Literary Terms 2
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Created by:
marquisellisjesa on August 27, 2010
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40 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Main Idea | What the passage is mostly about |
| Metaphor | a comparison of two unlike things without using the word like or as. |
| Mood | the emotional atmosphere of a work |
| Myth | a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events |
| Narrative | a story or narrated account |
| Nonfiction | story or piece about true events |
| Omniscient narrator | a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters |
| Onomatopoeia | a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds |
| Oxymoron | an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined |
| Paradox | an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth |
| Paraphrase | a restatement of a text in a different from or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity |
| Parody | a humorous imitation of a serious work |
| Personification | endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics |
| Plot-exposition | the opening of a story, when the characters and their conflicts are introduced |
| Plot-rising action | following the exposition; the events that build up to the climax |
| Plot-falling action | following the climax; when the story begins to resolve conflicts and outstanding issues |
| Point of view | the vantage point from which a story is told |
| Point of view-first | a story told by an "I" narrator. An "I" narrator is a character in the story. |
| Point of view-second | a story directed to the reader using "you"; used most commonly when giving directions |
| Point of view-third | a story told by a non-participating narrator, either omniscient or limited |
| Protagonist | the main character in a story. |
| Pun | a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings |
| Resolution | the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax |
| Round character | a character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work |
| Sarcasm | harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule |
| Satire | the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions |
| Scapegoat | a person or group that bears the blame for another |
| Scene | a real or fictional episode; a division of an act in a play |
| Setting | the time, place, and environment in which action takes place |
| Simile | a comparison of two things using "like", "as", or other specifically comparative words |
| Simple sentence | a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause |
| Static character | a character who does not change during the story. |
| Summary | a short restatement of the key elements of a story |
| Suspense | quality of a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem that makes the reader or audience uncertain or tense about the outcome of events |
| Symbol | an object that is used to represent something else |
| Synonym | Words that have similar or the same meaning |
| Syntax | the manner in which words are arranged into sentences |
| Theme | a central idea of a work |
| Tone | the writer's or speaker's attitude toward the subject of a story, toward a character, or toward the audience (the readers). |
| Turning point | the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs |
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