1. Review: Literary Terms
Mrs. Macemore

2. What is the difference between ‘literal’ and ‘figurative’?
Literal: What something actually means.
Figurative: What is often associated with a word.
Example: “I laughed so hard I died” is figuratively saying that the person laughed extremely hard. If you took that literally, that would mean that the person actually laughed to the point of death.
What is the difference between ‘literal’ and ‘figurative’?

3. A comparison between two things that DOES NOT use the words ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Example: The snow was a blanket on the ground.
What is being compared?
The snow is being compared to a blanket.
Metaphor

4. A direct comparison between two things using the words ‘like’ or ‘as.’
Example: Her eyes were as bright as the sun.
What is being compared?
Her eyes are being compared to the sun.
Simile

5. A narrative (meaning story) that serves as an extended metaphor.
A story that seems to be about one thing, but actually represents something else.
Works on both the literal and figurative level.
Allegory

6. The pattern of sound that includes the repetition of sounds.
The repetition can be within the words, or at the beginning.
Examples:
Sally sells seashells by the seashore.
“Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.” – The Office
I bit the bat but it bit back.
Alliteration

7. A reference in a literary work that refers to a person, place, or thing in history or another work of literature.
Example:
The term ‘Big Brother’ is an allusion to George Orwell’s novel 1984, in which the citizens are constantly reminded that “Big Brother is watching you.”
Allusion

8. Antagonist The bad guy (AKA villain).
Character in a story who plots against or interferes with the protagonist, or the hero.
Example:
Who is the antagonist in Harry Potter? What about one of the antagonists in the Batman series?
Antagonist

9. Connotation vs. Denotation
A word’s denotative meaning is what it actually means.
Connotations are words that are associated with other words.
Example:
The word ‘gold’ is literally a precious metal (denotative meaning), but words that are associated with it are greed, luxury, wealth, etc. These words are connotations.
Connotation vs. Denotation

10. The conversation between characters in a drama or narrative (story).
Example:
Jim: “Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.”
Dwight: “Identity theft is not a joke, Jim!”
Dialogue

11. A type of language that deviates from the normal meanings of literal language. It does not mean what it says, but instead relies on the reader’s past experiences, imagination, etc. to get the point across.
Example: “Well she’s just as cute as a button!”
Figurative language

12. An interruption of the chronological sequence of a story in order to bring up an important event from the past that relates to the story.
Example: Harry Potter clip
Flashback

13. Genre A type of literature
Examples: Fiction, Non-fiction, Historical fiction, fantasy, horror, etc.
Are genres just a part of literature?
Genre

14. Hyperbole An extremely large exaggeration.
Example: “His eyes were the size of plates when he saw the tornado touch down.”
We know that this is physically impossible, but it provides us with an image that helps show the nature of the situation.
Hyperbole

15. A literary term referring to how a person, situation, statement, or circumstance is not as it would seem.
Often the exact opposite of what it would seem.
Verbal (sarcasm), and dramatic irony (audience knows something characters do not know) are a couple of types.
We’ll go into these more later
Irony

16. Motif A recurring concept, object, or symbol in a piece of literature.
Can also be contrasting elements, like good and evil.
Motifs in The Hunger Games: Government vs. the common man, the mockingjay, fire, etc.
Motif

17. A myth is any story that attempts to explain how the world was created or why the world is the way it is.
Often passed from generation to generation.
Often involve religion
Think Greek mythology, Roman mythology, stories from Native American history, etc.
Myth

18. Narrative A collection of events that tells a story.
So, basically, a story. 
Examples:
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
The Hunger Games
Narrative

19. Narrator Person telling the story Different types of narrator
1st person
Participant of story, usually the protagonist.
Words like, “I,” or “me.”
2nd person
Observer – someone indirectly involved in the action of the story
Most uncommon
3rd person
Non participant
3rd person limited – Knows the thoughts of only one character
3rd person omniscient – Knows the thoughts of all characters.
Narrator

20. A figure of speech where animals, ideas, or inorganic objects are given human characteristics (speech, human movement, etc.)
Personification

21. The way in which the events of a story are conveyed to a reader.
Whose eyes are we seeing the story from?
Point of view

22. Protagonist The good guy—aka the ‘hero.’ Main character Example:
The protagonist of The Hunger Games?
What about the protagonist of The Dark Knight Rises?
Protagonist

23. The time, place, physical details, and circumstances in which a situation occurs.
Example: The setting of the Batman series is where?
Setting

24. Symbol A word or object that stands for another word or object.
Example: Flags are symbols of freedom.
What are some other symbols you can think of?
Symbol

25. A common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout a literary work.
Example: A theme from the show Glee is to be yourself, no matter what.
Theme