Plot Structure
The turning point of a story
A written account of another person's life
Biography
The use of a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal or usual meaning
Irony
The time and place in which a story unfolds
Setting
A device in literature where an object represents an idea.
Symbolism
The point of a story where the conflict is resolved
Resolution
The author’s central thought; the chief topic of a text expressed or implied in a word or phrase; the topic sentence of a paragraph
Main Idea
An organizational device used in literature to create expectation or to set up an explanation/prediction of later developments
Foreshadowing
The method an author uses to reveal characters and their various traits and personalities
Characterization
Descriptive or figurative language in a literary work; the use of language to create sensory impressions
Imagery
The part of a story where the plot becomes increasingly complicated, leading up to the turning point
Rising Action
The author’s intent either to inform or teach someone about something, to entertain people or to persuade or convince his/her audience to do or not do something
Author's Purpose
An organizational device used in literature to present action that occurred before the current (present) time of the story
Flashback
The prevailing emotions or atmosphere of a work derived from literary devices such as dialogue and literary elements such as setting
Mood
A topic of discussion or work; a major idea broad enough to cover the entire scope of a literary work
Theme
A narrative device often used at the beginning of a work to introduce necessary background information and characters
Exposition
The author’s method of structuring a text; the way a text is structured from beginning to end
Text Organization/Structure
An implied or indirect reference to a familiar person, place or event
Allusion
The position of the narrator in relation to the story, as indicated by the narrator’s outlook from which the events are depicted
Point of View
The range of associations that a word or phrase suggests in addition to its dictionary meaning
Connotation (vs. Denotation)
The part of a story's plot characterized by diminishing tensions, conflicts and complications
Falling Action
Points of information in a text that strongly support the meaning or tell the story
Key/Supporting Details
A judgment based on reasoning rather than a direct or explicit statement
Inference
The attitude of the author toward the audience, characters, subject or the work itself
Tone
A literary approach that ridicules or examines human vice or weakness
Satire