Literary Terms to Know…..
These are the most common terms/devices we will encounter. We may add more to the list as the year progresses, but you should be familiar with each of these.Except for the first five terms, which belong in a group, this list is alphabetized.
Exposition- The essential background information at the beginning of a literary work
Rising action- the development of conflict and complications in a literary work
Climax- the turning point in a literary work/ “point of no return”
Falling action- results or effects of the climax of a literary work
Denouement- the "unravelling" or series of events that tie up loose ends and move the plot toward resolution
Resolution-end of a literary work when questions are answered and final fate of characters is determined (sometimes this is left intentionally vague or open)
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Alliteration – repetition of the initial consonant sounds of words: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”
Allusion – a reference to something well-known that exists outside the literary work – the reference is often indirect and relies on audience knowledge and understanding
Antagonist- character that is the source of conflict in a literary work
Aside – a dramatic device in which a character makes a short speech intended for the audience but not heard by the other characters on stage
Assonance – repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds: “Anna’s apples,” “the pond is long gone”
Characterization- The manner in which an author develops characters and their personalities. Direct characterization=author description/Indirect characterization= character’s appearance, speech, thoughts, actions and what other characters think of the character
Character Types: Flat:one-dimensional or one-sided
Round:multidemensional
Static: character remains unchanged emotionally or psychologically throughout the story
Dynamic: character undergoes emotional or psychological change
Conflict - struggle between two or more opposing forces (person vs. person; nature; society; self; fate/God. ETC…)
Dialogue - direct speech between characters in a literary work
Diction - word choice to create a specific effect
Figurative Language –language that represents one thing in terms of something dissimilar (non-literal language). Includes simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and symbolism
Flashback- the method of returning to an earlier point in time for the purpose of making the present clearer
Foreshadowing- hint of what is to come in a literary work
Genre – type or category to which a literary work belongs
Hyperbole – extreme exaggeration to add meaning
Idiom - a combination of words that has a meaning that is different from the meanings of the individual words themselves. It can have a literal meaning in one situation and a different idiomatic meaning in another situation. It is a phrase which does not always follow the normal rules of meaning and grammar.
Imagery – language that appeals to the five senses
Irony
Dramatic… when the reader or audience knows something a character does not
Situational… when there is a disparity between what is expected and what actually occurs
Verbal… when the speaker says one thing but means the opposite
Metaphor – an implied comparison between dissimilar objects without the use of like or as: “Her talent blossomed”
Motif- a recurring feature of a literary work that is related to the theme
Onomatopoeia – use of a word whose sound imitates its meaning: “hiss”
Oxymoron – phrase that consists of two words that are contradictory: “living dead” or “jumbo shrimp”
Paradox – a statement that seems contradictory but may reveal a truth….. ex. “She was alone in the crowd”.
Parody - A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule
Personification – figure of speech in which non-human things are given human characteristics
Plot- The sequence of events in a literary work
Point of view- the vantage point or perspective from which a literary work is told…
1st person point of view- the narrator is a character in the story (use of ‘I’)
2nd person point of view- the speaker addresses the listener or reader directly, using "you" 3rd person point of view- the narrator is outside of the story (use of ‘he’ ‘she’ ‘they’)* may be limited or omniscient
Protagonist- the main character in a literary work
Rhyme – repetition of similar or identical sounds: “look and crook”
Rhyme Scheme – pattern of rhyme among lines of poetry [denoted using letters, as in ABAB CDCD EE]
Satire -A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.
Setting- The time and place of a literary work
Simile – a direct comparison of dissimilar objects, usually using like or as: “I wandered lonely as a cloud”
Soliloquy - a dramatic device in which a character is alone and speaks his or her thoughts aloud
Speaker – voice in a poem; the person or thing that is speaking
Stanza – group of lines forming a unit in a poem
Stereotype- standardized, conventional ideas about characters, plots and settings
Suspense – technique that keeps the reader guessing what will happen next
Symbol/symbolism – one thing (object, person, place) used to represent something else
Theme – the underlying main idea of a literary work. Theme differs from the subject of a literary work in that it involves a statement or opinion about the subject.
