Lit Terms

alliteration

repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words

allusion

reference to a famous person, place, event, or work of literature i.e. the Mona Lisa, the Bible,

analysis

the process of breaking something down into its elements so that it can be examined individually

antagonist

a force working against the protagonist

static character

a character who does not change or changes a little

dynamic character

a character who changes significantly

characterization

ways in which an author develops a character-how he/she speaks, looks, interacts, thinks, what others say about him/her

climax

the turning point in the story; the highest point of action

comedy

a dramatic work that is light and humorous in tone

internal conflict

a character struggles within himself

external conflict

a character struggles against another force, man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. machine, man vs. supernatural

couplet

rhymed pair of lines in poetry

dialect

speech pattern of a region

epic

a long story or poem involving the adventures of a hero

essay

a short work of non-fiction that deals with a single subject

flashback

an interruption of the action to present actions that took place earlier in time

form

a literary work's structure or organization

free verse

poetry without regular patterns of rhyme and rhythm

genre

a type or category of literature: fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama

haiku

a traditional form of Japapese poetry, 5, 7, 5 syllable count in 3 lines

hyperbole

a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for effect or humorous effect

imagery

words or phrases that appeal to the five senses

irony

a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens

metaphor

a comparison between 2 unlike things that have some quality in common; does not use like or as

mood

atmosphere or feeling that a literary work conveys

motivation

the reason why he or she acts, feels, or thinks in a certain way

narrative

writing that tells a story, real or imagined

onomatopoeia

words that sound like what they mean i.e. zigzag, murmur, gurgle, moo, hiss, baaah

personification

giving human qualities to an inanimate object-by human actions, emotions, or body parts

plot

sequence of events in a story

point of view

the perspective from which a story is told-can be first person, third person, limited or omniscient

primary source

a firsthand account of an event that includes diaries, journals, letters, speeches, news stories, photographs and pieces of art

protagonist

the central character or hero in a narrative or drama

repitition

Repeating a word, phrase, or idea for emphasis or rhythmic effect

rhyme

Repetition of sounds at the end of words

rhyme scheme

A regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem

rhythm

pattern or flow of sound created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry.

sensory details

words and phrases that create imagery by using the 5 senses

setting

The context in time and place in which the action of a story occurs.

simile

A comparison using like or as.

stanza

A group of lines in a poem, comparable to a paragraph in prose

style

the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work, a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period

symbol

A thing that represents or stands for something else, esp. a material object representing something abstract. flag=freedom

subplot

a minor plot that relates in some way to the main story

theme

A message about life or human nature that the writer shares with the reader.

tone

A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization on the sentence and global levels.

tragedy

a dramatic work that presents the downfall of a dignified character or characters who are involved in historically or socially significant events.

dialogue

words that characters speak aloud which provide the reader insight into plot and the relationship among characters

foreshadowing

when a writer provides a hint or clue about future events in a story

character development

The ways in which a character changes and evolves throughout a story, often as a result of some conflict within the story.

exposition

A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.

rising action

Events leading up to the climax

falling action

Events after the climax, leading to the resolution

resolution

End of the story where loose ends are tied up

enjambment

one line of poetry continues onto the next without punctuation