Literary Elements
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44 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 abstract subject | a broad or general statement of the subject of a story. |
| allusion | a reference, sometimes subtle, to an earlier literary work or historical event or character. |
| antagonist | the person or force which is set up in conflict against the main character |
| characterization | the methods by which an author builds and develops the identities of people in a story |
| climax | the high point of tension and suspense in a story |
| concrete subject | the literal, specific subject of a story |
| colloquial language | a style of writing that reflects how people actually speak, not necessarily standard English. |
| conflict | the tension between the protagonist and the antagonist in a story |
| connotation | the emotional spin of a word |
| denotation | the dictionary definition of a word |
| dialogue | conversation between two or more characters |
| diction | the level and type of language and vocabulary used |
| elements of literature | the parts or building blocks used by writers to create fiction |
| exposition | the process of revealing essential information about the story usually early in the narrative. |
| flat character | a simple character who does not change or develop in the course of a story |
| figurative language | imaginative and non-literal uses of language |
| first person | "I" |
| image | a word or phrase that triggers a sensory perception |
| irony | the effect of the surface meaning of a word or phrase being undercut by a different underlying meaning |
| limited omniscient narrator | 3rd person point of view restricted to the thoughts and feelings of a single character |
| metaphor | a figure of language where one thing is compared directly to another |
| motivation | the desires or the goals or aspirations of a character which direct his or her actions and choices. |
| narrator | the person whose voice is telling the story |
| omniscient narrator | 3rd person point of view; all knowing; able to see inside all the characters |
| personification | a figure of language where a nonhuman thing is endowed with human characteristics |
| plot | the storyline; the sequence of events making up the story |
| point of view | the perspective from which a story is told |
| prose | conventional English arranged in sentences and paragraphs. |
| protagonist | usually the main character |
| resolution | the point at which the conflict in a narrative is brought to an end or at least suspended |
| rising action | the increase of tension or suspense in a narrative |
| round character | someone who is complex and has a range of characteristics, possibly even contradictory ones |
| setting | the time and the location of a story |
| simile | a figure of language where two things are compared using the words "like" or "as" |
| style | a writer's voice as reflected in their word choices and their sentence structure and their tone |
| subplot | a secondary storyline that spins off and usually reconnects with the main storyline. |
| symbol | a figure of language where a word or an object represents a larger idea |
| sympathetic character | a character the reader roots for or feels a kinship for |
| syntax | the structure and organization of a sentence |
| theme | an idea or issue which recurs in a story and is, therefore, an essential part of the subject of the story |
| Third person | "he" or "she" |
| tone | the attitude conveyed by an author or a character |
| unreliable narrator | a narrative voice that may be lying, exaggerating, or misunderstanding the events he or she is retelling. |
| dramatic point of view | 3rd person point of view limited only to reporting on actions, utterances, and physical descriptions - no internal thoughts or feelings |
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