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SPES Literary Terms
Literary Terms.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| plot | The storyline or sequence of events |
| climax | The point of greatest intensity |
| conflict | The main problem or the opposition of forces |
| subplot | a secondary plot or strand of the main plot that runs parallel to it and supports it |
| resolution | The point in the story where the conflict gets resolved |
| complications | problems that arise in the story |
| internal conflict | a character has a problem within himself/herself |
| external conflict | a character has a conflict with another character or something else |
| summary | to give a brief statement of the main points in your own words |
| falling action | the events that occur after the climax |
| rising action | the events that occur before the climax |
| antagonist | the character in opposition to the protagonist |
| protagonist | the character that drives the action |
| characterization | the way an author lets the reader know about the characters ;thoughts, words, actions, words of others |
| denotation | dictionary definition |
| conotation | the meaning we give to a word through uses (heart= love, dove=peace) |
| setting | the time and place a story takes place |
| alliteration | the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close together; Sally sells sea shells at the sea shore. |
| Foreshadowing | The use of clues or hints to suggest events that will occur later in the plot |
| Idiom | an expression peculiar to a particular language that means something different from the literal meaning of words. It's raining cats and dogs. |
| Imagery | language that appeals to the five senses; the use of words which make it easy for the reader to form a mental picture |
| metaphor | a comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is compared to another- Her eyes were diamonds because they were shining so brightly. |
| Onomatopoeia | the use of words whose sounds imitate their meaning. (buzz, fizz, pop, bam) |
| personification | giving inanimate objects human characteristics (the wind whispered) |
| simile | a comparison between two unlike things using such words as like, as, than, or resembles- Her eyes were like diamonds, shining brightly. |
| theme | the general idea or insight about life that a work of literature reveals |
| symbol | a person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well( the four season can symbolize life from birth to death) |
| persona | the narrator or the storyteller |
| antihero | a protagonist that lacks traditional heroic virtues and noble qualities and is inept, cowardly, stupid, dishonest, and insenstive |
| hyperbole | over exaggeration for effect |
| dialect | the language of a particular district, class, or group of people;it encompasses the sounds, spelling, grammar, and diction of a specific people |
| dialogue | a conversation between 2 or more characters |
| diction | the author's word choice |
| extended metaphor | a metaphor that is carried over several sentences of a story or poem |
| style | the author's characteristic way he or she uses language to achieve a certain effect |
| tone | the attitude of a piece of literature |
| point of view(POV) | the perspective in which a story is told |
| objective POV | told from an observer's point of view |
| third person limited POV | the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of one character |
| first person POV | told from the "I" perspective. the narrator takes part in the action |
| second person POV | the narrator tells the story to another character using the word "you". the narrator talks to the reader or audience |
| third person omniscient POV | an objective all knowing point of view, the narrator knows the thoughts, feelings and actions of many or all characters. |
| anthropomorphism | giving an animal human abilities such as speech, emotions, and thoughts |
| mood | the emotional tone or atmosphere created by the author |
| inciting force | the event or character that triggers the conflict |
| cliche | a hackneyed trite phrase that has become overused |
| crisis | the turning point in the story |
| inference | making conclusions or educated guesses based on what you know about the story and the characters |
| indirect characterization | the writer shows a character's personality through his/her actions, thoughts, feelings, words, or another character's observations about the character |
| direct characterization | the author states or describes a character |
| archetype | patterns of universal images that recur over time |
| understatement | used to make things appear smaller or less important |
| tragedy | a piece of literature in which one or major of the main characters comes to a bad end |
| tragic hero | a protagonist who comes to a bad end and as a result of his behavior usually caused by a specific personality disorder or character flaw |
| tragic flaw | something in the character's personality that leads to his/her downfall |
| satire | to poke fun at something using humor |
| anecdote | a short narrative account of an amusing, unusual, revealing, or interesting event |
| irony | something happens that was not expected |
| dramatic irony | when the reader or audience knows something the characters do not |
| verbal irony | when something is said that is not expected |
| situational irony | something happens that was not expected given that situation |
| figurative language | words are not used literally, but instead are used to suggest an image or comparison |
| open ending | the ending of a story is left open for the reader or audience to decide |
| oxymoron | two opposite terms side by side or close together EX. a jumbo shrimp |
| paradox | a passage or story that contradicts itself |
| assonance | the repetition of vowel sounds |
| consonance( alliteration) | the repetition of consonant sounds |
| closed ending | everything gets resolved |
| diagram | a drawing, chart, plan, or graphic representation |
| enumerate | specifies a list or outline reply; recount one by one in concise form, the points |
| explain | make plain, account for, clarify, interpret, and spell out material; giving reasons for important feature developments |
