Lit Elements

Exposition

Background information about events, settings, characters, or elements of a work.

Rising Action

Series of incidents creating suspense, interest, and tension leading to the climax.

Climax

High point of interest or suspense in a literary work, often coinciding with the crisis.

Falling Action

Follows the climax, resolving the main problem of the story.

Resolution

The point where the story is resolved.

Conflict

Struggle between opposing forces, internal or external.

Genre

Category of artistic, musical, or literary composition with a particular style or content.

Plot

Sequence of events in a literary work involving characters and conflict.

Characterization

Creation and development of characters through direct or indirect methods.

Setting

Time or place of the action in a literary work, providing backdrop or atmosphere.

Connotation

Associations a word evokes beyond its literal meaning.

Denotation

Objective meaning of a word, independent of associations.

Theme

Central idea, concern, or purpose in a literary work.

Symbolism

Object representing something else in a literary work.

Protagonist

Leading character in a drama, movie, or novel.

Antagonist

Character actively opposing the protagonist.

Irony

Dramatic, situational, or verbal expressions contrary to the expected meaning.

Diction

Writer’s word choice determining style.

Dialect

Form of language specific to a region or group.

Dialogue

Conversation between characters revealing events or character traits.

Figurative Language

Writing not meant to be taken literally, using figures of speech.

Metaphor

Figure of speech comparing two dissimilar things.

Simile

Figure of speech comparing two things using like or as.

Personification

Giving human characteristics to nonhuman subjects.

Hyperbole

Deliberate exaggeration for emphasis.

Onomatopoeia

Word imitating natural sounds for expressive effect.

Oxymoron

Fusing contradictory ideas to create a paradox.

Paradox

Statement seeming contradictory but revealing a truth.

Point of View

First, third, limited, or omniscient perspectives in storytelling.

Narrator

Character or speaker telling the story.

Allusion

Reference to a well-known person, place, or work.

Apostrophe

Direct address to an absent person or object.

Juxtaposition

Placing ideas or characters side by side for comparison.

Foil Character

Character contrasting with another to highlight traits.

Archetype

Universal symbol recurring in human culture or literature.

Comedic Effect

Humorous characters or scenes to lighten the mood.

Tragedy

Drama showing the downfall of a noble person due to a tragic flaw.

Tragic Flaw

Character trait leading to downfall, often hubris.

Tragic Hero

Faces adversity and downfall, demonstrating courage.

Imagery

Descriptive language creating sensory experiences.

Foreshadowing

Hinting at future events in a story.

Flashback

Inserting past events to provide context in a narrative.

Mood

Emotional setting created in a literary piece.

Tone

Writer’s attitude toward the reader and subject.

Motif

Symbolic image contributing to theme development.

Monologue

Speech given by one person or character.

Soliloquy

Long speech revealing private thoughts to the audience.

Aside

Character’s comment to the audience unheard by others on stage.

Parody

Imitation exaggerating for comic effect.

Satire

Writing ridiculing faults of individuals or groups.