Academic Literary Terms #2

Conflict

The colliding or clashing of thoughts, feelings, actions, or persons; the problems or complications in the story.

Connotation

All the emotions or feelings a word can arouse, such as the positive feeling associated with the word love.

Contrast

The process of pointing out differences between things.

Dialect

A form of language that is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people.

Dialogue

Consists of the conversations characters have with one another, telling about their personalities and moving the plot along.

Diction

An author's choice of words based on their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

Archaic

Words that are old fashioned and no longer sound natural when used.

Colloquialism

An expression usually accepted in informal situations and certain locations.

Jargon

Specialized language used by a specific group, often in fields like technology.

Profanity

Language that shows disrespect for someone or something regarded as holy or sacred.

Slang

Informal language used by a particular group of people among themselves.

Vulgarity

Language that is generally considered crude, gross, and offensive.

Drama

The form of literature known as plays, often focused on characters’ relationships to society.

Dramatic monologue

A literary work where a character speaks about themselves as if another person were present, revealing important aspects of their character.

Dynamic character

A character who undergoes adaptation, change, or growth throughout a story.

Epitaph

A short poem or verse written in memory of someone.

Exaggeration

An extreme overstatement of an idea used for emphasis or humor.

Exposition

The beginning of a story where the audience usually meets the characters. 

• The time and place (setting) are told. 

• The conflict (the problem in the story that needs to be solved) is introduced. 

• This portion helps the reader understand the background or situation in which the story is set. 

Falling action

All that happens after the climax, working out the decision from the climax leading to the resolution.

Fiction

Prose writing that tells an imaginary story, which may be completely invented or based on real events.

Figurative language

Expressions that are not literally true, used to create original descriptions.