Download Literary Terms

Literary Terms
1. Plot- The order of events that happen in a story. The plot is the
order of the things that happen in a story > 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
These are the 4 main parts of a plot:
a. Introduction/Exposition- The beginning. Usually introduces
characters and setting.
b. Rising Action- Events in the plot that build to a climax.
c. Climax- The high point in a story or the turning point in story.
It is usually the most interesting part of a story that the
reader has been waiting for.
d. Falling Action/Conclusion- The events after the climax which
close the story.
2. Setting- The time and place of a story. Where and when a story takes
place. Ex- New York City in the early 1800’s.
3. Purpose- The reason why the author wrote the story or article. Some
reasons include: to entertain, to amuse, to convince, to express an
opinion, to inform, to clarify or explain, to describe.
4. Characters- People in the story. Sometimes characters are animals or
even things, especially in cartoons.
Types of characters:
a. Foil- A foil character is usually opposite of the main character.
The purpose of the foil character is to emphasize the traits of
the main character by comparison or contrast.
Ex- If the main character is honest and kind then the foil
character might be dishonest and mean.
b. Dynamic Character- A dynamic character is one who changes by
the end of the story. Learning something during the story
changes him/her forever.
Ex- At the beginning a story a character might not like cats,
but by the end of a story after being forced to help take care
of a cat, the character decides he now likes cats.
c. Static Character-A static character does not change; he or she
is the same person at the end of the story as he was at the
beginning.
Ex- The character still hates cats by the end of the story.
d. Round character- A round character is fully developed. We
feel like we know him/her already. Readers may even be able to
anticipate the actions of a round character if the
characterization is well done and consistent.
e. Flat Character- We know very little about a flat character.
Flat characters are not meant to serve as main characters.
They serve as necessary elements in plot or as elements of the
setting.
5. Protagonist- The main character in a story.
6. Antagonist- A character in a story who works against the main
character (protagonist). Sometimes the antagonist is not actually a
person but instead it is a force that works against the main character.
For example the antagonist can be a bad storm that the protagonist is
caught in.
7. Characterization- The way a character in a story acts and behaves.
It includes how he/she thinks, speaks, behaves and looks. Ex- the
main character may dress sloppily and speak quickly.
8. Narrator- The person who is telling the story. It could be the writer
or it could be a character from the story.
There are 3 types of points of view:
A. First Person Point of View- The narrator is a character in the story.
He tells the story from his point of view. He can’t tell us thoughts of
other characters. He uses words like “I”, “me” and “we”.
B. Second Person Point of View- The story is told using “you”. This
places the reader personally into the story. It is not used very often.
C. Third Person Point of View- The narrator tells the story using the
words “he” and “she”. The narrator is not personally involved in the
story. There are three different types of third person narration:
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Third-Person Objective Narration- The narrator is an outsider
who can only tell us about what he/she sees and hears. The
narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the
thoughts of the characters. He’s like a camera filming someone
or someplace. We can see the picture but we still don’t know
what other people in the story are thinking.
Third Person Omniscient Point of View- Omniscient means
knowing everything. The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who
can enter the minds of more than one of the characters. The
narrator not only tells us what is happening but also tells us
what everyone is thinking.
Third-Person Limited- The narrator is an outsider who sees
into the mind of only one of the characters. He’s not
omniscient. He can’t see into everyone’s mind.
9. Subject- The topic of a story. Ex- War
10. Theme- The main idea of story. What the author is trying to say.
The main idea is different than the subject because the main idea
involves an opinion or statement about a topic.
Ex- The topic is war but the theme is that nothing good ever
comes out from a war.
*Not every story has to have a theme.*
11. Moral- The lesson told in a story. The reader is being taught
something important about life. Not every story has a moral.
12. Dialogue- The conversation between two characters in a story. Exact
words are put in quotes.
13. Monologue- When a character (usually the main character) speaks by
himself. The author uses it to speak to the reader.
14. Foreshadowing- The author uses hints or clues to suggest events that
will occur later in the story. Not all foreshadowing is obvious.
Frequently, future events are merely hinted at through dialogue,
description, or the attitudes and reactions of the characters.
Ex- An author may spend a lot of time describing a knife in the
beginning of a story. That knife may be important later on the story.
15. Conflict- A struggle or fight that takes place in the story. There are
different types of conflict in a story:
a. Man versus Self/Inner Conflict- A struggle that takes place in
the mind of a character. Ex- A student may have found money
in the classroom and is trying to decide whether to keep it or
turn it in to the teacher.
b. Man versus Man- Conflict that pits one person against another
person. Ex- A husband and wife in a story may be having an
argument.
c. Man versus Nature- Conflict between man and some force of
nature. Ex- A character in a story may be caught in a storm at
sea.
d. Man versus Society- Conflict between man and people in
society or the conflict between man and the cultural values of a
society. Ex- A character in a story may be fighting against the
death penalty even though the rest of society accepts it as law
and punishment.