| body | explains, describes, informs, or argues the topic |
| introduction | designed to attract the reader's attention and give an idea of the essay's focus |
| conclusion | brings closure to the reader, summing up points or providing a final perspective on the topic |
| allusion | a reference to someone or something in literature or history |
| compare | examine qualities to discover resemblances; emphasize similarities, although differences may be mentioned |
| contrast | stress dissimilarities, differences, or the unlikeness of things, qualities, events, or problems |
| describe | recount, characterize, sketch, or relate in narrative form |
| discuss | directs you to examine, analyze, carefully , and present considerations pro & con regarding the problems or items involved; calls for a complete and entailed answer |
| evaluate | make an appraisal of the worth of something in light of its truth or utility |
| euphemism | the substitution of a mild or less harsh negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one |
| justify | you must prove or show grounds for decisions; evidence should be presented in convincing form |
| brainstorm | to think about the topic, to come up with points and to organize points and supporting details |
| comedy | light and humorous; ends happily |
| define | calls for concise, clear, authoritative meanings, details are not required |
| exposition | the introduction, which serves to let the reader know what is happening |
| epilogue | a poem or short speech directed to the audience at the end of a play or short story(designed to let the reader/audience know what happens to the characters) |
| prologue | an introductory speech or verse directed at the audience at the beginning of a play or story(designed to set up the story) |
| rhetoric | the art of persuasive argument through speech or writing |
| rhetorical question | a question asked for effect and not meant to be answered |
| thesis statement | tells the reader what the essay will be about and what point you will be making |
| stream of consciousness | writing in which a character's perceptions, thoughts, and memories are presented in an apparently random form without regard for logical sequence, chronology, or syntax |
| state | give in condensed form the main points or facts; all details, illustrations, and elaborations are to be omitted |
| trace | give a description of progress, historical sequence, or development from the point of origin; may call for probing or deductions. |
| transition | the sentence that connects paragraphs to one another; the words that connect sentences to one another |
| works cited | an alphabetical record of the sources you use in your paper |
| review | specifies a critical examination; analyze and comment briefly in organized sequence on the major points of the problem. |
| supporting details | details that support the topic sentence of the paragraph |
| persuasive essay | tells the reader what you think; tries to persuade the reader to agree or to take action-political speech |
| narrative essay | tells a story- autobiography, biography |
| expository essay | explains an idea, presents research, or compares ideas- research paper, compare/contrast essay |
| informative essay | explains a process or how something works- how to manual |
| quotation/direct quote | material taken word for word from another source which must be documented |
| parenthetical citation(in-test citation) | used to document any external sources used within a document |
| outline | give the main features, the general principles of the topic, omitting minor details and emphasizing structure |
| paraphrase | restating information in your own words, which must be documented |
| parallelism | following the same grammatical structure |
| list | you are expected to present and itemized series or tabulation, be concise |
| illustrate | explain or clarify your answer to the problem by presenting a figure, picture, diagram, or concrete example |
| interpret | translate, exemplify, solve, or comment upon the subject and usually give your judgment or reaction to the problem |
| plagiarism | the knowing or unknowing use of exact words, phrases, or ideas without giving credit to the owner |
| prove | demands confirmation or verification; you should establish something with certainty by evaluation and citing experimental evidence or by logical reasoning |
| research paper | a formal writing assignment on a specific topic that requires reading and analyzing sources |
| analyze | to study and determine the nature and relationship of the parts of a subject by the separation of identification of ingredients or parts of a topic/subject |
| flashback | going back in time in a story to helo explain what is happening in the story |
| act | a division in a play usually signified by the exit or entrance of a character |
| scene | a division in a play usually signified by a change of location |
| aside | a character in a play says something to another character meant only for their ears, but said in the presence of others |
| lampoon | crude, coarse often bitter satire ridiculing the personal appearance or character of a person |
| parody | a comical satirical imitation of something exaggerating its style and content and playing especially on any weakness in structure or meaning of the original |
| autobiography | the story of a person's life written by that person |
| ballad | a relatively short narrative poem, often written to be sung |
| anthology | a collection of poetry, drama, and/or prose |
| fable | a brief story illustrating human tendencies through animal characters and has a moral lesson |
| genre | the category of literature grouped according to form, technique, or sometimes subject matter |
| implied metaphor | the metaphor is not directly stated |
| form | pattern in poetry |
| inversion | changing the usual order of words |
| lyrical poem | the poet portrays his/her own feelings, state of mind, and perceptions |
| monologue | a speech given by one character, often alone on stage |
| closed form | follows a set pattern in poetry |
| open form | follows NO set pattern in poetry |
Created by:
drlaney
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