Literary Terminology Part 1 Literary Terms Part 2 Plot Part 3 Figures of Speech Part 1 Literary Terms Part 2 Plot Part 3 Figures of Speech

Literary Terms

Antagonist / A character or group of characters who create conflict for the protagonist aka: The Bad Guy / Not always the villain but simply one who opposes the main character / EX: The Joker in “Batman” / A character or group of characters who create conflict for the protagonist aka: The Bad Guy / Not always the villain but simply one who opposes the main character / EX: The Joker in “Batman”

Protagonist / One who has the conflict. / Usually the main character / Batman / One who has the conflict. / Usually the main character / Batman

Character / Person, Animal, Creature that takes part in the action in the story / Round Character: Main Character- One who plays an important role in the story / Flat: One who does not play an important role in the story / Person, Animal, Creature that takes part in the action in the story / Round Character: Main Character- One who plays an important role in the story / Flat: One who does not play an important role in the story

Character Cont’d / Static: A character who doesn’t change throughout the story / Dynamic: A character who changes in the course of the story. / Static: A character who doesn’t change throughout the story / Dynamic: A character who changes in the course of the story.

Characterization / The act of creating a character / Direct: the writer states the character’s traits / The act of creating a character / Direct: the writer states the character’s traits

Characterization Cont’d / Indirect- character is revealed through one of the following… / Words, thoughts, or actions / Descriptions of the character's background or appearance / What other characters say about the character / The ways in which other characters react to the character / Indirect- character is revealed through one of the following… / Words, thoughts, or actions / Descriptions of the character's background or appearance / What other characters say about the character / The ways in which other characters react to the character

Conflict / Struggle between two foes / Internal- Struggle the character faces against himself (Man vs Self) / External- Struggle the character faces against an outside force (Man vs. Man, Man vs Nature, Man vs Supernatural) / EX What type of conflicts does Rachel experience in “Eleven”? / Struggle between two foes / Internal- Struggle the character faces against himself (Man vs Self) / External- Struggle the character faces against an outside force (Man vs. Man, Man vs Nature, Man vs Supernatural) / EX What type of conflicts does Rachel experience in “Eleven”?

Diction / A writer’s word choice, may be formal or informal, plain or ornate, common or technical, abstract or concrete

Foreshadow / Use of clues to suggest events that have yet to occur / EX: It was a dark and stormy night… / Use of clues to suggest events that have yet to occur / EX: It was a dark and stormy night…

Mood and Tone / Mood: feeling created in the reader by the literary work or passage, can be influenced by setting tone and/or events / Tone: the attitude the author takes toward the writing / Mood: feeling created in the reader by the literary work or passage, can be influenced by setting tone and/or events / Tone: the attitude the author takes toward the writing

Point of View / The perspective from which a story is told / 1 st person: the narrator’s knowledge is limited to 1 character / EX: I, me, my, mine / The perspective from which a story is told / 1 st person: the narrator’s knowledge is limited to 1 character / EX: I, me, my, mine

Point of View Cont’d / 3 rd person limited: narrator knows only one character’s thoughts and feelings / EX: He, She, They, them / 3 rd Person Omniscient: narrator knows more than one character’s thoughts and feelings. / EX: He, She, They, Them / 3 rd person limited: narrator knows only one character’s thoughts and feelings / EX: He, She, They, them / 3 rd Person Omniscient: narrator knows more than one character’s thoughts and feelings. / EX: He, She, They, Them

Setting / Where the literary work takes place / EX: The farm was a beautiful location to have the wedding. “The farm,” is the setting for the wedding / Where the literary work takes place / EX: The farm was a beautiful location to have the wedding. “The farm,” is the setting for the wedding

Theme / The BIG Idea, moral or lesson learned from a story / EX: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” / The BIG Idea, moral or lesson learned from a story / EX: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”

Main Idea / What the story is about. / Example: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” / What the story is about. / Example: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”

Dialect / The way a person talks or sounds due to their physical address or culture / Example: Ye ate yet? Naw. Ye on’t to? Aw’ight. / Can you think of how your speech is different from others around the world? / The way a person talks or sounds due to their physical address or culture / Example: Ye ate yet? Naw. Ye on’t to? Aw’ight. / Can you think of how your speech is different from others around the world?

