Do Now: Read the following sentences and identify the literary devices in each “His beard was as rough as sandpaper.” “The sun was a copper penny.” “She has ice water in her veins.”

Literary Terms English 8 Ms. Musynske September 2012

Atmosphere The general mood or feeling established in a piece of literature. Examples: gloomy, peaceful, tense

Characterization The methods used to present the personality of a character in a story. Direct-writer tells what the character is like Indirect-writer shows what a character is like by describing what the character looks like, says or does, or what other characters say about him/her

Characters are created by: Giving a physical description of the character Showing the character’s actions and letting the characters speak.

Revealing the characters thoughts Revealing what others think of the character Commenting directly on the character

Conflict The struggle between two opposing forces.

Types of Conflicts: Man vs. Man Example Man Vs. Nature Example Man Vs. Self Example

**Remember that conflict may be either internal or external.

Dialogue Talk or Conversation between two or more characters.

Flashback An interruption of the action in a story to tell about something that happened earlier in time.

Foreshadowing The use of hints or clues in a story to suggest future action.

Irony A contrast between what is stated and what is really meant or between what is expected to happen and what actually happened.

Types of Irony: Verbal irony Situational irony Dramatic irony (in a play the audience knows something the actors do not)

Plot The sequence of events in a story. Parts of a plot Inciting incident-event that gives rise to conflict (opening situation) Development-events that occur as result of central conflict (rising action) Climax-highest point or suspense or interest of the story Resolution-when conflict ends Denouement-when characters go back to their life before the conflict

Point of View The vantage point from which a story is told.

Types of point of view: Third person point of view ( **most common) 1) all knowing 2) limited – tells us only what one character feels.

First person point of view ( “I”)

Setting The time and place in which a story takes place.

Tall Tale A highly improbable, humorous story.

Theme The main idea expressed in a story.

Symbol A symbol is anything that stands for or represents something else.

Tone The attitude the writer takes toward his subject. For example: comic, serious

Characters Types of characters Major Characters that are vital to the development and resolution of the conflict Minor Compliment the major characters and help the plot events move forward

Types of Character Cont’d Round Complex in temperament and motivation; capable of growth and change during the course of the narrative Flat Built around a single idea or quality and unchanging over the course of the narrative

Types of Characters Cont’d Static Referring to a character who doesn’t change over the course of a story Dynamic Opposite of static characters; dynamic characters undergo a change in the course of the story