English l Honors - Literary Terms

Dialect

Form of a language as spoken in a particular geographic area.

Foreshadowing

Hints or clues to indicate events that will happen later.

Round characters

Characters who have many traits.

Third-person limited POV

Narrator tells what only one character thinks.

Voice

Writer's unique use of language that allows readers to "hear" a human personality.

Antagonist

Character or force against main character.

Climax

Moment when the interest reached its highest point; turning point.

Dynamic character

Character who changes throughout the story.

Falling action

Resolves loose ends in the plot.

Foil

Character who provides a striking contrast to another character.

Mood

Feeling or atmosphere created for the reader.

Protagonist

Main character

Static character

Character who remains the same throughout.

Theme

Central idea or message.

Pseudonym

Fake name; pen name

Surprise ending

Unexpected outcome at the end of the story.

Symbol

Person, place, or object that represents something beyond itself.

Tone

Attitude a writer takes toward a subject.

Characterization

Techniques writers use to develop characters.

External conflict

Occurs when a character is pitted against an outside force

First-person POV

Character describes the action in his/her own words

Plot

Chain of related events in a story

Genre

Type or category of literature

Irony

Contrast between what is expected and what actually exists

Rite of passage

Change from one stage of life to another

Satire

Technique in which ideas, customs, etc. are ridiculed for the purpose of improving society.

Rising action

Part of plot where complications develop

Setting

Time and place of action

Stereotype

Simplified or stock characters who are defined by a single trait

Third-person omniscient POV

Narrator sees into the minds of multiple characters

Exposition

Contains background information

Fiction

Comes from the imagination of the writer

Flashback

Account of a conversation or event that took place before the story

Flat characters

Characters who are described simply

Internal conflict

Conflict takes place within the character

Short story

Work of fiction that contains four main elements: plot, character, setting, theme

Allusion

Reference to a historical or literary person, place, or event with which the reader should be familiar.

Resolution

Closure to the story (sometimes called the denouement)

Suspense

The excitement and attention felt by the reader

Simile

Figure of speech that makes a comparison using the words "like" or "as"

Metaphor

Figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are basically unlike but have something in common

Personification

Figure of speech in which human qualities are given to an object, animal, or idea