1. Literary Terms
Miss Wnek 7th ELA Fall 2019

2. POINT OF VIEW
1. Point of view: First person: told from the narrator’s point of view, using “I” and “we” Third Person Limited: Uses words such as “he” or “she” and only reveals the thoughts of one character Third Person Omniscient: “He/she” and reveals the thoughts of all characters

3. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
2. Onomatopoeia – words that imitate sounds (ex. bang, boom, splash)
3. Alliteration – the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words (ex. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers)
4. Assonance – the repetition of vowel sounds within words (ex. From the molten, golden notes)
5. Simile – comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as” (ex. My love is like a red, red rose.)

4. FIGURATIVE Language cont…
6. Metaphor – a direct comparison of two unlike things, saying one thing is the other (ex. My love is a red, red rose.)
7. Extended Metaphor – a direct comparison carried over many lines
8. Allusion – a reference to a well-known person, event, object or work from history or literature
9. Hyperbole – exaggeration (ex. dying of thirst)
10. Oxymoron – a contradiction (ex. jumbo shrimp, old news)
11. Paradox – a seemingly contradictory statement, idea, or event that may actually be true. (ex. “This sentence is a lie.” If this is false, then it is true. If it is true, then it is false.)

5. CHARACTERS
12. Characters: Usually a person, but can be an animal, object, imaginary creature, or even a personified plant!
Flat: shows only one quality, or trait
Round: shows the multiple character traits of a real person
Dynamic: changes over the course of the action
Static: does not change over the course of the action

6. SETTING
13. Setting - when and where a story takes place

7. CHARACTERIZATION
14. Direct Characterization - when an author/narrator comments on a character directly, such as what the character looks like, wears, the character’s age, and so on.
15. Indirect Characterization - the reader must draw conclusions about a character by the following:
a. what the character says and does
b. what the character thinks or feels
c. what other characters say and think about the character

11. CONFLICT
16. Conflict - a struggle that takes place between two opposing forces
Internal: one character involved (man v. himself, ex. decisions, moral struggles)
External: one or more characters involved (man v. man, ex. a fight or argument; man v. nature, ex. Dorothy v. the tornado)

12. PLOT & THEME 17. Plot - the sequence of events that make up a story
18. Theme - the main idea or meaning the author is trying to get across (ex. “There’s no place like home” in the Wizard of Oz)

13. TONE & MOOD
19. Tone - how the author feels about or treats his subject
20. Mood - the emotional situation that a piece of literature tries to establish; how a piece of literature makes the reader feel (ex. horror, amusement)

14. IMAGERY
21. Imagery - words or phrases that describe something in a way that creates pictures or images that appeal to the senses. Most create visual images, but some appeal to touch, smell, taste or hearing.

15. FORESHADOWING & FLASHBACK
22. Foreshadowing - the use of hints or clues to suggest what action is to come
23. Flashback - an interruption of the sequence of events of a story to relate an action that happened at an earlier time.

16. SYMBOLISM
24. Symbolism - use of persons, places or things which have meaning in themselves, but which are made to represent, or stand for, something else (ex. dove=peace, seasons=a lifetime)

17. IRONY
25. Irony - contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually happens
Verbal: when a speaker says one thing but means another
Situational: when a situation turns out to be completely different from what we expect
Dramatic: occurs when the reader or audience knows something is going to happen but the characters in the story do not

18. GENRES 26. Genres: a type or category of literary composition
Fiction: any work of prose that tells an invented or imagined story
Nonfiction: explores real people, places, things, events and ideas; includes essays, autobiographies (written by a person about him/herself), biographies (written about another person), newspaper articles

19. GENRES CONT…
Folk Tale: brief story passed through generations by word of mouth; includes fairy tales, tall tales, parables and fables.
Legend: story passed down through generations, often based on historical events, but may have fantastic or unverifiable elements.
Myth: traditional story rooted in a particular culture, with gods, goddesses and supernatural beings, along with human heroes; myths embody religious beliefs and values, explain natural phenomenon

20. MONOLOGUE & DIALOGUE
27. Monologue: a character delivering a long speech either to an audience, or alone
28. Dialogue: a conversation between two or more characters

21. PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES
29. Propaganda Techniques: the intentional use of false arguments to persuade others
Glittering Generalities: statement made to make something sound better than it really is; words often used as glittering generalities are honor, glory, love of country, and especially in the United States, freedom. When coming across with glittering generalities, we should especially consider the merits of the idea itself when separated from specific words.
Name Calling: use of derogatory language or words that carry a negative connotation when describing an opponent

22. PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES CONT…
Card Stacking: only presenting information that is positive to an idea or proposal and omitting information contrary to it; in other words, presenting only the good qualities of a product and leaving out the bad; or vice versa, listing only the bad qualities of the competition and not the good
Plain Folks: appealing to someone using a down home, “just like you” approach.
Transfer: an attempt to make the subject view a certain item in the same way as they view another item, to link the two in the subjects mind. Although this technique is often used to transfer negative feelings for one object to another, it can also be used in positive ways. By linking an item to something the subject respects or enjoys, positive feelings can be generated for it.

23. IDIOM & EUPHEMISM
30. Idiom – a phrase with a meaning different from the literal meaning (ex. “I’m all ears.”)
31. Euphemism – an indirect word or phrase used in place of a direct statement that may seem too harsh (ex. Waste manager instead of garbage collector)

24. CONNOTATION & DENOTATION
32. Denotation – dictionary definition of word, with no emotional associations
33. Connotation – the set of ideas or emotions associated with a word (ex. cheap as compared to inexpensive)

25. ALLEGORY, DIALECT, & ANECDOTE
34. Allegory – a work in which characters, events or settings symbolize, or represent, something else.
35. Dialect: a representation of the speech patterns of a particular region (ex. “You woulda done whatcha always do.”
36. Anecdote: a brief story of some incident usually told to illustrate some point the speaker is making (ex. when you parents want you to learn from stories they tell about their childhood)