| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Imagery | representation through language of sense experience |
| In medias res | story begins in the middle of things with little exposition |
| Interior Monologue | Writing that records the mental talking that goes on inside a character's head |
| Irony | a situation in which there is some kind of incongruity or discrepancy |
| Verbal Irony | A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant |
| Dramatic Irony | An incongruity between what a character perceives and what the author intends the reader or audience to perceive |
| Situational Irony | A situation in which there is an incongruity between appearance and reality, between expectation and fulfillment, or between the actual situation and what would seem appropriate |
| Litotes | A form of understatement in which a thing is affirmed by stating the negative at its opposite. A kind of double negative. "She is not unaware", means "oh, she knew" |
| Metaphor | comparison of two unlike things; can be implicit or explicit. One thing is another |
| Mood | Atmosphere or emotional condition created by a piece of literature - Ambiance. The attitude of the reader toward a literary piece |
| Paradox | Statement or situation which contains an apparently contradictory element; on further examination, often yields some truth |
| Plot | Artistic arrangement of events in a story |
| Exposition | The opening portion of a story that sets the scene, introduces the characters, tells what happened before the story began, and provides other necessary background information to enable the reader to follow and understand the story |
| Complication | introduces a conflict |
| Suspense | anxiety or tension which heightens the reader's attention to the story |
| Protagonist | The principal character or hero of the story |
| Crisis | A moment of high tension. There may be several of these leading to the climax |
| Climax | The moment of greatest tension when the outcome is decided |
| Denouement | Follows the climax and resolves or concludes the action; falling action |
| Foreshadowing | Indication or hints of things to come |
Combine with other sets
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