1. Language Arts Terms to Know and Love
Literary Terms
Language Arts Terms to Know and Love

2. Poetry vocabulary: Line- single row of words
Stanza-a group of lines of poetry that are usually similar in length and pattern and are separated by spaces. A stanza is like a paragraph of poetry-it states and develops a single main idea.
Refrain- a regularly repeated line or group of lines in a poem or a song 2

3. Memoirs
Similar to a personal narrative, but in a memoir more time has passed between the event and the retelling of the event
( as in “The Jacket”) 3

4. Biography
A form of nonfiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person. Most biographies are written about famous or admirable people. 4

5. Figurative Language - expressions and ‘flowery language’ used to make writing interesting
a. idioms –sayings that have hidden meanings; the expressions don’t mean exactly what the words say
b. simile – a comparison between two unlike things using a word such as ‘like’ or ‘as’
c. metaphor-a comparison between two unlike things in which one thing becomes another thing 5

6. (as in the movie Cars or the poem “ The Walrus and the Carpenter”)
d. personification – a nonhuman thing or quality talked about as if it were human
(as in the movie Cars or the poem “ The Walrus and the Carpenter”)
e. hyperbole – an exaggerated statement used to make a point
(as in the poem “Jimmy Jet Vs. the TV Set”)
f. alliteration – repetition of initial consonant sounds
( as in the poem “A Remarkable Adventure”) 6

7. h. onomotopoeia - the use of a word
g. allusion – a reference to something from another piece of literature or a reference to something historical (often from the Bible)
h. onomotopoeia - the use of a word
whose sound imitates or suggests its
meaning. 7

8. Plot
Plot - the sequence of events in a story; a pattern of related episodes. It starts at the beginning of a story and ends with the book. There are several stages of plot. 8

9. Plot, continued
a. exposition - the first stage is known as the introduction or exposition; this is where the reader finds out three things: who the characters are, the problem known as the conflict, and the setting 9

10. Plot, cont’d.
b. rising action -second stage of plot; this is where suspense and interest begin to build 10

11. Plot, cont’d. c. climax- third stage which
is the high point of the story; this is
where the original conflict is worked
out 11

12. Plot, cont’d.
d. falling action and resolution - final stages of plot; this is where the reader finds out how the story ends and what happens to the characters 12

13. Characterization
the process that a writer uses to help the reader get to know a character. The author does this in three ways:
1) he uses the words, thoughts, and actions of the character;
2) the words, thoughts, and action of other characters who interact with him; and
3) a description of the character. 13

14. Types of Characters
Protagonist-The leading character(s) or hero(es) in a story.
Antagonist-A character or force in conflict with the main character or protagonist.
Dynamic-A character who undergoes significant change from the beginning to the end of the story.
Static-A character that does not change throughout the selection. 14

15. Other Literary Terms
setting- the time and place of a story; this is revealed in the introduction/exposition
conflict- this is the problem within the story; it is either internal or external. An internal conflict is one in which the character has a problem within herself. She may be struggling with a decision, or a lack of self-confidence, etc. An external conflict is one in which the character has a problem with something outside of herself, such as another person (man vs. man), nature (man vs. nature), etc. 15

16. foreshadowing – the use of hints by the writer to give the reader an idea about what may later happen; it builds suspense.
flashback – a technique the writer uses to explain something in the past that helps the reader understand what is happening in the story
symbolism – a person, place, thing, or event that has its own meaning and stands for something beyond itself as well 16

17. denotation – the dictionary meaning of a word
expository writing – writing that informs or explains; it includes a thesis
narrative writing – writing that tells a story; it includes a theme; a personal narrative is
connotation – the feeling associated with a word-usually positive or negative but can be neutral
denotation – the dictionary meaning of a word 17

18. author’s purpose- the reason a writer sits down to write; it could be to explain or inform, to create a mood or stir an emotion, to tell about a series of events, or to persuade the reader to believe something or do something 18

19. Point of view- the vantage point from which a story is told
A. first person- one of the characters, using the personal pronoun ‘I,’ is telling the story
B. third person- writer tells the story and focuses on one of the characters. The personal pronouns ‘he,’ ‘she,’ ‘they’ are used 19

20. tone- the attitude a writer takes toward and audience, a subject, or a character. It can be light and humorous, serious and sad, friendly or hostile, loving and respectful, etc. 20

21. imagery – the use of language that appeals to the 5 senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell)21

22. suspense- the anxious curiosity the reader
feels about what will happen next in a story
elaboration – the explanation, in detail, of a reason or topic
dialogue-Conversation between two or more characters in a literary work.
dialect-The characteristic speech of a particular region or social group.
transitions-words used to make connections between ideas
voice-the personality behind your writing 22