Literary Terms 1
Reference to a well-known book, the Bible, art, or history
Allusion
the author telling what a character looks like, does, and says, as well as how other characters react to him or her.
Indirect Characterization
a conversation between characters. It is used to reveal character and to advance action
Dialogue
a word or phrase that appeals to one or more of the five senses
Imagery
the sequence of events in a literary work
Plot
Form of nonfiction in which a person tells his or her own life story. An autobiography may tell about the person's whole life or only a part of it.
Autobiography
the highest point of interest or suspense in a story, novel, or play
Climax
a story written to be performed by actors
Drama
the general term for literary techniques that portray differences between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention
Irony
the time and place of the action in a literary work
Setting
a form of nonfiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person
Biography
a type of literary work, especially a play, that has a happy ending
Comedy
the writing or speech that explains a process or presents information. In the plot of the story or drama, it is the part of the work that introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation
Exposition
the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage
Mood
anything that stands for or represents something else
Symbol
a person or an animal who takes part in the action of a literary work. The main character, or protagonist, is the most important character in a story.
Character
the struggle between opposing forces.
Conflict
writing or speech not meant to be interpreted literally
Figurative Language
a reason that explains or partially explains why a character thinks, feels, acts, or behaves in a certain way
Motivation
the central message or insight into life revealed through the literary work
Theme
the author directly stating the character's traits
Direct Characterization
the form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group.
Dialect
the use in a literary work of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur
Foreshadowing
a speaker or character who tells a story. A narrator may be either a character in the story or an outside observer.
Narrator
a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe the main character
Tragedy