martinez english iv form - literary terms

Allegory

a narrative in verse or prose in which the literal events consistently point to a parallel sequence of symbolic ideas

allusion

a brief reference in a text to a person, place, or thing, fictitious or actual

antagonist

the most significant character or force that opposes the protagonist in a narrative or drama

anticlimax

an unsatisfying and trivial turn of events in a literary work that occurs in place of a genuine climax

antihero

a protagonist who is lacking in one or more of the conventional qualities attributed to a hero

bildungsroman

genre that depicts a youth who struggles toward maturity, forming a worldview or philosophy of life

climax

the moment of greatest intensity in a story, which almost inevitably occurs toward the end of the work

connotation

an association or additional meaning that a word, image or phrase may carry, apart from its literal denotation or dictionary definition

denouement

the resolution or conclusion of a literary work as plot complications are unraveled after the climax

dialect

a particular variety of language spoken by an identifiable regional group of social class of persons

diction

word choice or vocabulary

dramatic point of view

a point of view in which the narrator merely reports dialogue and action with minimal interpretation or access to the characters' minds

editorial point of view

the effect that occurs when a third-person narrator adds his or her own comments (which presumably represent the ideas and opinions of the author) into the narrative

epigraph

a brief quotation preceding a story or other literary work

epistolary novel

novel in which the story is told by way of letters written by one or more of the characters

exposition

the opening portion of a narrative or drama

fable

a brief, often humorous narrative told to illustrate a moral

falling action

the events in a narrative that follow the climax and bring the story to its conclusion, or denouement

first person narrator

a story in which the narrator is a participant in the action

flat character

a character with only one outstanding trait

folktale

a short narrative drawn from folklore that has been passed down through an oral tradition

foreshadowing

in plot construction, the technique of arranging events and information in such a way that later events are prepared for, or shadowed, beforehand

gothic fiction

a genre that creates terror and suspense, usually set in an isolated castle, mansion, or monastery populated by mysterious or threatening individuals

impartial omniscience

refers to an omniscient narrator who, although he or she presents the thoughts and actions of the characters, does not judge them or comment on them

in media res

latin meaning "in the midst of things" that refers to a narrative device of beginning a story midway in the vents it depicts (usually at an exciting or significant moment) before explaining the context or preceding actions

interior monologue

an extended presentation of a character's thoughts in a narrative

irony

a literary device in which a discrepancy of meaning is masked beneath the surface of the language

limited omniscience

also called third-person limited point of view, in which the narrator sees into the minds of some but not all of the characters

magic realism

a type of contemporary narrative in which the magical and the mundane are mixed in an overall context of realistic storytelling

monologue

an extended speech by a single character

motif

an element that recurs significantly throughout a narrative

myth

a traditional narrative of anonymous authorship that arises out of a culture's oral tradition

novella

a prose narrative longer than a short story but shorter than a novel

omniscient narrator

a narrator who has the ability to move freely through the consciousness of any character

parable

a brief, usually allegorical narrative that teaches a moral

parody

a mocking imitation of a literary work or individual author's style, usually for comic effect

persona

a fictitious character created by an author to be the speaker of a poem, story, or novel

picaresque

a type of narrative, usually a novel, that presents the life of a likable scoundrel who is at odds with respectable society

plot

the particular arrangement of actions, events, and situations that unfold in a narrative

point of view

the perspective from which a story is told

protagonist

the central character in a literary work

realism

an attempt to reproduce faithfully the surface appearance of life, especially that of ordinary people in everyday situations

rising action

that part of the play or narrative, including the exposition, in which events start moving toward a climax

round character

a complex character who is presented in depth and detail in a narrative, and they change significantly during the course of a narrative

satirical comedy

a genre using derisive humor to ridicule human weakness and folly or attack political injustices and incompetence

selective omniscience

the point of view that sees the events of a narrative through the eyes of a single character

setting

the time and place of a literary work

situational irony

where the opposite of what is thought to happen happens

stream of consciousness

not a specific technique, but a type of modern narration that uses various literary devices, especially interior monologue, in an attempt to duplicate the subjective and associative nature of human consciousness

symbol

a person, place, or thing in a narrative that suggests meanings beyond its literal sense

theme

a generally recurring subject or idea conspicuously evident in a literary work

third-person narrator

a type of narration in which the narrator is a nonparticipant

tone

the attitude toward a subject conveyed in a literary work

total omniscience

a type of point of view in which the narrator knows everything about all of the characters and events in a story

unreliable narrator

a narrator who, intentionally or unintentionally, relates events in a subjective or distorted manner

verbal irony

a statement in which the speaker or writer says the opposite of what is really meant

vulgate

the lowest level of formality in language, the diction of the common people with no pretensions at refinement or elevation

Allegory

a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

Omniscient narrator

a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters

Allusion

A reference to another work of literature, person, or event

Antagonist

A character or force in conflict with the main character- villain

Anticlimax

a disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events

Antihero

a central character in a story, movie, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.

Bildungsroman

A coming of age story that deals with the main character's spiritual, social, and emotional development

Climax

Most exciting moment of the story; turning point

Diction

word choice

Connotation

an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Denouement

outcome, result, ending of story

Dialect

a form of language spoken by people in a particular region or social group

Dramatic point of view

point of view in which the narrator is not a character and can only report what is seen and heard

Editorial point of view

A third person narrator adding in their own comments to the story.

Epigraph

a quotation or saying at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme.

Epistolary novel

A novel that tells its story through letters

Exposition

First part of story arc, generally gives context and background information about setting and characters.

Fable

A brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters

Falling action

Events after the climax, leading to the resolution

First-person narrator

a narrator within the story who tells the story from the "I" perspective

Flat character

A character who is not very well developed; has few identifiable characteristics.

Folktale

A story that is usually passed down orally and becomes part of a community's tradition

Foreshadowing

the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot

Gothic fiction

A genre that creates terror and suspense, usually set in an isolated castle, mansion, or monastery populated by mysterious or threatening individuals.

Impartial Omniscience

Point of view employed when an omniscient narrator, who presents the thoughts and actions of the characters, does not judge them or comment on them.

In media res

a piece of writing that begins in the middle of the action

Interior monologue

a piece of writing expressing a character's inner thoughts

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality-usually direct opposites, with a comedic effect.

Limited omniscience

occurs when an author restricts a narrator to the single perspective of either a major or minor character

Magic Realism

a literary or artistic genre in which realistic narrative and naturalistic technique are combined with surreal elements of dream or fantasy.

monologue

A long speech made by one performer or by one person in a group.

motif

A recurring theme, subject or idea

myth

A traditional story about gods, ancestors, or heroes, told to explain the natural world or the customs and beliefs of a society.

novella

short story

Parable

A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson

Parody

A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.

Persona

an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

picaresque

involving clever rogues or adventurers

Plot

Sequence of events in a story

point of view

the perspective from which a story is told

Protagonist

main character

realism

A literary movement that stressed the depiction of life as it actually was.

rising action

Events leading up to the climax, increase in tension/stress