Glossary of Terms

for Annotation Assignment

NOTE: this is a list of words to help you as you annotate. These terms will appear on reading
comprehension exams throughout the course and on your diploma. Feel free to look up examples of these
terms on the internet to further your understanding. If you find terms when you annotate that are not
on this list, feel free to note them on your annotation. If you find examples of literary terms as you
annotate that you believe should be on this list, please let your teacher know.

A
allegory: is a narration or description in which events, actions, characters, settings or
objects represent specific abstractions or ideas to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a
moral or political one.
alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginning of a line or
series of words. Example: zany zone.
allusion: describing something with a reference to a known person, place, or event
from a historical source, religious source or other piece of literature.

Ex: I didn’t have any bus fare, but fortunately some good Samaritan helped me out!
This is an allusion to the Biblical story of the good Samaritan, from Luke 10:29-37
– a good Samaritan is someone who helps others in need, just as the Samaritan
does in the story.

analogy: is a comparison based on similarities between two concepts or ideas. By using

an analogy we can convey a new idea by using the blueprint of an old one as a basis for
understanding. With a mental linkage between the two, one can create understanding
regarding the new concept in a simple and succinct manner.
antagonist: the force or character that opposes the protagonist. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a
Mockingbird, Bob Ewell serves as antagonist to the Finch family, but actually the greater
antagonist is the bigotry and prejudice of their society.

anti-hero: is a kind of hero who seems to express qualities that are opposite that of the
traditional hero such as courage, honor or honesty. The anti-hero succeeds, but does it
on his or her own terms. The anti-hero may reject the qualities that society deems
noble, but battles forces in his or her own way.
apostrophe: a speaker directly addresses someone (or something) that is not present or
cannot respond in reality. The entity being addressed can be an absent, dead, or
imaginary person, but it can also be an inanimate object (like stars or the ocean), an
abstract idea (like love or fate), or a being (such as a Muse or god).
 archetype: a very typical character, action, or situation, that represents patterns of
human nature. A “universal symbol”
Ex.: The Hero, the Villain or the Sidekick of a story: Batman, Joker, Robin.
These character types are familiar to us, so the text creator has to do little work
on characterization.
assonance: the repetition of vowel sounds in a line or a series of words. Example: being
and ideal. The “e” sound is repeated.
atmosphere: the main feeling created in the reader by a text

C
character: A character can be any person, a figure, an inanimate object, or an animal.
There are different types of characters, and each serves its unique function in a story or
a piece of literature.

conflict: the struggle between opposing characters or forces.

External conflicts arise between a character and someone or
something else. It can be a conflict between characters or between a character
and their environment, society, or any other outside force.
Internal conflict is within an individual when they are at odds with
themselves. Ex. Debating components of one’s identity, mental illness, guilt or
regret.

connotation: The meaning of a word that comes from its associated meanings, not
necessarily its literal definition.. Example: “clown” could connote any funny person,
not just a circus clown.
consonance: the repetition of consonant sounds. Example: Laura called to tell me that
Lila had fallen ill.
context: the spoken or written text that surrounds a particular word or pas sage and
determines its meaning.

contrast: a striking difference or differences between two things being compared.

D
denotation: the most direct or literal meaning of a word (in contrast to its figurative
meaning).
dialogue: any conversation between characters or people.
E
euphemism: the substitution of a harsh word or phrase with a gentler one.
Ex: “passed away” for “died.”

F
flashback: the author depicts the occurrence of specific events to the reader, which
have taken place before the present time the narration is following, or events that have
happened before the events that are currently unfolding in the story. It is more than
simply mentioning something that happened in the past.

foil character: a foil is a character whose personality, attitude or appearance is opposite

the personality, attitude or appearance of another character. Because these characters
contrast, each makes the attributes of the other stand out.

foreshadowing: a means to indicate or hint to readers something that is to follow or

appear later in a narrative.

formal: in speech and writing, a style that is serious or correct.

H
hyperbole: an exaggerated statement that is not meant to be taken literally.

I
idiom: refers to a set expression or a phrase comprising two or more words. The
expression is not interpreted literally and the phrase is understood to mean something
quite different from what individual words of the phrase would imply.
Ex: Every cloud has a silver lining.
If you play your cards right, you will get that promotion.
imagery: The language used by a writer that allows the reader to picture or form a
sense impression of what is being said. It may include a description of things you can
see, taste, touch, smell or hear.
informal: In speech or writing, a style that is conversational or sometimes uses slang.
irony: a literary device used to achieve a meaning opposite to what is actually being
said.
Dramatic irony happens when the reader or viewer knows more about the
situation than the character.
Ex.: Girl in a horror film hides in a closet where the killer just went (the
 audience knows the killer is there, but she does not).

Situational irony is when what happens is the complete opposite of what

you’re expecting or seems absurd.
Ex. A bus contains an ad about car loans.

