1. TEACH THESE FIRST Literary Terms Glossary

2. Most Used Term Analyze- : to study (something) closely and carefully : to learn the nature and relationship of the parts of (something) by a close and careful examination

3. Key/Supporting Details: Points of information in a text that strongly support the meaning or tell the story. Summarize: To capture all of the most important parts of the original text but express them in a much shorter space, and as much as possible in the reader’s own words. Syntax: The ordering of words into meaningful verbal patterns such as phrases, clauses, and sentences. Text Organization: The author’s way of structuring the text; sequence, question-answer, cause-effect, order of importance, etc.

4. Characterization  The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various traits Eg. Honest, larger than life, Awkward, Boastful Bold What does eg. Mean?

5. Character: an individual in a story or play  Direct Characterization: the writer tells exactly what the character’s personality is like  Indirect Characterization: the writer suggests what the character is like  Static Character: does not change much throughout the story  Dynamic Character: changes in an important way  Flat Character: Have few personality traits -Round Characters: More dimension to their personality traits

6. Point of View  The vantage point from which the writer tells the story  First person- “I” “We”  Third person- “He,” “She,” “It”  Omniscient- All knowing- knows the thoughts and feelings of other characters  Limited- Only knows a limited amount of information

7. Objective: a narrator who is totally impersonal and objective with no comments on characters or events

8. Plot Pyramid Plot: The sequence of events in a story Setting: The time and place in which a story unfolds. Rising Action: The part of the story where the plot becomes increasingly complicated Climax: The turning point in a narrative, the moment when the climax is at its most intense.

9. Plot Pyramid Falling Action: The part of the literary plot that is characterized by diminishing tensions and the resolution of the plot’s conflicts and complications. Resolution: The portion of the story following the climax in which conflict is resolved.

11. Figurative Language  Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling

12. Types of Figurative Language Alliteration: repetition of the same consonant sounds Hyperbole: extreme exaggeration or overstatement Metaphor: makes a comparison between 2 unlike things without the use of like, as, than, or resembles. Simile: A comparison of 2 unlike things in which like, as, than, or resembles is used.

13. Personification: An object or abstract idea given human qualities or human form.

14. Idiom: An Expression particular to a certain language that means something different from the literal definitions of its parts. I lost my head. Hit the road. Onomatopoeia: The use of a word whose sound suggests meaning. Snap! Crackle! Pop! Oxymoron: Combining opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase. Sweet sorrow, deafening silence, jumbo shrimp

15. Pun: a play on words based on the multiple meanings of a single word or words that sound alike but mean different things

16. Literary Devices  Tools used by the author to enliven and provide voice to the text

17. Allusion: a reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or some other branch of culture Connotation: The range of associations that a word or phrase suggests in addition to its dictionary meaning.

18. Flashback: A scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time Foreshadowing: The use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen next

19. Terms Dialect: A variety of a language distinct from the standard variety in grammar, punctuation, or vocabulary Context Clues: Words and phrases in a sentence, paragraph, and/or whole text, which help reason out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

20. Dialogue: A conversation between characters in a literary work. Diction: An author’s choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language which combine to help create meaning and tone Exposition: A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work, that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances. Mood: The prevailing emotions or atmosphere of a work derived from literary devices such as setting. The mood might not be based on the subject matter Motif: A recurring subject, theme, or idea in a literary work

21. Symbolism: A device in literature where an object represents an idea. Tone: The attitude a writer takes toward the subject of work, the characters in it, or the audience. Single word descriptions: objective, playful, sarcastic, critical, philosophical Theme: A topic of discussion or work; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work. A theme may be stated or implied.

22. Universal Character: A character that symbolically embodies well-known meanings and basic human experiences, regardless of when or where he/she lives (tragic hero, young love, intellectual, dreamer) “Universal Significance” The generally accepted importance or value of a work to represent human experience

23. Types of Irony Irony: a discrepancy between appearance and reality  Verbal Irony: someone says something but means something else Situational Irony: There is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, and what really does happen (A soldier risks his life for a bottle of water but then it is spilled.) Dramatic Irony: Often used on stage, the character thinks one thing is true but the audience knows better

24. Author’s Purpose:  The author’s intent to inform or teach someone about something, to entertain people, or to persuade or convince his/her audience to do or not do something

25. Argument/Position  The position or claim the author establishes. Arguments should be supported with valid evidence and reasoning by the inclusion of counterarguments that illustrate opposing viewpoints. Propaganda  Information aimed at positively or negatively influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people

26. Name-Calling: An attack on a person instead of an issue Bandwagon: Tries to persuade the reader to do, think, or buy something because it is popular or because “everyone” is doing it Red Herring: An attempt to distract the reader with details not relevant to the argument

27. Emotional Appeal: Tries to persuade the reader by using words that appeal to the reader’s emotions rather than logic or reason Appeal to Numbers, Facts, Statistics: Attempts to persuade the reader by showing how many people think something is true Testimonial: Attempts to persuade the reader by using a famous person to endorse a product or idea

28. Repetition: Attempts to persuade the reader by repeating a message over and over again Sweeping Generalization: “Stereotyping” makes an oversimplified statement about a group based on limited information

29. Analysis: The process or result of identifying the parts of a whole and their relationship to one another Bias: The subtle presence of a positive or negative approach toward a topic Defense of a Claim: Support provided to mark an assertion as reasonable Draw Conclusion: To make judgment or decision based on reasoning rather than direct or implicit statement

30. Compare/Contrast: Place together characters, situations, or ideas to show common and/or differing features in literary selections. Differentiate: Distinguish, tell apart, and recognize differences between two or more items Evaluate: Examine and judge carefully. To judge or determine the significance, worth or quality of something; to assess Explain: To make understandable, plain or clear

31. Explicit: Clearly expressed or fully stated in the actual text Generalization: A conclusion drawn from specific information that is used to make a broad statement about a topic or person Implicit: Though unexpressed in the actual text, meaning may be understood by the reader; implied Inference: A judgment based on reasoning rather than on a direct or explicit statement. “Reading between the lines.

32. Genre: A category used to classify literary works, usually by form, technique, or content.

33. Genres Allegory: A story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people (a symbolic story). The underlying meaning may have moral, social, religious, or political significance. Autobiography: An account of the author’s life written by that person, about that person. Biography: A written account of another person’s life Drama: The genre of literature represented by works intended for a stage.

34. Fiction: Any story that is the product of imagination rather than a documentation of fact. Informational Text: Nonfiction written primarily to convey factual information. Informational texts comprise the majority of texts that adults read (textbooks, newspapers, directions). Literary Nonfiction: Text that includes literary elements and devices usually associated with fiction to report on actual people, places, or events

35. Memoir: An account of the author’s life, where one actual event is focused on. Narrative: A story, actual or fictional, expressed orally or in a text. Non-Fiction: Text that is not fictional; designed primarily to explain, argue, instruct, or describe rather than entertain. Satire: A literary approach that ridicules or examines human vices or weakness,