Literary Devices
something nonhuman that is given human characteristics
What is personification?
the angle, perspective, or eyes from which a story is told
What is point of view?
the place in the short story where the readers first encounter the setting, characters and conflict
What is exposition?
the way the author of a short story describes the thoughts, feelings, actions, attitudes, motivations, and even physical traits of a person in the selection
What is characterization?
a comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as"
What is a simile?
a comparison between two unlike things that does not use "like" or "as"
What is a metaphor?
the application of one or more of the five senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing, or sight
What is imagery?
within the plot of the short story where characters' actions and dialogue with others are taking place; these actions build and lead to the climax of the short story
What is rising action?
the idea that one thing stands for or represents something else
What is symbolism?
everything the author writes, including the pucntuation usage, word choice, and structure of his or her written selection, that helps to tell his/her story
What is the writer's style?
the author's feelings about the topic that he or she writes about in the selections that we read
What is tone?
due to the fact that one circumstance takes place, something else happens as a result of that
What is cause/effect?
the highest peak or point of interest of a short story; the central conflict from the beginning of the selection is addressed here and connects with this part of the short story
What is climax?
a character that changes throughout the short story
What is a dynamic character?
the primary source of information found in a text; the very best kind of cited textual evidence
What is a quote?
the way the audience or readers feel about what the author has written about in the reading selections
What is mood?
the exaggeration of words or situations in literature
What is hyperbole?
the events in a short story that help wrap up the story before the ending
What is falling action?
a character that remains the same thoughout a short story
What is a static character?
a struggle, fight, argument or opposition between at least two people or forces that do not see things the same; not in agreement
What is a conflict?
conversation between characters in a short story or poem; quotation marks indicate each different speaker and the exact lines spoken
What is dialogue?
the author's message to the reader; the lesson learned by the reader that hopefully he/she will apply to his or her life to make better and more wise decisions
What is theme?
the ending, conclusion, or final outcome of the short story
What is resolution?
a character in the short story who causes problems for the protagonist, or main character; this character may sometimes be called the villain
What is an antagonist?
sentences and ideas in a reading selection that are used to support main ideas and the bigger points that the author is trying to get across to the readers
What are details?