Language and Literature Terminology

Point of View

the vantage point from which a narrative is told — can be mixed

1st Person

the author tells the story through a character who refers to themself as “I”

2nd Person

the narrator addresses a “you”

3rd Person

the narrator is not a character, referring to the characters as “he/she/they”

Omniscient Point of View

third person narrator with unlimited knowledge

Third Person Limited Point of View

third person but from the viewpoint of one character

Objective or Dramatic Point of View

the third person narrator cannot comment, interpret, or enter a character’s mind

Character

figure in a literary work

Foil Character

a character who highlights traits in the main character by contrasting them

Flat Character

usually has one or two predominant traits

Indirect Characterization

the author shows us the character through action and dialogue

Direct Characterization

the author directly tells us about the character or has another character describe them

Round Character

complex characters with the three-dimensional qualities of real people

Dynamic Character

undergoes some distinct change of personality, character, or outlook after an epiphany

Static Character

remains essentially the same person from beginning to end

Stock Character

a special kind of flat character that is a recurring stereotype/archetype in a culture

Archetype

characters, images, settings, and story patterns that exist universally

Ambiguity

the meaning cannot be definitely determined

Adverbs

part of speech (often ending in -ly) that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb

Tone

the attitude of the author toward the reader or the subject matter of a literary work

Mood/Atmosphere

the general feeling created for the reader by the work at a given point

Irony

a contradiction or incongruity between appearance and reality

Sarcasm

an exaggerated form of verbal or rhetorical irony when one thing is said but another is meant

Setting

the time, place, and circumstances of the narrative

Dialogue

discourse between two or more characters

Symbol

stand for themselves and something else

Allegory

an abstract idea is relayed through symbolism in a narrative, giving it both concrete and abstract meanings

Plot

the arrangement and interrelation of events in a narrative work

Climax

the point of the highest emotional intensity in a work, when the conflict reaches its greatest height

Crisis

the turning point in the action occurs

Theme

the unifying generalization about life stated or implied by the story

Diction

the use of particular words working together to create a particular effect

Connotation

associations evoked by a word beyond its literal or denotative meaning

Syntax

the order and arrangement of words in phrases, clauses, or sentences

Imagery

description that appeals to any of the five senses

Figurative Language

unusual use of language that goes beyond the literal meaning, including metaphor, simile, and personification

Metaphor

the association of two distinct things by representing one with the other

Simile

compare two distinct things by using words such as “like” or “as”

Personification

human characteristics are given to a non-human

Allusion

an indirect reference to a person, event, statement, or theme found in literature, other arts, history, myths, religion, or popular culture

Motif

any recurrent image, symbol, theme, character type, subject, or narrative detail that serves as a unifying element in an artistic work

Foreshadow

a hint about what will happen later in the plot

Suspense

the quality of a work that makes the outcome of a work tense and/or uncertain

Antagonist

stands in the way of the protagonist’s success

Protagonist

the most important or leading character in a text

External Conflict

a clash between a character and a force outside of themself

Internal Conflict

the inner division or turmoil of a single character

Genre

the classification of literary works on the basis of their content, form, or technique

Prose

ordinary written expression/non-poetic

Hyperbole

overstatement or deliberate exaggeration

Satire

a literary genre that uses irony, wit, and sometimes sarcasm to expose humanity’s vices and foibles

Juxtaposition

the arrangement of two or more ideas, characters, actions, settings, phrases, or words side-by-side or in similar narrative moments for the purpose of comparison, contrast, rhetorical effect, suspense, or character development

Oxymoron

a statement with two parts which seem contradictory

Euphemism

substitution of an agreeable or non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant

Paradox

a statement that seems self-contradictory or nonsensical on the surface but that, upon closer examination, may express an underlying truth

Anaphora

a word/phrase is repeated at the beginning of two or more successive clauses or sentences

Epistrophe

a word/phrase is repeated at the end of two or more successive clauses or sentences

Polysyndeton

using several conjunctions in close succession where they are not needed

Asyndeton

writer purposefully omits conjunctions to achieve a specific effect

Trope

commonly recurring literary device

Hypophora

when a question is proposed and immediately answered

Rhetorical Question

a question asked to encourage further thought rather than a search for the answer

Ethos

an appeal to ethics and/or authority

Pathos

an appeal to emotions

Logos

an appeal to logic

Parallelism/Parallel Structure

Anthropomorphism

Eminada

Tricolon

a rhetorical term for a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses

Colloquial Language

Modality Language

a set of verbs that provide information about the degree of obligation or certainty involved in an action

HIGH — more certainty and obligations

LOW — less certainty and obligations

Rhetoric

the art of effective or persuasive of writing

Synecdoche

when one part of the body represents the body as a whole