Know them, use them, LOVE them! LITERARY TERMS Know them, use them, LOVE them!

PLOT A series of events Linear plot development Author reveals events in the order in which they occur Non-linear plot development Author interrupts the sequence of events Flashbacks, sub-plots, and parallel plots

POINT OF VIEW the way the author allows you to "see" and "hear" what's going on First-person point of view Second-person point of view Third-person point of view Direct – the author literally tells you about the character / like a police report Indirect – the author gives clues

CONFLICT External conflict Internal conflict Man vs. Nature Man vs. Society Man vs. Man Internal conflict Man vs. Self

IRONY A contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality, or between what is expected and what actually happens. There are three types of irony: Situational irony – the actual outcome of a situation is the opposite of someone’s expectations Verbal irony – a person says one thing and means another (You wreck your car and exclaim, “Well this is great!”) Dramatic irony – the audience has important information that characters in a literary work do not have

INFERENCE The act of concluding from evidence; deduction. In literature it describes the act of figuring something out by using what you already know. Example: A + B = C If A = 2 and B = 3 then using what you know, you can deduce what C equals.

CHARACTERIZATION The method a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character. Direct characterization: the writer makes direct statements about a character’s personality Indirect characterization: the writer reveals a character’s personality through the character’s words and actions and through what other characters think and say about the character Direct – the author literally tells you about the character / like a police report Indirect – the author gives clues

CHARACTER TYPES Static character – a character who remains the same Dynamic character – a character who changes

DENOTATION CONNOTATION The literal or dictionary meaning of a word Example: Home - a house, dwelling, a place where one lives permanently CONNOTATION The suggested or implied meanings associated with a word beyond its dictionary meaning Example: Home - family, loving, safe, warm

SYMBOL An object, person, place or experience that means more than what it is An owl symbolises wisdom The phoenix symbolises rebirth The dove symbolises peace

MOOD The emotional quality or atmosphere of a story Example: “The ‘Red Death’ had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood.” From “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe

TONE A reflection of a writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward the subject A writer’s tone may convey a variety of attitudes, including, sympathy, objectivity, seriousness, irony, sadness, bitterness, or humor Example: “Don’t talk to me about voting or politics. I’m not interested. All politicians are self-serving and corrupt. My vote won’t change a thing!”

FORESHADOWING The use of clues by the author to prepare readers for events that will happen later in a story A hint

IMAGERY The “word pictures” that writers create to help evoke an emotional response. Writers use sensory details , or descriptions that appeal to one or more of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. "The commander's voice was like thin ice breaking. He wore his full-dress uniform, with the heavily braided white cap pulled down rakishly over one cold gray eye." "The commander's voice was like thin ice breaking. He wore his full-dress uniform, with the heavily braided white cap pulled down rakishly over one cold gray eye." From The Secret Life of Walter Mitty by James Thurber

SIMILE A figure of speech using like or as to compare seemingly unlike things Example: The corn was as high as an elephant’s eye. I mean really! Do corn and an Elephant have ANYTHING in common?

METAPHOR A figure of speech that compares two or more things that have something in common. In contrast to a simile, a metaphor implies the comparison instead of stating it directly. Example He’s a bear when he’s angry!

PERSONIFICATION A figure of speech in which an animal, object, force of nature, or idea is given human qualities or characteristics Example: The shadow crept along the hallway.

DICTION The writer’s choice of words; an important element in the writer’s voice or style Good writers choose their words carefully to convey a particular meaning or feeling