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sequence of events and actions in a literary work
plot
pattern formed by the events and actions in a literary work; traditional elements include introduction, complications, climax, and conclusion
Refers to how the words fit together
Based on classification
Focus
Contents (Questions based on the type of poem)
Structure
beginning, which usually suggests the setting (time and place) and introduces one or more characters
introduction
events or actions that establish the conflict in a literary work
Incidents that change or alter the direction of action
May arise from the discovery of new information, the unexpected change of plot, the need to choose between two courses of action or introduction of new ideas
Complications
the turning point, often signified by a character’s making a significant decision or taking action to resolve a conflict
Climax
the ending of a work, which often shows the effects of the climactic action or decision
Conclusion
a struggle between internal and external forces in a literary work
Conflict
discrepancy between what is said and what is done or between what is expected and what actually happens
irony of the situation
fictional people who are part of the action of a literary work
Characters
conversation between two or more fictional characters
characters' conversations with others, themselves, or audience
Dialogue
variety of language different from that generally taught in school; may include distinctive pronunciations of words, original vocabulary, or grammatical constructions that are considered standard
Dialect
a speech by one character addresses to a silent or absent listener
Monologue
a speech by one character in a play, given while the character is alone on the stage or standing apart from other characters and intended to represent the inner thoughts of the character
Soliloquy
the reason or reasons that cause a character to think, act, or speak in a certain way
Motivation
comments by the playwright to provide actors (or readers) with information about actions and ways of speaking specific lines
explain details of setting and give information about the way the characters speak or move
Stage directions
a character who changes in some significant way during the course of the work
Dynamic
shows many different facets; often presented in depth and with great detail
(fully developed; dynamic) - change in qualities
Round
usually has one outstanding trait or feature
(stock) - qualities do not change
Flat
one who does not change in any significant way
Static
major character with whom we generally sympathize
Protagonist
character whom the protagonist is in conflict, generally not a sympathetic character
Antagonist
the position from which the details of the work are reported or described
Point of view
person who writes the literary work
Author
(NOT ALWAYS the author) – the persona, the voice that is heard in a poem
Speaker
voice that tells a work of fiction (or sometimes frames a play)
Narrator
knows everything and can report both external actions and conversations as well as the internal thoughts of all characters and who often provide evaluations and judgments of characters and events
Omniscient narrator
can report external actions and conversations but who can describe the internal thoughts of only one character; may offer evaluations and judgments of characters and events
Limited omniscient narrator
principal character narrating personal experiences
a character in the work who uses “I” or “we” to tell the story; can report their own thoughts but not the thoughts of others; may offer evaluations and judgments of character and events
First-person narrator
convinces the readers that he or she is reporting events, actions, and conversations accurately and without prejudice
Reliable narrator
raises suspicions in the minds of readers that events, actions, and conversations may be reported inaccurately and that evaluations may reflect intentional and unintentional prejudice
Unreliable narrator
narrator who, like a camera, shows external events and conversations but cannot look inside the minds of characters or offer evaluations and judgments
Objective narrator
time and place of a literary work; includes social, political, and economic background as well as geographic and physical locations
places – geographic location; social, cultural, and political background; time and period
Setting
aspects of setting that exist outside the characters
Exterior setting
aspects of setting that exist inside the minds and hearts of the characters
interior setting
comments by the playwright to provide actors (or readers) with information about the times and places in which the play or different scenes of the play are set
Scenic directions
an interruption in the chronological order of a work by description of earlier occurrences
Flashback
the way an author chooses words; arrange them in lines, sentences, paragraphs, or stanzas; conveys meanings through the use of imagery, rhythm, figurative language, irony, and other devices
Style
the attitude of the author toward the subject of the work
Tone
choice of words
Diction
words that appeal to the five senses
Imagery
the way words are arranged in phrases or sentences and the way phrases or sentences are arranged in paragraphs (fiction), speeches (plays), or lines and stanzas (poetry)
Syntax
pattern of sound
Rhythm
the matching of final sounds in two or more words
Rhyme
an object, action, person, or animal that stands for something mor than its literal meaning
Symbol
a discrepancy between what is said and what is meant or between what is said or what the reader knows to be true
Verbal Irony
Essay with a serious purpose, careful and polished style, authoritative and scholarly, explains, persuades, gives instructions
Formal / Impersonal
essay on commonplace and ordinary subjects, conversational and witty, amuses, entertains
Informal/Personal/Familiar
Concerned with dividing a complex subject into its component parts on the principles of logical relationship rather than the chronological order
Analytical Essay
indicates type or form of literature, based on how they are written or the nature of their contents.
genre
written in the continuous form, product of imagination
Fiction
in verses, in lines and stanzas
Poetry
meant to be acted on stage
more direct connection
audience gets first hand experience through the narrator’s eyes since the dialogues are delivered in front of them
a visual experience, leaves picture in our minds
Drama
written in the continuous form, prose works that are factual
ex. essays, transcriptions of speeches, letters, documents, journals
Nonfiction
seeing thoughts of one or more characters
Short Fiction
can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning (ex. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan)
Allegory
These are narratives with gods and goddesses as the characters, leaning towards religion.
predictable storylines
explain natural phenomena
Myth
Has real characters, learning towards history, i.e King Arthur
Legend
Has a presence of magic
Fairy Tale
Animals as characters to explore human behavior
Fable
Symbolic, Biblical
Parable
young person moves from innocence to experience
Story of initiation
character experiences sudden insight or profound understanding
Story of epiphany
carrying over of meaning and sound from one line to the next with no pause between lines, an idea may be distorted if we pause at the end of the line
Enjambment
with established pattern (haiku, sonnet)
The structure of a poem is already suggested by the number of lines, foot and meter per line
closed form
resists limitations of poetic form
Open form
does not take into consideration both the rhyme and the meter.
Free verse
has a story to tell
Narrative
type of poetry that expresses feelings, musings, or emotions
Lyric
lyric poem in 14 iambic pentameter lines
Sonnet
abba abba cde cde
octave - develops an idea or image)
sestet - comments on idea or image
Italian (Petrarchan)
abab cdcd efef gg
three quatrains (idea/image)
concluding couplet (commentary)
English (Shakespearean)
dedicated to Dionysus, performed in amphitheaters
Greek drama
represents the voice of the community, danced and sang in the opera
chorus
first actor of Greek drama, began to deliver the dialogue
Thespis
introduced the third actor
Sophocles
choral moves one side; right to left
strophe
movement to the original position
antistrophe
stay in place
epode
drama written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth
Elizabethan Drama
presents everyday life settings and props more important than earlier forms of drama
creates illusion of real life
stage is like a room; fourth wall removed
Realistic Drama
actions that lead in no particular direction
motivation of characters contradictory or absent altogether
invite audience to ask questions about the world instead of suggesting coherent themes
Theater of the absurd
on life's sorrows and serious problems
moves towards character's downfall ends with death and restoration of order
traditionally looks at life of royal figures or highly respected officials
Tragedy
(hero's downfall) involves death not only of the hero but also of other, often innocent individuals
Catastrophe
profound relief from the tension of the play; sense of gaining insight and enlightenment or purgation
Catharsis