All Literary terms

Exposition

the beginning of the plot where the author introduces the reader to characters, setting, narrator, and point of view

Rising Action

the second part of a plot diagram where events begin and build suspense and create conflict

Climax

the third part of a plot diagram; the turning point of the story

Falling Action

the fourth part of a plot diagram with no new events or plot points; after the crisis and before the resolution

Resolution/Denouement

the fifth part of a plot diagram where conflict is resolved and the story

Foreshadowing

a hint of things to come

Internal conflict

a character struggle with his or her own opposing desire, beliefs, or needs (man vs. self)

External conflict

a character struggles against an outside force (man vs. man, nature, society)

Mood/Atmosphere

the feeling the reader gets from a piece of literature

Point of View

the perspective from which a story is told

First-person point of view

the narrator is a character who participates in the action of the story and uses I and me to describe himself or herself

Third-person omniscient point of view

the narrator knows everything (all-knowing), including the thoughts and feelings of ALL the characters

Third-person limited point of view

the narrator sees things through ONE character’s eyes and reveals that characters feelings and thoughts

Symbolism

a symbol is an object, person, place, etc. that means more than what it actually is

Setting

time and place in which a story occurs

Hyperbole

figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion

Metaphor

comparison between two object without using like or as

Allusion

 reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art

Juxtaposition

an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast (you’re making a mountain out of a molehole)

Euphemism

a mild word substituted for one considered to he too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing (flatulence for farting)

Colloquialism

informal speech that people use in everyday language

Broad Generalization (stereotyping)

a statement mostly based on limited knowledge about a large group of things, places, or people

Protagonist

main character or hero of story

Antagonist

a character or force in conflict with a main character or protagonist

Allegory

a story with two or more levels of meaning - a literal level and one or more symbolic levels

Analogy

comparison between two or more things that are similar in some ways but other ways unalike

Direct characterization

a method of indicating what a character is like by directly stating their personality traits

Indirect characterization

a method of indicating what a character is ;ole by revealing their personality through descriptions of their actions, speech, appearance, and interactions with other characters

Foil

a character who provides a strong contrast to another character (e.g. Shrek to the donkey)

Motif

recurring subject, theme, idea, etc.

Narrator

speaker or character who tells the story

Testimonial

formal statement testifying to someone or something’s character

Tone

reflection of a writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward a subject of literary work