16. Symbol/Symbolism- Something that represents or stands for
something else in a story. The author may use something physical to
represent an idea. Ex- An eagle in a story may represent the idea of
freedom. Light may represent knowledge. Water may represent
purity.
17. Irony- When something happens that is opposite of what you would
expect.
a. Verbal Irony- The contrast between what is said and what is
actually meant. Ex- Let’s say your friend didn’t take a shower
this morning and he forgot to brush his hair and to brush his
teeth. You say to him, “You look great. I’ve never seen you look
better.”
b. Irony of Situation- This refers to something that is the
opposite of what you would expect or intend. Ex- Let’s say you
live in New York City. The winter has been very cold so you
decide to take a vacation to warm sunny Florida. When you get
to Florida, it’s snowing but meanwhile in New York they are
having a warm spell where its’ 70 degrees and people are going
to the beach.
c. Dramatic Irony- A discrepancy between what the character
knows and what the reader knows to be true; it's when the
reader knows something the character does not know.
18. Tone- The way the writer feels about the subject they are writing
about. It could be humorous, joyful, optimistic, pessimistic, serious,
bitter, etc.
19. Mood- The feeling or atmosphere of a story. How it makes you feel
while reading it. It could make you feel happy, scared, sad, depressed,
etc.
20. Motive- The reason why a character behaves a certain way. Ex- If a
character had seen his Mom murdered when he was young, maybe he
became a policeman to find criminals and put them in jail so they could
not murder anyone else’s Mom.
21. Imagery- The language an author uses to describe people and places.
Good imagery will use a lot of adjectives and descriptive phrases. Ex“It was a bad day”- This is not very descriptive but if I were to say
“Day broke dark and gloomy”- This gives the reader more of a picture
in his/her mind.
22. Figurative Language- Language the author uses to symbolize
something else other than what it actually means. It goes beyond the
literal meaning of words. Ex- “Jose is as hungry as a horse”. The
person is not really a horse. He’s just being compared to how hungry a
horse gets. Here are the different types of figurative language
a. Simile- A figure of speech which involves a direct comparison
between two unlike things. It uses the words “like” or “as”.
Example: John is as big as an elephant. Your voice sounds like a
frog.
b. Metaphor- A figure of speech which compare two unlike things.
It uses a form of the “be” verb (is, am, are, was , were). The
comparison does not use “like or as.”
c.
d.
e.
f.
Ex: The road was a ribbon of moonlight. My father is the rock
of my family.
Alliteration- Repeated consonant sounds occurring at the
beginning of words or within words. Alliteration is used to
create melody, establish mood, call attention to important
words, and point out similarities and contrasts.
Ex: wide-eyed and wondering while we wait for others to waken.
Personification- A figure of speech which gives qualities of a
person to an animal, an object, or an idea.
Example: The forest awoke with a chill in the air. (Obviously a
forest can’t wake up). The storm screamed in anger.
(Obviously a storm doesn’t actually talk or scream or get angry.)
Onomatopoeia- The use of words that mimic sounds. They
appeal to our sense of hearing and they help bring a description
to life.
Ex: Caarackle (sound of fire), vroom (sound of a car), rurr
(sound of angry animal).
Hyperbole- An exaggerated statement used to heighten effect.
It is not used to mislead or fool the reader, but to emphasize a
point.
Ex: Ms. Thomas told me to be quiet a thousand times. This
class seems like it lasts a million years. I must have gained a
thousand pounds after eating all that ice cream.
23. Suspense- The author intentionally leaves information out, or doesn't
answer questions to make the reader wonder what will happen next.
It makes a reader anxious about what will happen next. Suspense is
the quality of "being on the edge of our seat" as we read to see what
will happen.
24. Flashback- This changes the plot events around a little because it
shows the events in a different order. The author tells the story in
the present then takes the reader back to events that occurred in
the past. The author will then jump back to the present.
Ex- The story is about a policeman and catching bad guys. The author
might have the character have a flashback to tell about a past story
which made the character want to become a policeman.
25. Allegory- An extended metaphor where the characters, events, and
situations can be taken on two levels: the literal level (what you see)
and the metaphoric/symbolic level. Each thing represents not only
what you see and hear but also something else.
Ex: In the Lion King both Simba and Scar are Lions. They are the
characters we see and hear but they represent to very different
things. Simba represents the good in the world >bravery, honesty,
diligence, hard work, etc. Scar represents the bad in the world >
weakness, dishonesty, laziness, etc.
26. Motif- A motif is a recurring image or idea. The repetition of the idea
reinforces the value of the image or idea and usually gets the reader
to think about theme.
27. Denotation- The denotative meaning of a word is the definition a
dictionary gives.
28. Connotation- The connotative meaning of the word goes beyond the
dictionary definition. It comes from how we see it in our society.