Verbal irony is when someone says something that is contrary to what they
mean or feel. This is often referred to as sarcasm.
Ex.: Saying "Oh, fantastic!" when the situation is actually very poor.

J
jargon: language that is unique to a trade or profession, sometimes used to hide
meaning.

juxtaposition: a literary device wherein the text creator places a person, concept, place,
idea or theme parallel to another. The purpose of juxtaposing two directly or indirectly
related entities close together is to highlight the contrast between the two and compare
them.

literary device: the technique of using words to achieve a specific effect and an
emotional impact on the reader/viewer, sometimes called a rhetorical device.

M
metaphor: a direct comparison by stating that something is something else. Example:
That baby is the sunshine of his life.
metonymy: as a literary device, it is a way of replacing an object or idea with something
associated with it instead of stating what is actually meant.
Ex: The White House declined to comment. (implies the government and not
really the house)
mood: in a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in
short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader. Every aspect of a piece of
writing can influence its mood, from the setting and the imagery to the author's word
choice and tone.

motif: a motif is an idea that is repeated or carried through an individual work. It is so

powerful and recognizable that it will be used by many authors and artists in many
different works in many different ages. Motifs contribute in developing the major
theme of a literary work, and help readers to comprehend the underlying messages that
writers intend to communicate to them. Motifs can also be woven through a story with
phrases that keep reappearing. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the expression "fair is
 foul, and foul is fair" to centralize his sentiment about the constancy of good and evil
and things not being what they seem.

O
onomatopoeia: words whose very sound is very close to the sound they are meant to
depict. In other words, it refers to sound words whose pronunciation to the actual
sound they represent.
oxymoron: A combination of seemingly contradictory or incongruous words (such as
cruel kindness).

P
paradox: a paradox is a statement or situation that seems contradictory but, upon closer
examination, reveals a deeper truth.

Ex: No one can see so well as the one who is blind.

Everything I write is a lie.

parallel structure: in speech or writing, the repetition of an identical grammatical or

stylistic structure for the sake of clarity.

Ex: Paul compensates for a loathsome life by ushering at Carnegie Hall,

admiring pictures in the gallery, and listening to the musical performance.
personification: giving human characteristics to things or non-human creatures.

pun: is a word used in a manner to suggest two or more possible meanings. This is
generally done to the effect of creating humor, irony or wryness.

plot: what happens in a story—the storyline or the series of episodes.

point of view: the perspective of the character or person telling the story, or the
perspective of the author in nonfiction. In media texts, point of view is usually
understood as the position from which something is viewed or filmed.
First Person: one of the characters is narrating the story. This is generally
revealed by the “I” sentence construction and relies on first person pronouns. (“I
went to work.”)
Second Person: In this point of view, the narrator relates the experiences using
second person pronouns like you and your. Thus, you become the protagonist,
you carry the plot, and your fate determines the story.
 Third Person: the author is narrating a story about the characters and refers to
them with the third person pronouns “he/she.”
There are three types of third person point of view:
a)) Omniscient: the omniscient point of view uses the third person. The author
is all-knowing; the author may tell us what the characters are thinking or feeling,
interpret their behavior, and comment on the story’s significance.
b) Limited Omniscient: The limited omniscient point of view uses the third
person, but the story is told from the viewpoint of one character in the story.
The author may tell us what this character sees, hears, thinks, and feels, but
cannot do so for other characters.
c) Objective: In the objective point of view the author records what is seen and
heard. The author cannot comment, interpret, or enter a character’s mind. The
narration is like a drone that flies over the action and only records what is seen
and heard.

protagonist: the main or principal character in a text who has a goal to achieve

purpose: the reason the author or artist created the text.

S
setting: the time and place of the book, story, or drama.
simile: an indirect comparison using “like” or “as.” Example: The pond was as smooth
as glass.

style: how a writer or speaker says something, including sentence length, literary
devices, rhyme, and so on.
supporting detail: a specific detail, often an example that supports the main thesis.
suspense: a feeling of anxious uncertainty set up in the reader about a character or
situation. Suspense is an element of atmosphere.
symbol: something that stands for or represents something else.
synecdoche: uses a part of something to refer to the whole or vice versa. It is
somewhat rhetorical in nature, where the entire object is represented by way of a
piece of it or a piece of the object is symbolized by the whole.

Ex: All hands on deck.

T
text: work that has been created. “Text” may refer to fiction or nonfiction, as well as
paintings, drawings, and photographs.
theme: a central idea of a text that is often implied rather than directly stated.

tone: attitude of the writer or speaker toward his or her topic or audience.

transition: movement from part of a text or argument to the next part.

U
understatement: a statement that represents something as smaller or less intense, or
less important than it really is.

V
voice: the person who is talking to the reader. In grammar, active voice indicates that
the subject acted upon the object. For example: Todd ate the bread.
Passive voice indicates that the object was acted upon. For example: The bread was
eaten by Todd.