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archetype
a character, action, or situation that is a prototype or pattern of human life generally; a situation that occurs over and over again in literature, such as a quest, an initiation, or an attempt to overcome evil
characters
people or animals who take part in the action of a literary work
Readers learn about characters from:
· what they say (dialogue)
· what they do (actions)
· what they think (interior monologue)
· what others say about them
· through the author's direct statement
flat character
person or animal in whom the author emphasizes a single important trait
round character
a complex, personality (three-dimensional)
static character
a person or animal who changes very little over the course of a narrative; things happen to these characters, but little happens in them
dynamic character
a character that changes in response to the actions through which he or she passes
antagonist
the character pitted against the protagonist of a work with whom the readers most often identify; usually has evil or distasteful qualities but are not necessarily all bad. If is all-evil, he/she is considered a villain
protagonist
the most important or leading character in a work; usually identical to the hero/heroine, but not always; can have both good and bad qualities
foil
a character, who by contrast with the main character, serves to accentuate that character's distinctive qualities or characteristics
stock
a type of character who regularly appears in certain literary forms; they are often stereotyped characters
conflict
describes the tension between opposing forces in a work of literature
external conflict
a struggle against an outside force (person against person, nature, society)
internal conflict
a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions within a character
diction
word choice intended to convey a certain effect
denotation
dictionary definition of a word
connotation
feelings and attitudes associated with a word
dialect
regional variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar, or vocabulary; language peculiar to a particular group or social class
dialogue
character's voice; the conversation between two or more characters
euphemism
the use of a word or phrase that is less direct but is also less distasteful or less offensive than another
idiom
an expression that means something different from the literal meaning of the words
formal diction
polysyllabic, usually no contractions, scholarly
colloquial
conversational; informal language, use contractions
vernacular diction
language or dialect of a particular group or region
slang
language that is very informal; not standard
jargon
language that is specialized to a particular occupation or group
standard diction
language accepted as the norm; language used in most writing for school
imagery
consists of the words or phrases a writer uses to represent persons, objects, actions, feelings, and ideas descriptively by appealing to the senses
visual, auditory, tactile, papillary, olfactory
mood
the atmosphere or predominant emotion in a literary work
plot
the sequence of events or actions in a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem
Freytag's Pyramid is a convenient diagram that describes the typical pattern of a dramatic or fictional work
exposition
The storyteller sets the scene and the character's background.
inciting incident
The character reacts to something that has happened, and it starts a chain reaction of events.
rising action
The story builds. There is often a complication, which means the problem the character tried to solve gets more complex.
climax
The story reaches the point of greatest tension between the protagonist and antagonist.
falling action
The story shifts to action that happens as a result of the climax, which can also contain a reversal (when the character shows how they are changed by the events of the climax).
denouement
The character solves the problem or conflict. resolution
flashback
a scene that interrupts the action of a work to show a previous event
foreshadowing
the use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest future action
subplot
a part of the story that develops separately from the main story
parallel plot
a story structure in which the writer includes two or more separate narratives linked by a common character, event, or theme
point of view
the perspective from which a narrative is told
1st person
narrator is a character in the story (I)
3rd person limited
narrator is not a character in the story but zooms in on the thoughts and feelings of one (or a very few) character(s)
3rd person omniscient
narrator is not a character in the story but can tell us what all (or many) of the characters are thinking and feeling as well as what is happening in other places.
3rd person objective
narrator is not a character in the story but can only report what characters say and do, not what any of them are thinking or feeling. It is as if a camera were reporting the events without any commentary. This point of view is very rarely used in literature.
rhetorical shift or turn
refers to a change or movement in a piece resulting from an epiphany, realization, or insight gained by the speaker, a character, or the reader
epiphany
used more figuratively to describe the insight or revelation gained when one suddenly understands the essence of a (generally commonplace) object, gesture, statement, situation, moment, or mentality—that is, when one "sees" that commonplace object for what it really is beneath the surface and perceives its inner workings or nature
setting
the time and place in which events in a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem take place
structure
the framework or organization of a literary selection.
