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Literary Vocabulary_Unit 1

Terms in this set (47)

plot
sequence of events in a story, revolving around the major conflict the main character faces
exposition
stage of the plot which introduces the story's conflict, characters, and setting
rising action
stage of the plot in which the author builds suspense and adds complications to the conflict
climax
stage of the plot that is the story's most dramatic moment
falling action
stage of the plot that is the logical result of the climax
resolution
stage of the plot that presents the final outcome of the conflict
conflict
the central struggle between opposing forces in a story or drama
external conflict
when a character struggles against some outside force, such as another person, nature, society, or fate
internal conflict
this occurs within the mind of a character who is torn between opposing feelings or goals
foreshadowing
the author's use of clues or hints to prepare readers for events that will happen later in a story
flashback
an interruption in the chronological order of a narrative to describe an event that happened earlier (gives readers information that may help explain the main events of the story)
setting
the time and place in which the events of a literary work occur (including physical surroundings, as well as the ideas, customs, values, and beliefs of a particular time and place)
description
writing that seeks to convey the impression of a setting, a person, an animal, an object, or an event by appealing to the senses
imagery (or sensory details)
descriptive language that appeals to one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, tough, taste, and smell
mood
emotional quality of a literary work (created by a writer's choice of language, subject matter, setting, diction, tone, etc.)
denotation
the literal, or dictionary, meaning of a word
connotation
the suggested or implied meanings associated with a word beyond its dictionary definition
dialect
a version of a language spoken within a particular region or by a particular social or ethnic group (may differ from a standard form of a language in vocabulary, expressions, pronunciation, or grammar)
allegory
a literary work in which all or most of the characters, setting, and events stand for ideas, qualities, or figures beyond themselves (the overall purpose is generally to teach a moral lesson)
symbol
person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and for something beyond itself as well (ex: the American flag represents "freedom"; Spring represents "new life" or "rebirth"; etc.)
theme
the central message of a work of literature, often expressed as a general statement about life
author's purpose
an author's intent in writing a literary work (for example: to persuade, to inform, to explain, to entertain, or to describe)
character
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story); understanding the author's description this person is crucial to the experience of the story
round character
a character who shows varied and sometimes contradictory traits
flat character
a character who reveals only one personality trait
dynamic character
a character who changes during a story
static character
a character who remains the same throughout a story
characterization
the methods a writer used to develop a character
direct characterization
when a writer develops a character by making direct statements about the character
indirect characterization
when a writer reveals a character's personality through the individual's words, thoughts, and actions and through what other characters thing ans say about that character
protagonist
the central character in a narrative work around whom the main conflict revolves
antagonist
a person or force in society or nature that opposes the central character in a story or drama
motivation
the stated or implied reason a character acts, things, or feels a certain way (may be an external circumstance, an internal moral, or an emotional impulse)
irony
a contrast or discrepancy between expectation and reality, or between what is expected and what actually happens
situational irony
when the actual outcome of a situation is the opposite of what is expected
verbal irony
when a person says one thing and means another (most commonly this is sarcasm)
dramatic irony
when the audience or reader knows information that the characters do not know
narrator
the person who tells the story (in some cases it is a character in the story
point of view
the standpoint, or perspective, from which a story is told
first-person point of view
when a story is told by a character from within the story (uses "I" to refer to refer to him/herself)
limited third-person point of view
when a story is told by someone who stands outside the story and describes the characters and action as only one character perceives them (referring to characters as "he" or "she")
omniscient third-person point of view
when a story is told by someone outside the story who knows everything about all the characters and events (referring to characters as "he" or "she")
persona
the person created by the author to tell a story (the attitudes and beliefs of this person may not be the same as the author)
voice
the distinctive use of language that conveys the author's or narrator's personality to the reader (it is determined by elements of style such as word choice and tone)
diction
a writer's choice of words
tone
an author's attitude toward his or her subject matter, conveyed through elements such as word choice, punctuation, sentence structure, and figures of speech (it may convey a variety of attitudes, such as sympathy, seriousness, irony, sadness, bitterness, or humor)
style
the particular way an author writes, including the author's word choice, sentence structure, and use of imagery and figurative language
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