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Literary terms
Literary terms and figurative language
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| protagonist | the main character who is trying to reach a goal |
| antagonist | the character or obstacle that is getting in the way of the main character reaching a goal |
| plot | the chain of events in a story |
| setting | when and where a story takes place |
| foreshadowing | hints about what is going to happen later in the story |
| sensory imagery | detailed description that appeals to one or more of the senses of sight, hearing, taste, touch, or smell |
| theme | the idea of life lesson revealed in a story, play, or other literary work. A theme may be stated or implied. a universal theme should be summed up in one sentence that could be apply to anyone, anywhere, anytime. |
| symbolism | a symbol is a person, a place, a thing, or an event that its own meaning and stands for something beyond itself as well. Symbolism is the use of images to represent internal realities |
| characterization | the method an author uses to acquaint the reader with characters. It is the process by which a writer presents the person traits of the "actors" (people or animals) in the story, play, or other literary work |
| Physical Traits and Personality | what the character looks like or what the narrator states about his/her personal qualities |
| Speech and Behavior | what the character says or does |
| Reactions of Others | how other characters act toward this individual or how they respond to him/her |
| Thoughts and Feelings | what narrator says about the characters emotions or thoughts |
| flashback | when a character has a memory moment that has significance |
| external conflict | when a character or main figure struggles against an outside force. It may be another character, society as a whole, a storm, a grizzly bear, or even a machine. Person vs. person, person vs. nature, person vs. society, person vs. supernatural |
| internal conflict | takes place within a character's mind, often when they need to make a tough decision. It is a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions. It is when the character struggles against some element of his or her own personality. person vs. self |
| point of view | this is the vantage point from which the story, play or other literary work is told. Point of view is the author's choice of a narrator for his/her story. The choice determines the amount of information a reader will be given |
| First person point of view | the narrator is inside the story and uses the pronoun "I" |
| Third person limited point of view | the narrator is outside the story and focuses on the thoughts and feelings of only ONE character |
| Third person omniscient (all-knowing) | the narrator is outside the story and can report what more than one character thinks and feels |
| inference | it is a conclusion that you draw based on details given in the text. A logical judgment (assumption) you make based on a writer's words and on your own knowledge and experience |
| informative/explanatory | a kind of writing that provides useful or interesting information, serves to explain something |
| irony | an unexpected twist in the plot of a story |
| Situational irony | the opposite of what you thought is what happens |
| Verbal irony | sarcasm, saying the opposite of what you mean |
| Dramatic irony | when the audience of a play knows something that the character does not |
| mood | is how the reader feels when reading a story. It is often created by word choice |
| tone | is the author's attitude that is made apparent in the text |
Created by:
user-2011512
Popular English Vocabulary sets