Literary Terms Take Notes Literary Terms 1 91515

Literary Terms Take Notes!

Literary Terms 1. ) 9/15/15

GENRE: category of literature Major Genre: prose (novel, short story, essay), verse (poetry, ) drama Minor Genre: specific subdivisions of major genre (fantasy, science fiction, young adult, mystery, western, humor, adventure, romance, etc. )

Plot Series of events that tell a story

Plot Pyramid 1. Exposition: backstory that introduces characters and setting 2. Central Conflict: basic problem of story 3. Rising Action: attempts to solve problem 4. Climax: the point when the problem is solved or unsolvable (turning point) 5. Falling Action: events immediately after the climax 6. Resolution: reactions to climax

Protagonist The central or main character in a literary work

Antagonist the person or force who is opposite to, or challenges, the protagonist.

Characterization the way an author presents and defines characters.

Flat Character: a character who is stereotypical and lacks interest Round Character: a character who is presented in greater depth, interest and detail. Static Character: a character who does not undergo any change (e. g. , Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol") Dynamic Character: a character who undergoes some sort of transformation (e. g. , Scrooge in the same work).

Conflict The struggle between opposing forces that provides the central action and interest in any literary plot.

Internal Conflict a conflict taking place inside a character Person vs. Self

External Conflict a conflict taking place outside a character Person vs. Society Person vs. Nature Person vs. Supernatural

Irony When what "is" goes against expectations; three forms exist, used for plot development and meaning

Verbal Irony When what is said is either the opposite of what is or its meaning (Sarcasm)

Situational Irony When an event occurs contrary to expectations

Dramatic Irony When an audience knows important information beyond what the character knows

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Point of View The type of narrator the writer uses to tell a story.

First Person Point of View The narrator is participates in the action of the story

Third Person Point of View The narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the character(s) feel. We learn about the characters through this outside voice.

Objective Point of View The narrator tells what happens without saying anything about what the characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer.

Omniscient POV The narrator knows how all characters think and feel.

Limited Omniscient POV A narrator who knows how one or some characters think and feel. Many modern books use this POV, but change POV characters throughout (Percy Jackson).

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Characterization the way an author presents and defines characters.

Direct Characterization author states what type of person the character is

Indirect Characterization author gives clues about the character through actions, thoughts, and speech of a character.

Theme a message about life taken from a story

Symbol an object that represents or stands for something else.

Verbal Irony When what is said is either the opposite of what is or its meaning (Sarcasm)

Situational Irony When an event occurs contrary to expectations

Dramatic Irony When an audience knows important information beyond what the character knows

Allusion a reference to something outside the text that the reader is expected to know; provides additional information; may become a symbol. (i. e. , Gettysburg Address, Constitution)

Suspense Creating tension within the reader by creating a desire to know what will happen next.

Foreshadowing The use of clues that suggest the future outcome of situations in a story.

Complication Difficult circumstances caused by character’s attempts to find solutions to his/her problem.

Simile indirect comparison that uses connective words (like, as, seems) to link the differing items

Mood feeling created by the text

Setting the time, place, and context of a story

Dialogue lines spoken by characters

Narrator the teller of the story

Poetry Literary work in which feelings and ideas are expressed through rhythm and style.

Stanza arrangement of lines in poetry, separated by rhyme scheme or spacing

Rhyme Correspondence of sounds between words or the endings of words.

Rhyme Scheme The pattern of rhyming words

Paradox contradictory ideas meant to fit together

Imagery language used by an author to show details

Alliteration repetition of sounds in the first syllables in a phrase or words. (ie: from stem to stern).

Personification assigning human qualities to non-human objects or concepts

Metaphor Comparing two different things Formula: One thing is another thing.

Simile Comparing two things using like, as, or seems

Assonance Repetition of vowel sounds

Consonance Repetition of consonant sounds

Hyperbole An exaggeration or claim not meant to be taken literally.

Understatement Making something seem less important than it is