Literary Terms
any of the people, animals, or creatures who are involved with the story
characters
Name another term that means the same thing as theme.
central message; moral; life lesson
The cubs nestled together to keep warm during the cold weather.
cuddled; huddled; stayed closely to
figurative language that is a comparison of two things, usually using like, as, or than to point out the comparison:
“He is as strong as an ox!” “She studies all the time—she’s as sharp as a tack!” “That book is heavier than a box of rocks!”
simile
This point of view shares the story from the main character's perspective.
I am Percy and one day I will be a more famous half-blood than Hercules.
first person
the main events of the story; the beginning, middle, and end used for retelling the story
plot
A donkey and a fox decided to team up to find food together. They were travelling in the forest when they crossed paths with a lion. They were both scared, but the fox hoped to save himself. He approached the lion and offered to help him get the donkey, if the lion would let him escape unharmed. The theme of this story is: The lion agreed. So the fox and the donkey walked on, with the lion trailing behind them. The fox led the donkey to a hidden pit, left by some long‐ago hunter as a trap for wild animals, and the donkey fell in. As soon as the donkey was in the pit, the lion came out of hiding and ate the fox. Then he ate the donkey.
Be careful who you trust; betraying a friend can also hurt you
My mom’s smile vanished when she heard the bad news.
disappeared; went away
a group of words that cannot be understood by the regular meaning of the words.
(example: Sam froze in his steps. No one believes that Sam is so cold he literally froze.)
idiom
This type of literature is written in stanzas rather than paragraphs
poetry
what the characters are saying; shown in quotation marks in prose or poetry, and shown using the character's name and a colon in dramas
dialogue
It was a beautiful spring day. The grasshopper was flitting about, enjoying himself, when he crossed paths with an ant. The ant was working very hard, carrying bits of food deep down into his anthill. “Why are you working so hard?” The grasshopper said. “I want to have plenty to eat,” the ant replied. The grasshopper laughed. “Plenty to eat!” he cried. “Why there is food everywhere that you look!” “That’s true,” the ant said. “There is enough food for today. But there will come a day when it won’t be true.” The grasshopper hopped away, not wanting to bother with the morose little ant. Soon spring gave way to summer, summer to fall, and fall to winter. When the fields were covered with snow, the ant sat far down in his anthill, safe and warm, his stomach full, confident that he had enough to eat to see him through the winter. The grasshopper, who had not made any preparations for winter, shivered, and went from one friend to another begging for food and feeling very foolish indeed.
Always be prepared.
Even though she is feeble, the old lady still walks a mile every day.
weak; frail
The repetition of the same sounds or the same kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables.
Digby the dog likes to dig in the dirt.
alliteration
This type of literature is written as a script meant to be performed on a stage
drama
The storyteller; the main character in 1st person and an outside one in 3rd person
narrator
Kevin was walking home from school when he saw a little girl getting picked on by one of Kevin’s classmates. He felt sorry for her, but he did not stop to help her. A few weeks later, the same classmate began picking on Kevin.
Help others in need because it could be happening to you.
After my leg injury, I had to get a massage to reduce muscle tension.
pain; tightness
non-living objects are given living qualities, or animals are given qualities and abilities of people.
Ex: As the frightened salesman walked up to the old mansion, the house stared back at him angrily, frowning at him more with each step he took toward its glaring face.
personification
name a character trait for a character who goes searching for his friend in a dangerous cave
brave; selfless
The point of the story that has the greatest suspense—the most exciting/action-filled part of the story
climax
The white horse gleamed in the sunlight. No one could believe it was the same horse that had wandered into the stable with a matted mane and tail, and covered in mud. Only Fran had looked at the poor creature and seen what it had the potential to become.
Everyone has potential to become better.
When I used the telescope, it helped to magnify the stars in the sky that I could not see before.
make bigger; enlarge
a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect.
“I would wait in line a million years to see that movie!.”
hyperbole
What is the meaning of this metaphor: the classroom was a zoo.
the classroom was chaotic; messy; loud