Dialogue / In its widest sense, dialogue is simply conversation between people in a literary work; in its most restricted sense, it refers specifically to the speech of characters in a drama.

Syntax / The ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns such as phrases, clauses, and sentences. / Example: Emily Dickinson, for instance, writes about being surprised by a snake in her poem "A narrow Fellow in the Grass," and includes this line: "His notice sudden is." In addition to the alliterative hissing s- sounds here, Dickinson also effectively manipulates the line’s syntax so that the verb "is" appears unexpectedly at the end, making the snake’s hissing presence all the more "sudden." / The ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns such as phrases, clauses, and sentences. / Example: Emily Dickinson, for instance, writes about being surprised by a snake in her poem "A narrow Fellow in the Grass," and includes this line: "His notice sudden is." In addition to the alliterative hissing s- sounds here, Dickinson also effectively manipulates the line’s syntax so that the verb "is" appears unexpectedly at the end, making the snake’s hissing presence all the more "sudden."

Stereotype / To make a judgment about someone because of their looks, the people they hang out with, where they work, etc. / Example: People with tattoos are drug addicts. / To make a judgment about someone because of their looks, the people they hang out with, where they work, etc. / Example: People with tattoos are drug addicts.

Plot

Exposition / Introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation / This part usually has the narrative hook / Introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation / This part usually has the narrative hook

Rising Action / Introduces the conflict

Climax / The point of the highest tension or drama

Falling Action / Things finally settle down for the main character(s)

Resolution / The main conflict is resolved

The Basic Figures of Speech

Hyperbole / Obvious and intentional exaggeration. / Ex: She had to wait an eternity to get her drink. / Write a sentence using a hyperbole. / Obvious and intentional exaggeration. / Ex: She had to wait an eternity to get her drink. / Write a sentence using a hyperbole.

Euphemism / A mild word of phrase which substitutes for another which would be undesirable because it is too direct, unpleasant, or offensive. / Example: Saying "passed away" for "dying" or saying "time-honored" for "old” / What does the Euphemism “between jobs” refer to? / A mild word of phrase which substitutes for another which would be undesirable because it is too direct, unpleasant, or offensive. / Example: Saying "passed away" for "dying" or saying "time-honored" for "old” / What does the Euphemism “between jobs” refer to?

Idiom / An expression whose meaning is not predictable. / Example: The old man kicked the bucket. / Write an example of an idiom you have heard. / An expression whose meaning is not predictable. / Example: The old man kicked the bucket. / Write an example of an idiom you have heard.

Metaphor / Comparing two like things not using like or as. / The girl was a cheetah with tennis shoes. / Compare yourself to something not using like or as. / Comparing two like things not using like or as. / The girl was a cheetah with tennis shoes. / Compare yourself to something not using like or as.

Onomatopoeia / Written sounds / Bang! The car smashed into the wall. / Make an appropriate sound, without using your voice and then try to write it down. / Written sounds / Bang! The car smashed into the wall. / Make an appropriate sound, without using your voice and then try to write it down.

Personification / Giving something non-human, human- like characteristics. / The tree’s arms waved violently in the wind. / Think of something in nature and use personification to describe it. / Giving something non-human, human- like characteristics. / The tree’s arms waved violently in the wind. / Think of something in nature and use personification to describe it.

Simile / Comparing two like things using like or as. / The boy was as smart as a brick wall. / Use a simile to describe yourself. / Comparing two like things using like or as. / The boy was as smart as a brick wall. / Use a simile to describe yourself.

Symbol / A thing (could be an object, person, situation or action) which stands for something else / EX: American Flag-Red, White, Blue, Stars / What is something that Symbolizes you? / A thing (could be an object, person, situation or action) which stands for something else / EX: American Flag-Red, White, Blue, Stars / What is something that Symbolizes you?

Irony / An outcome of events contrary to what was expected

Oxymoron / Two contrary words located side by side / EX: Sweating like a pig…ummm pigs do not sweat. She’s pretty ugly. Let’s not be alone together. / What is an oxymoron you have heard? / Two contrary words located side by side / EX: Sweating like a pig…ummm pigs do not sweat. She’s pretty ugly. Let’s not be alone together. / What is an oxymoron you have heard?