Elements of literature

Allusion An indirect reference to another literary work or to a famous person, place or event.

Audience The person or persons who are intended to read a piece of writing. The intended audience of a work determines its form, style, tone and the details included.

Characterization Refers to the techniques a writer uses to develop characters. There are four basic methods of characterization: -physical description -through the character’s own words, thoughts, actions and feelings -through the actions, words, thoughts and feelings of other characters -through the narrator’s own direct comments.

Conflict A struggle between opposing forces. External- pits a character against nature, society or another character. Internal- a conflict between opposing forces within a character.

Diction A writer’s or speaker’s choice of words.

Flashback A break in the narrative to describe events that took place at an earlier time.

Foreshadow A writer’s use of hints or clues to indicate events that will occur in a story.

Hyperbole Exaggeration for a specific effect Ex. The bag weighed a ton!

Imagery The descriptive words and phrases that a writer uses to re-create sensory experiences.

Irony Refers to a contrast between appearance and actuality. Situational Irony-is a contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. Dramatic Irony-when a reader knows more than the characters do. Verbal Irony-when someone states one thing, but means another.

Metaphor Compares two things without using like or as.

Mood The feeling or atmosphere that the writer creates for the reader.

Narrator The character in a story who is telling the story

Oxymoron Bringing together two contradictory terms Ex. Jumbo Shrimp

Personification Giving human qualities to nonhumans Ex. The tree sings.

Plot The plot is the sequence of actions and events in a literary work.

Point of View The perspective from which the events in a story or novel are told. 1st person – the narrator is a character in the work who tells everything in his or her own words and uses the pronouns I, me and my. 3rd person-events are related by a voice outside the action and uses the pronouns he, she, they, etc.

Setting The time and place in which the action occurs.

Simile Compares two things using like or as.

Suspense Created by having clues yet not knowing how things will turn out

Symbol A concrete object that represents another idea

Theme The central idea of the story, the message the author wants to convey to the reader

Tone A writer’s attitude toward his or her subject.

Understatement Something that is represented less than it is Ex. Don’t worry, it is just a scratch, when is reality it is a huge dent.