Mrs. N's Literary Terms and Story Elements
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Created by:
pnorthington on February 22, 2012
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36 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words |
| allusion | a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize |
| assonance | repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together |
| antagonist | the character who works against (opposes) the protagonist in the story |
| climax | most exciting moment of the story; turning point |
| complications | situations that add to the conflict of the story |
| conflict | the problem to be solved in the story (external or internal) |
| dialect | a way of speaking that is characteristic to a specific group |
| diction | the author's choice of words that creates tone, attitude, and style, as well as meaning |
| direct characterization | the author directly states a character's traits |
| ellipsis | Three periods (...) indicating the omission of words in a thought or quotation, creates tension |
| external conflict | a problem or struggle outside of the character |
| exposition | the beginning of the story when the reader is (exposed) introduced to the setting and characters of the story |
| flashback | a scene from the past is relived |
| foreshadowing | the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot |
| hyperbole | a gross exaggeration |
| idiom | an expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the meaning of its actual words |
| imagery | words or phrases appealing to the five senses that an author uses to create vivid scenes |
| indirect characterization | learning about a character through his actions, speech or other character's reactions |
| internal conflict | a problem or struggle within a character |
| irony | the opposite of what the reader expects; humor based on using words to suggest the opposite of their literal meaning |
| metaphor | a figure of speech comparing to unlike things without using like or as |
| narrator | the person relating the story |
| onomatopoeia | a word that imitates the sound it represents |
| oxymoron | combining a pair of opposite words into a single, unusual expression (large shrimp) |
| personification | giving human qualities or traits to animals or objects |
| point of view | the perspective from which the story is told |
| protagonist | the main character who is trying to overcome a problem or adversity |
| resolution | the ending of the story where the conflict is resolved |
| rhyme | a similarity in the sound of word endings, especially in poetry |
| setting | The specific time and place of a story |
| simile | a comparison of two unlike things using like or as |
| suspense | makes the reader tense or uncertain about the outcome |
| symbolism | the use of one thing or idea to represent another (a dove symbolizes peace) |
| theme | The insight about human life or nature that is revealed in a literary work; rarely stated directly; lesson of the story |
| tone | the quality of words as an indicator of the attitude or view of the author |
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