Connotative meanings will vary from location to location. They will
change or die over time. For example: if someone said, "I'm down with
that" in 1955, no one would understand what he/she meant.
Connotative meaning also means the emotional connections to words.
For example, the word test often carries a negative meaning for
students. The word “blue” is not only a color but it is often associated
with sadness.
Poetry Terms
1. Narrative Poetry: Poetry that tells a story about something.
2. Dramatic Poetry: This also tells a story. It shows the life of a
character. It usually has conflict and emotions in the plot. The plot
has action and dialogue.
3. Epic Poetry: A very long narrative poem that usually has a heroic or
romantic character. Ex: The Odyssey
4. Lyrical Poetry: Lyric/lyrical poetry is perhaps the most common. It
shows a lot of emotions about events, people and situations. It reads
like a song.
5. Meter: The rhythm created in poetry by repeating similar groups of
sounds (stressed and unstressed syllable combinations). These are
the types of meters: iambic (U/), trochaic (/U), anapestic (UU/),
dactyllic (/UU), spondaic (//), and pyrrhic (UU).
6. Iambic Pentameter: A five foot line of iambic meter. This is the most
common meter in English poetry. It does not rhyme. The second
syllable is stressed. The line has 5 feet (groups) of two syllable words
where the stress is always on the second syllable. The line has a total
of 10 syllables. When you read it aloud it sounds like this:
da-Dum da-Dum da-Dum da-Dum da-Dum
7. Sonnet: Poems of strict form: fourteen lines of iambic pentameter.
Two types: English or Shakespearean, consisting of four quatrains
(abab, cdcd, efef) and a couplet (gg) and Italian or Petrarchan,
consisting of an octave (set of eight lines) ryhming abbaabba and a
sestet (six lines) with a variety of schemes (cdecde, for example).
8. Ballad: A poem that tells a story, usually in four line stanzas with a
refrain; the subject of ballads is generally folk lore or popular legend.
9. Haiku: A Japanese form of poetry, consisting of three unrhymed lines
of five, seven and five syllables. Haiku are very brief descriptions of
nature that convey some implicit insight or essence of a moment.
Traditionally, they contain either a direct or oblique reference to a
season.
10. Personification: Giving human characteristics to non human things in
order to give light to human action, emotion, ideas etc.
11. Onomatopoeia: Words that sound like what they mean. Ex: "hiss"
sounds like the snake
12. Hyperbole: Exaggeration. The opposite of hyperbole is
understatement. By using contrast, an idea can be emphasized.
13. Alliteration: the repetition of beginning sounds in words. Ex: I rarely
rush past red roses
14. Assonance: The repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds, but
with different end consonants in a line, as in the words, date and fade.
15. Consonance: the repetition of consonant sounds at the end of words.
Ex: night, cat, plot
16. Rhyme: words that sound alike. There are either exact rhymes, where
the end sounds of the words are identical, like lark and spark, or
there are slant rhymes where the words sound similar but are not
identical, like lake and lark.
17. Exact Rhyme: This is when words sound exactly alike: cat, hat, rat
18. Slant or Approximate Rhyme: When words share the same vowel
sound or similar vowel sound and same end sound, they "sort of"
rhyme, but not exactly. Ex: which and fish have the same vowel sound,
but the end sounds are not exactly the same. If you were scanning for
a rhyme scheme, you could say that these two words do rhyme.
19. End Rhyme: This is what we call it when the words at the ends of the
lines rhyme. Ex: Line one: The maiden called to me/ Line two: As I
went out to sea.
20. Internal Rhyme: Words that rhyme can occur within a line. Ex: The
cat sat on the hat.
21. Rhythm: The regular or repetitive patterns of sounds created in
language with stressed and unstressed syllables
22. Foot: a two or three syllable unit of meter. Ex: (U/) is one iambic
foot.
23. Blank verse: Unrhymed iambic pentameter
24. Free verse: Lines of poetry that do not have exact patterns, either
rhyme, meter or both
25. Stanza: A group of lines in a poem that stand as one unit
26. Couplet: Two lines of a poem that rhyme; a couplet usually stands as a
complete idea or grammatical "sentence" within the poem.
27. Refrain: A phrase or stanza that repeats in a ballad or song lyric; a
refrain may hold the main theme or idea of the poem or song.
28. Structure: The structure of the poem is how the poet builds it from
the various poetic elements. Think of the elements of a house: wood,
windows, doors, bricks, shingles, etc. These elements do not always
combine to make identical structures. Most houses look different
from one another. A poet uses the building blocks of poems and
creates a poem that is not exactly like any other.
29. Scansion (scanning): The process of looking closely at a poem to
determine meter, rhyme, rhyme scheme, or other patterns.
30. Allusion: An allusion is a reference to something in history, culture, or
literature (especially historical). An allusion adds to the depth of our
understanding. If we know the reference then the poet or writer's
comparison helps us to see the poem or prose piece more fully.