Literary Terms

Atmosphere The overall mood or emotion of a work of literature

conflict A struggle or clash between opposing forces or characters Man vs man Man vs self Man vs nature Man vs society Man vs fate

Motivation Any force that drives or moves the character to behave in a particular way

Dialect A way of speaking that is characteristic of a particular region or group of people

Monologue Where one character speaks alone

Conversation between two or more characters Dialogue Conversation between two or more characters

Fable A brief story in prose or verse that teaches a moral or gives a practical lesson about how to get along in life (often includes talking animals!)

A prose account that is made up rather than true Fiction A prose account that is made up rather than true

Folk tale A story with no known author that originally was passed on from one generation to the next by word of mouth

Language that appeals to the senses Imagery Language that appeals to the senses

A story written to be acted for an audience Drama A story written to be acted for an audience

A short piece of non-fiction prose that examines a single subject Essay A short piece of non-fiction prose that examines a single subject

Simile A comparison between two unlike things using a word such as like, as, than, or resembles

Ex: Her smile is a red, red rose. Metaphor An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another thing Ex: Her smile is a red, red rose.

Personification A figure of speech in which a nonhuman or nonliving thing or quality is talked about as if it were human or alive Ex: The trees danced in the wind.

The use of clues to suggest events that will happen later in the plot Foreshadowing The use of clues to suggest events that will happen later in the plot

Irony In general, a contrast between what is said or written and what is meant

Involves a contrast between what is said or written and what is meant Verbal irony Involves a contrast between what is said or written and what is meant EX: Telling someone “Good job!” after he or she failed a test.

Ex: a fire station burns down, a lifeguard drowns Situational irony Occurs when what happens is very different from what is expected to happen Ex: a fire station burns down, a lifeguard drowns

Ex: Dally’s unloaded gun Dramatic irony Occurs when the audience or the reader knows something a character does not know Ex: Dally’s unloaded gun

The overall emotion created by a work of literature Mood The overall emotion created by a work of literature

Myth A story that explains something about the world and typically involves gods or superhuman beings

Nonfiction Prose writing that deals with real people, events, and places without changing any facts

A fictional story that is usually more that 100 book pages long Novel A fictional story that is usually more that 100 book pages long

The series of related events that make up a story Plot The series of related events that make up a story

Tells us who the characters are and what their conflict is Exposition Tells us who the characters are and what their conflict is

climax The most emotional or suspenseful moment in the story when the outcome is decided one way or another

When the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends Resolution When the characters’ problems are solved and the story ends

The vantage point from which a story is told Point of view The vantage point from which a story is told

Omniscient point of view All knowing The narrator knows everything about the characters and their problems

Third person limited point of view The narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of only one character

First person point of view One of the characters, using “I”, is telling the story Ex: The Outsiders, The Pigman

Setting The time and place in which the events of a work of literature take place

A fictional prose narrative that is usually 10-20 book pages long Short story A fictional prose narrative that is usually 10-20 book pages long

Suspense The uncertainty or anxiety you feel about what will happen next in a story

Ex: sunsets, Mickey Mouse Symbol A person, a place, a thing, or an event that has its own meaning and stands for something beyond itself as well Ex: sunsets, Mickey Mouse

The truth about life revealed in a work of literature Theme The truth about life revealed in a work of literature

Tone The attitude that a writer takes toward the audience, a subject, or a character

The story of a real person’s life written or told by THAT person Autobiography The story of a real person’s life written or told by THAT person

The story of a real person’s life, written or told BY ANOTHER PERSON Biography The story of a real person’s life, written or told BY ANOTHER PERSON

Character A person or animal who takes part in the action of a story, play, or literary work

Static character One who is the same sort of person at the end of the story as at the beginning

Dynamic/developing character One who undergoes a permanent change in some aspect of character or outlook

One whose character is summed up in one or two traits Flat character One whose character is summed up in one or two traits

One whose character is complex and many-sided Round character One whose character is complex and many-sided

Ex: a nerd, a cheerleader Stock character A stereotyped character; one whose nature is familiar to us from examples we’ve seen in various literature, movies, etc Ex: a nerd, a cheerleader

Protagonist The main character of a work of literature who experiences conflict and undergoes a permanent change

The person or force working against the main character Antagonist The person or force working against the main character

Historical fiction A work of fiction that is based on real events or real people but not every detail is true

Science fiction a kind of writing that lies somewhere between realistic fiction and total fantasy Elements of science fiction: A setting in the future Technology that has yet to be invented A journey through time Imaginary characters (think aliens) Realistic reactions to fantastic situations A surprise ending

Poetry a kind of rhythmic, compressed language that uses figures of speech and imagery designed to appeal to emotion and imagination

Stanza in a poem a group of consecutive lines that forms a single unit

Scene in a drama, a small section of an act

Parable a short story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson NO talking animals

Ballad a simple narrative poem of folk origin written to be sung

Prose ordinary written languagenot poetic

Stage directions instructions written into the script of a play or drama indicating actions or movements of performers

Epic Poem a long narrative poem telling of a hero’s deeds Ex—The Odyssey

Dirge a sad, mournful song usually sung for a funeral