Tone – the author’s attitude toward the subject of a work or toward the audience
These are the most common terms/devices we will encounter. We may add more to the list as the year progresses, but you should be familiar with each of these.Except for the first five terms, which belong in a group, this list is alphabetized.
Exposition- The essential background information at the beginning of a literary work
Rising action- the development of conflict and complications in a literary work
Climax- the turning point in a literary work/ “point of no return”
Falling action- results or effects of the climax of a literary work
Denouement- the "unravelling" or series of events that tie up loose ends and move the plot toward resolution
Resolution-end of a literary work when questions are answered and final fate of characters is determined (sometimes this is left intentionally vague or open)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alliteration – repetition of the initial consonant sounds of words: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers”
Allusion – a reference to something well-known that exists outside the literary work – the reference is often indirect and relies on audience knowledge and understanding
Antagonist- character that is the source of conflict in a literary work
Aside – a dramatic device in which a character makes a short speech intended for the audience but not heard by the other characters on stage
Assonance – repetition of vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds: “Anna’s apples,” “the pond is long gone”
Characterization- The manner in which an author develops characters and their personalities. Direct characterization=author description/Indirect characterization= character’s appearance, speech, thoughts, actions and what other characters think of the character
Character Types: Flat:one-dimensional or one-sided
Round:multidemensional
Static: character remains unchanged emotionally or psychologically throughout the story
Dynamic: character undergoes emotional or psychological change
Conflict - struggle between two or more opposing forces (person vs. person; nature; society; self; fate/God. ETC…)
Dialogue - direct speech between characters in a literary work
Diction - word choice to create a specific effect
Figurative Language –language that represents one thing in terms of something dissimilar (non-literal language). Includes simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and symbolism
Flashback- the method of returning to an earlier point in time for the purpose of making the present clearer
Foreshadowing- hint of what is to come in a literary work
Genre – type or category to which a literary work belongs
Hyperbole – extreme exaggeration to add meaning
Idiom - a combination of words that has a meaning that is different from the meanings of the individual words themselves. It can have a literal meaning in one situation and a different idiomatic meaning in another situation. It is a phrase which does not always follow the normal rules of meaning and grammar.
Imagery – language that appeals to the five senses
Irony
Dramatic… when the reader or audience knows something a character does not
Situational… when there is a disparity between what is expected and what actually occurs
Verbal… when the speaker says one thing but means the opposite
Metaphor – an implied comparison between dissimilar objects without the use of like or as: “Her talent blossomed”
Motif- a recurring feature of a literary work that is related to the theme
Onomatopoeia – use of a word whose sound imitates its meaning: “hiss”
Oxymoron – phrase that consists of two words that are contradictory: “living dead” or “jumbo shrimp”
Paradox – a statement that seems contradictory but may reveal a truth….. ex. “She was alone in the crowd”.
Parody - A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule
Personification – figure of speech in which non-human things are given human characteristics
Plot- The sequence of events in a literary work
Point of view- the vantage point or perspective from which a literary work is told…
1st person point of view- the narrator is a character in the story (use of ‘I’)
2nd person point of view- the speaker addresses the listener or reader directly, using "you" 3rd person point of view- the narrator is outside of the story (use of ‘he’ ‘she’ ‘they’)* may be limited or omniscient
Protagonist- the main character in a literary work
Rhyme – repetition of similar or identical sounds: “look and crook”
Rhyme Scheme – pattern of rhyme among lines of poetry [denoted using letters, as in ABAB CDCD EE]
Satire -A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit.
Setting- The time and place of a literary work
Simile – a direct comparison of dissimilar objects, usually using like or as: “I wandered lonely as a cloud”
Soliloquy - a dramatic device in which a character is alone and speaks his or her thoughts aloud
Speaker – voice in a poem; the person or thing that is speaking
Stanza – group of lines forming a unit in a poem
Stereotype- standardized, conventional ideas about characters, plots and settings
Suspense – technique that keeps the reader guessing what will happen next
Symbol/symbolism – one thing (object, person, place) used to represent something else
Theme – the underlying main idea of a literary work. Theme differs from the subject of a literary work in that it involves a statement or opinion about the subject.
Tone – the author’s attitude toward the subject of a work or toward the audience
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