usually determined by plot and by chapter division.
of drama depends upon its division into acts and scenes.
of an essay depends upon the organization of ideas.
of poetry is determined by its rhyme scheme and stanzaic form.
style
the writer's characteristic manner of employing language
suspense
the quality of a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem that makes the reader or audience uncertain or tense about the outcome of events
syntax
the arrangement of words and the order of grammatical elements in a sentence
theme
the central message of a literary work
the idea the author wishes to convey about the subject. It is expressed as a sentence or general statement about life or human nature.
tone
the writer's or speaker's attitude toward a subject, character, or audience, and it is conveyed through the author's choice of diction, point of view, imagery, detail, and syntax
can be serious, humorous, sarcastic, indignant, objective, etc.
figure of speech
words or phrases that describe one thing in terms of something else
apostrophe
a form of personification in which the absent or dead are spoken to as if present and the inanimate, as if animate
metaphor
a comparison of two unlike things not using "like" or "as"
metonymy
a form of metaphor
the name of one thing is applied to another thing with which it is closely associated. (symbol)
oxymoron
a form of paradox that combines a pair of opposite terms into a single unusual expression
paradox
occurs when the elements of a statement contradict each other
Although the statement may appear illogical, impossible, or absurd, it turns out to have a coherent meaning that reveals a hidden truth.
personification
a kind of metaphor that gives inanimate objects or abstract ideas human characteristics
pun
a play on words that are identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse meanings
can have serious as well as humorous uses.
simile
a comparison of two different things or ideas through the use of the words "like" or "as"
synecdoche
a form of metaphor
the reverse of something is used to signify the whole. Also the reverse can occur, whereby the whole can represent a part.
sound devices
stylistic techniques that convey meaning through sound
alliteration
the practice of beginning several consecutive or neighboring words with the same sound
assonance
the repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words
consonance
the repetition of consonant sound within a series of words used to create a harmonious effect (not at beginning of words but in middle or end)
onomatopoeia
the use of words that mimic the sounds they describe
rhyme
the repetition of sounds in two more words or phrases starting with vowel sound and continuing to end of word
end rhyme
rhyme occurs at the end of lines
internal rhyme
rhyme occurs within the line
rhyme scheme
patterns of end rhymes (example: A B A B)
meter
rhythm that continuously repeats a single basic pattern; a measure or unit of metrical verse
allegory
the presentation of an abstract idea through more concrete means; typically a narrative that has at least two levels of meaning
The first is the surface-level story line, which can be summed up by stating who did what to whom and when. Although they have coherent plots, their authors expect readers to recognize the existence of a second and deeper level of meaning, which may be moral, political, philosophical, or religious.
allusion
a reference to a mythological, literary, or historical person, place, or thing
hyperbole
a deliberate, extravagant, and often outrageous exaggeration
It may be used for either serious or comic effect.
irony
occurs in three types.
the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
verbal irony
occurs when a speaker or narrator says one thing while meaning the opposite
situational irony
occurs when a situation turns out differently from what one would normally expect--though often the twist is oddly appropriate
dramatic irony
occurs when a character or speaker says or does something that has different meanings from what he thinks it means, though the audience and other characters understand the full implications of the speech or action
sarcasm
the use of verbal irony in which a person appears to be praising something but is actually insulting it
motif
a term that describes a pattern or strand of imagery or symbolism in a work of literature
satire
refers to the use of humorous devices like irony, understatement, and exaggeration to highlight a human folly or a societal problem
The purpose is to bring the flaw to the attention of the reader in order that it may be addressed, remedied, or eradicated
symbolism
the use of any object, person, place, or action that both has a meaning in itself and that stands for something larger than itself, such as a quality, attitude, belief, or value. There are two basic types: universal, contexual
universal symbol
is common to all mankind
contextual
used in a particular way by an individual author
understatement
the opposite of hyperbole
It is a kind of irony that deliberately represents something as being much less than it really is.
meiosis
a literary device that uses euphemistic understatement to downplay or undermine a person, event, object, or movement
litotes
ironic understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary