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Literary Terms
Definition | Term |
---|---|
events leading to the resolution | falling action |
where and when the story takes place | setting |
a series of events to bring about the resolution of a conflict | plot |
a concrete object that represents an abstract idea | symbol |
the main idea or underlying message, lesson | theme |
narrator is a character in the story...uses "I" | 1st person point of view |
narrator is all knowing | 3rd person omniscient narrator |
the climate of feeling in a story (can change) | mood |
the author's attitude toward the subject or audience | tone |
how the problem is solved | resolution |
hints of the future | foreshadowing |
an interruption in events to show an earlier event | flashback |
high point or turning point (character makes a decision or does something that affects the action of the story) | climax |
the problem in a story | conflict |
when something unexpected happens | irony |
the main character | protagonist |
events leading up to the climax | rising action |
the main character's chief rival | antagonist |
development of a character's personality (what the character says, thinks, looks, acts, or the effect on others) | characterization |
occurrs when the reader or audience knows more than the characters do | dramatic irony |
the narrator | point of view |
an event that is the opposite of what is expected or intended | situational irony |
narrator is a person outside the story, uses "he/she" | 3rd person point of view |
something unexpected is said, or there is a contrast between what is said and meant | verbal irony |
narrator describes only what can be seen or heard | 3rd person objective point of view |
narrator reveals the thoughts of only 1 character | 3rd person limited point of view |
a reference to a historical or literary figure or event. | allusion |
representing a thing using human characteristics | personification |
when the writer gives human qualities to animals (the animals act like humans) | anthropomorphism |
a comparison of two unlike things NOT using like or as | metaphor |
a comparison using like or as | simile |
descriptive words using the 5 senses that create pictures in the readers mind | imagery |
the actual meaning of the words | literal |
language that goes beyond the meaning of words to give the reader new insight...includes Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Onomatopoeia, Oxymoron, Hyperbole, Allusion, and Idiom | figurative |