 | Term | Definition |
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plot |
the series of related actions or events in a literary work |
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sequence |
the arrangement of events in a literary work |
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conflict |
struggle between opposing forces; any problem that must be solved |
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internal and external |
the two major types of conflict |
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internal conflict |
a problem or struggle within a character |
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external conflict |
a problem or struggle between a character and someone or something outside of the character |
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exposition |
establishes the setting, identifies the characters, introduces the basic situation (problem may be revealed here) |
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initiating incident |
introduces the central conflict (sometimes it occurs before the opening of the story) |
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rising action |
any events leading up to the climax |
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climax |
the point of highest interest, the conflict must be resolved one way or another or a character begins to take action to end the conflict |
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falling action |
events that occur between the climax and the conclusion |
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conclusion/resolution |
the story's end |
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setting |
the time and place of the story (where and when it takes place) |
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suspense |
the quality of the story that makes the reader curious and excited about what will happen next |
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foreshadowing |
an author's use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the story |
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flashback |
presents events of the past in the midst of a story in the present |
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mood |
the feeling created in a reader by a literary work or passage |
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tone |
the attitude toward the subject and audience conveyed by the language and rhythm of the speaker in a literary work |
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character |
a person or animal who takes part in the action of a literary work |
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protagonist |
the main character in a literary work |
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antagonist |
a character or force in conflict with the main character |
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round character |
this character is fully developed – the writer reveals good and bad traits as well as background |
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flat character |
this character seems to possess only one or two personality traits – little or no background is revealed |
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dynamic character |
this character changes as a result of the action in the story |
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static character |
this character stays the same throughout the story |
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trait |
one of the qualities that makes up a character's personality |
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character motivation |
a reason that explains, or partially explains a character's thoughts, feelings, actions or speech |
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dialogue |
conversation between characters |
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dialect |
a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group |
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jargon |
the special words or terms used by the members of a particular profession or class |
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slang |
an informal, often short-lived kind of language used in place of standard words |
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informal language |
the language of everyday speech, may use contractions and slang |
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formal language |
the standard language of written communication, formal speeches, and presentations; may not use contractions or slang |
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narrator |
the speaker or character who tells the story |
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point of view |
the relationship between the narrator and the story he/she is telling - the perspective from which the story is told |
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prose |
the ordinary form of writing; most writing that is not poetry, drama, or song |
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fiction |
prose writing that tells about imaginary characters and events |
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nonfiction |
prose writing that presents and explains ideas about real people, places, objects or events |
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fantasy |
highly imaginative writing that has elements not found in real life |
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biography |
a form of nonfiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person |
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autobiography |
a form of nonfiction in which a writer tells his or her own life story |
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genre |
a division or type of literature – generally prose, poetry or drama |
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theme |
the message, central concern, or insight into life revealed in a literary work |
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stereotype |
a fixed, generalized idea about a character, place, or situation |
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symbol |
anything that stands for or represents something else |
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allusion |
a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art |
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irony |
the general name given to literary techniques that involve surprising, interesting, or amusing contradictions |
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verbal irony |
words are used to suggest the opposite of their usual meaning or contradict their usual meaning |
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situational irony |
an event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the character, the reader, or the audience (a surprise twist) |
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dramatic irony |
a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader or audience knows to be true (we, the audience, know more than the character/s) |
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euphemism |
an inoffensive word or term used in place of another that is felt to be offensive |
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idiom |
an expression having a special meaning different from the usual meanings of the words (example – "hit the road") |
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figurative language |
writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally |
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figures of speech |
types of figurative language |
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simile |
a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike subjects using like or as |
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metaphor |
a figure of speech that makes an indirect comparison between two unlike subjects (something is described as if it were something else) |
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hyperbole |
a figure of speech that is an exaggeration for effect |
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personification |
a figure of speech in which a non-human subject is given human characteristics |
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alliteration |
the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words |
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onomatopoeia |
the use of words that imitate sounds |
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stanza |
a division of poetry similar to a paragraph in prose |
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refrain |
a regularly repeated line or group of lines in a poem or song |
