much of the regiment had crumbled away, and the dejected remnant was coming slowly back.” –Stephen Crane (Note how regiment and remnant are being used; the regiment is gone, a remnant remains…) ALLUSION reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference to something (usually from literature, etc.) . AMBIGUITY deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work. An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way--this is done on purpose by the author, when it is not done on purpose, it is vagueness, and detracts from the work. ANALOGY Comparison made between two things to show how they are alike ANAPHORA Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer’s point more coherent. ANASTROPHE Inversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a sentence. Purpose is rhythm or emphasis or euphony. It is a fancy word for inversion. ANECDOTE Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something, often shows character of an individual ANTAGONIST Opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a story. ANTIMETABOLE Repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order. Moliere: “One should eat to live, not live to eat.” In poetry, this is called chiasmus. ANTITHESIS Balancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted, often by means of grammatical structure. Literary Terms page 1 ANTIHERO Central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes. may lack courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples. ANTHROPOMORPHISM attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object (Personification) APHORISM brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life, or of a principle or accepted general truth. Also called maxim, epigram. APOSTROPHE calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing, or a personified abstract idea. If the character is asking a god or goddess for inspiration it is called an invocation. Josiah Holland---“Loacöon! Thou great embodiment/ Of human life and human history!” APPOSITION Placing in immediately succeeding order of two or more coordinate elements, the latter of which is an explanation, qualification, or modification of the first (often set offby a colon) . Paine: “These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it Now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” ASSONANCE the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds especially in words that are together. ASYNDETON Commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thus emphasizing the parts equally: instead of X, Y, and Z... the writer uses X,Y,Z.... see polysyndeton. BALANCE Constructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and importance. Sentences can be unbalanced to serve a special effect as well. CHARACTERIZATION the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character. INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION the author reveals to the reader what the character is like by describing how the character looks and dresses, by letting the reader hear what the character says, by revealing the character’s private thoughtsand fee

FAQs

What is the difference between internal and external conflict in literature?

External conflict involves struggles between characters, or between a person and nature or a machine, or between a person and society. Internal conflict concerns opposing forces within a story’s situation, interpretation, or character.

How do anaphora and alliteration function in writing?

Anaphora repeats a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of consecutive sentences to make the author’s point more coherent. Alliteration repeats the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together.

What do antimetabole and antithesis emphasize?

Antimetabole uses repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order, creating rhetorical balance. Antithesis balances strongly contrasted words, phrases, or ideas—often through grammatical structure—to highlight differences.

Sep 29, 2026

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