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Literary Terms

Terms in this set (26)

allusion
an indirect reference to a famous person, place, event, or literary work
antagonist
a principal character or force in opposition to a protagonist, or main character; is usually another character but sometimes can be a force of nature, a set of circumstances, some aspect of society, or a force within the protagonist
characterization
the way a writer creates and develops character's personalities; is either direct or indirect
conflict
a struggle between opposing forces; can be internal or external
foreshadowing
is a writer's use of hints or clues to suggest events that will occur later in the story
imagery
consists of descriptive words and phrases that re-create sensory experiences for the reader
irony
a special kind of contrast between appearance and reality-usually one in which reality is the opposite of what it seems
mood
the feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader
parody
an imitation of another work, a type of literature, or a writer's style, usually for the purpose of poking fun
plot
the sequence of events in a story
point of view
refers to the method of narration used in a short story, novel, narrative poem, or work of nonfiction
first person
the narrator is a character in the story
third person
the narrative voice is outside of the action, not one of the characters
third person omniscient
the narrator sees into the minds of all the characters
third person limited
the narrator tells what only one character thinks, feels, and observes
protagonist
the main character in a work of literature-the character who is involved in the central conflict of the story
setting
the time and place of the action of a story
structure
the way in which the parts of a work of literature are put together
symbol
a person, a place, an object, or an activity that stands for something beyond itself
theme
an underlying message about life or human nature that a writer wants the reader to understand
tone
the attitude a writer takes towards a subject
exposition
the very first part of the plot in which the background info, setting, characters are introduced and explained
rising action
the part of the plot in which the conflict is revealed and the plot begins developing
climax
the turning point or highest point of tension in the story
falling action
the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict is being resolved
resolution
the part of the plot where the conflicts is over
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