Literary Terms-A
When two or more words in a group of words begin with the same sound. For example: Fred's frozen french fries.
What is alliteration?
A series of events that lead to the climax. This is also where the conflict of the story usually occurs.
What is the rising action?
Clues or hints about something that is going to happen later in the story. Authors use ________ to build suspense and to prepare the reader for what happens later.
What is foreshadowing?
The comparison of two unlike things to illuminate a particular quality or aspect of one of those things. For example, "Karen was a ray of sunshine."
What is metaphor?
The use of words whose sounds imitate the sounds of what they describe, such as hiss, murmur, growl, honk, buzz, woof, etc.
What is onomatopoeia?
A character who does not change or grow during the story.
What is static character?
The opponent or enemy of the main character, or protagonist.
What is antagonist?
An expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words. For example, "It's raining cats and dogs."
What is idiom?
Extreme exaggeration used for emphasis or effect; an extravagant statement that is not meant to be taken literally.
Language that portrays sensory experiences, or experiences of the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Authors use _________ to describe actions, characters, objects, and ideas, and to heighten the emotional effect of their writing.
What is imagery?
Describing nonhuman animals, objects, or ideas as though they possess human qualities or emotions. For example: "The moon smiled down on her," "I felt the cold hand of death on my shoulder," "There is a battle being fought in my garden between the flower and the weeds."
What is personification?
Where the narrator is a character in the story who describes things from his or her own perspective and refers to himself or herself as "I."
What is first-person point of view?
The sequence of events in a story. This includes the opening event, the rising action, the climax, the falling action and the resolution.
The environment in which a story takes place, including timer period, the location, and the physical characteristics of the surroundings.
What is setting?
The main or central character of a work of literature.
What is protagonist?
When two unlike things are compared- using like or as- in order to illuminate a particular quality or aspect of one of those things. For example, "Randy's voice is like melted chocolate."
What is simile?
A story's main message or moral.
What is theme?
Where the narrator is not a character in the story but the narrator can describe the experiences and thoughts of only one character in the story.
What is third-person limited point of view?
A struggle between opposing forces. It may be external or internal.
What is conflict?
The means through which an author reveals a character's personality.
The point in the play, novel, short story, or narrative poem at which the conflict reaches its greatest intensity and is then resolved.
What is climax?
The conversation between characters in a work of literature.
What is dialogue?
Using words in some other way other than for their literal meaning to make a comparison, add emphasis, or say something in a fresh and creative way.
What is figurative language?
Where the narrator is not one of the characters and is able to describe the experiences and thoughts of every character in the story.
What is third-person omniscient point of view?
When someone fights against a law or policy that he/she does not agree with.
What is person vs. society?
The author's attitude toward the subject matter or toward the reader or audience. _______ is conveyed through the author's word choices and the details that he or she includes.
What is tone?
The feeling the reader gets from a work of literature. It's the atmosphere that makes you feel a certain way when you "walk into" a story. For example: creepy, calm, romantic, sad, or tense.
What is mood?
What is internal and external?
A character who undergoes a significant internal change over the course of a story.This may change in understanding, values, insight, etc.
When the reader or audience member is aware of something that the characters are not aware of
What is dramatic irony?
When something happens that is the reverse of what you expected.
What is situational irony?
When the name or description of something implies the opposite of the truth (for example calling a very tall person "Tiny").
What is verbal irony?
A main or important character that changes and grows from the beginning of the story to the end.
What is a dynamic character?
When one thing in a novel stands for something else. Ex: A dove represents peace.
What is a symbol?
The writer or a narrator tells the reader what the character is like: "Ben was a quiet, serious boy."
The author shows the reader or audience member what the character is like through (1) how the character looks (2) what the character does (3) what the character says (4) what the character thinks and (5) how the character affects other characters.
What is indirect characterization?