Basic Elements of Style (Narration/POV, Plot, Setting, Imagery, Diction, Tone, Syntax, Rhetorical Devices, Theme, Modes of Discourse)

A comprehensive set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering the key concepts from the lecture notes.

First-person point of view

A narrative perspective told by 'I' or 'we,' providing immediacy but limited access to other characters' inner thoughts.

Participant narrator (major character)

Narrator is the main focus and central figure of the story.

Participant narrator (minor character)

Narrator is a character in the story but the focus is on someone else.

Innocent-eye narrator

A naïve narrator—often a child or developmentally disabled—whose perception may mislead and create irony.

Temporal shift in first-person narration

A first-person narrator who reflects on events from a different time in a character’s life.

Stream of consciousness

Narrative method that presents unbroken flow of thoughts and awareness inside a character’s mind.

Nonparticipant point of view (third-person)

Third-person narration where an external narrator tells the story without being a character.

Omniscient narrator

Third-person narrator who knows the thoughts and feelings of all characters and may comment on events.

Selective omniscient (limited) point of view

Omniscience limited to the minds of a few characters or a single character.

Limited omniscient point of view

Narrator sees events through the perspective of one character (or a few) with some distance from others.

Objective narrator

Narrator who records only what can be seen and heard, like a camera.

Second-person point of view

Narrative using 'you/your'—rare and directly involves the reader.

Reliable narrator

A narrator who can be trusted to tell the truth and be objective.

Unreliable narrator

A narrator whose credibility is compromised or distorted.

Flat character

One-dimensional character with limited development.

Round character

A complex, fully developed character who changes or reveals depth.

Protagonist

The story’s main character who drives the plot.

Antagonist

The character or force in conflict with the protagonist.

Static character

A character who does not undergo basic change.

Dynamic character

A character who undergoes significant change.

Antihero

A central sympathetic character with notable flaws.

Symbolic (symbolic caricature)

A character or figure that stands for broader ideas or types.

Plot

The sequence of events that give a story meaning, typically involving conflict.

Conflict

The basic tension or problem driving the plot.

Complications

Events that deepen the protagonist’s conflict.

Rising action

The drama intensifies as the conflict grows toward the climax.

Climax

The most dramatic moment and turning point of the story.

Falling action

Events after the climax leading to resolution.

Chronological

Narrative order that follows a linear timeline.

Backward chronology

Telling events starting from the end and moving toward the beginning.

Forward chronology

Starting at the beginning and moving toward the end.

Circular structure

Narrative that returns to the start or cycles back to the beginning.

Flashbacks

Scenes that interrupt the current narrative to depict past events.

Historical setting

A setting grounded in a real historical time period.

In media res

Beginning a narrative in the middle of events.

Projections

Looking forward into time within a narrative.

Fragmented chronology

Nonlinear time order with shifts between times.

Atmosphere

The physical and external descriptions that establish mood and setting.

Mood

The overall feeling or emotional atmosphere produced by the text.

Setting

The story’s time and place, including social and historical context.

Place

Physical or psychical locations of events and characters.

Time

Temporal progression of events in the story.

Ahistorical

Not grounded in a real historical period; imaginary or fantasy.

Imagery

Sensory impressions used to create meaning (visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, gustatory).

Visual imagery

Imagery related to sight.

Aural imagery

Imagery related to sound.

Olfactory imagery

Imagery related to smell.

Tactile imagery

Imagery related to touch.

Gustatory imagery

Imagery related to taste.

Symbol

An object or element that represents a deeper or broader meaning.

Allegory

A narrative in which symbols, characters, and events convey a deeper moral or political meaning.

Faith’s pink ribbons (symbolic imagery)

An example of symbolism linking innocence, purity, and temptation.

Red

A color often carrying symbolic meaning (e.g., danger, passion, blood).

Diction

Word choice and language style chosen to achieve a particular effect.

Informal diction

Everyday, conversational language.

Formal diction

Elevated, precise, or academic language.

Colloquial

Conversational language, often regional.

Slang

Highly informal language used in casual conversation.

Jargon

Specialized language of a profession or group.

Monosyllabic words

Words with a single syllable.

Polysyllabic words

Words with more than one syllable.

Denotative

Literal dictionary meaning of a word.

Connotative

Emotional or associative meaning beyond the dictionary definition.

Cacophonous

Harsh-sounding words.

Euphonious

Pleasant-sounding words.

Abstract words

Words representing ideas; not tangible.

Concrete words

Words that describe tangible, specific things.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject, characters, or audience.

Mood

The overall emotional atmosphere experienced by the reader.

Syntax

The arrangement and ordering of words into sentences and phrases.

Telegraphic sentence

Very short sentence, usually under five words.

Simple sentence

A sentence with one independent clause.

Compound sentence

Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction or semicolon.

Complex sentence

One independent clause and at least one subordinate clause.

Compound-complex sentence

Two or more independent clauses with one or more subordinate clauses.

Loose (cumulative) sentence

Main clause at the beginning, followed by subordinate details.

Periodic sentence

Main idea saved until the end, with subordinate details first.

Convoluted sentence

A complex, highly nested sentence with internal emphasis.

Balanced sentence

Two or more elements with similar form and length placed in parallel.

Central pause

A natural break or pause within a balanced sentence.

Antithesis

Two opposing ideas balanced in parallel phrases or clauses.

Parallelism

Two or more elements with the same grammatical form.

Inverted word order (Inversion)

Reversing standard subject-verb-object order for emphasis.

Juxtaposition

Placing contrasting ideas or images side by side for effect.

Rhetorical question

A question posed for emphasis with no expectation of answer.

Repetition

Repeating words or phrases for rhythm and emphasis.

Anaphora

Repetition of a word at the start of successive clauses.

Epistrophe

Repetition of a word at the end of successive clauses.

Symploce

Combination of anaphora and epistrophe—repetition at both ends.

Anadiplosis

Repeating the last word of one clause at the start of the next.

Epanalepsis

Repeating a word at the beginning and end of a clause or sentence.

Polysyndeton

Using conjunctions after every item in a list.

Asyndeton

Omitting conjunctions between items in a list.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it represents.

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

Anthimeria

Substituting one part of speech for another.

Periphrasis (autonomasia)

Descriptive phrase or epithet used in place of a proper name or vice versa.

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things.

Oxymoron

Two seemingly contradictory terms placed together.