Literary Terms We will be using these literary terms throughout your time in this class. We will be using these literary terms throughout your time in this class. You need to keep up with your literary notes for all stories we read this year. Don’t lose your terms! You need to keep up with your literary notes for all stories we read this year. Don’t lose your terms! You will have a quiz over these terms on Friday – STUDY!!!!!!! You will have a quiz over these terms on Friday – STUDY!!!!!!!

We will use the following terms: Character AntagonistProtagonist MoodPlot Personification ExpositionRising ActionClimax Falling ActionResolutionConflict FlashbackForeshadowingSuspense Point of ViewSettingStyle ThemeToneFigures of Speech MetaphorSimile

Setting the time and place of the action. the time and place of the action. includes all the details of a place and time – the year, the time of day, even the weather. The place may be a specific country, state, region, community, neighborhood, building, institution, or home. includes all the details of a place and time – the year, the time of day, even the weather. The place may be a specific country, state, region, community, neighborhood, building, institution, or home.

Character A character is a person or an animal that takes part in the action of a literary work.

Antagonist The Antagonist is a character or force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist. The Antagonist is a character or force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist.

Protagonist The Protagonist is the main character in a literary work The Protagonist is the main character in a literary work

Point of View Point of View is the perspective, or vantage point, from which a story is told. It is the relationship of the narrator to the story. First-person is told by a character who uses the first-person pronoun “I”. Third-person limited point of view is the point of view where the narrator uses third-person pronouns such as “he” and “she” to refer to the characters.

Tone Tone is a reflection of a writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward a subject of a poem, story, or other literary work. For example, respect, anger, lightheartedness, or sarcasm.

MOOD Mood, or atmosphere, is the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage.

Plot Plot is the sequence of events. The plot usually begins with an exposition that introduces the setting, the characters, and the basic situation. This is introduced and developed. The conflict then increases until it reaches a high point of interest or suspense, the climax. The climax is followed by the falling action, or end, of the central conflict. Any events that occur during the falling action make up the resolution.

PLOTLINE Exposition Resolution Rising Action Climax Falling Action Conflict Introduced

Rising Action Rising Action is the part of the plot that begins to occur as soon as the conflict is introduced. The rising action adds complications to the conflict and increases reader interest.

Climax The Climax is the point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or suspense in the plot of a narrative. The climax typically comes at the turning point in a story or drama.

Falling Action Falling Action is the action that typically follows the climax and reveals its results.

Resolution The Resolution is the part of the plot that concludes the falling action by revealing or suggesting the outcome of the conflict.

Conflict Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces in a story or play. There are two types of conflict that exist in literature.

External Conflict External conflict exists when a character struggles against some outside force, such as another character, nature, society, or fate. Man vs. Man Man vs. Nature

Internal Conflict Internal conflict exists within the mind of a character who is torn between different courses of action. Man vs. Himself

Flashback A flashback is when an earlier episode, conversation, or event is inserted into the sequence of events. Often flashbacks are presented as a memory

Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is the author’s use of clues to hint at what might happen later in the story. Used to create suspense

Suspense Suspense is the growing interest and excitement readers experience while awaiting a climax or resolution in a work of literature.

Theme The theme of a literary work is its central message, concern, or purpose. A theme can usually be expressed as general statement, about people or life. may be stated directly by the writer although it is more often presented indirectly.

Style Style is the distinctive way in which an author uses language. Word choice, phrasing, sentence length, tone, dialogue, purpose, and attitude toward the audience and subject can all contribute to an author’s writing style.

Metaphor A Metaphor is a type of speech that compares or equates two or more things that have something in common. A metaphor does NOT use like or as. Example: Life is a bowl of cherries.

Simile A Simile is another figure of speech that compares seemingly unlike things. Simile’s DO use the words like or as. Example: Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

Oxymoron An Oxymoron is a figure of speech that is a combination of seemingly contradictory words. Examples:Same difference Pretty ugly Roaring silence

Personification Personification is a figure of speech in which an animal, object, force of nature, or idea is given human qualities or characteristics. Example:Tears began to fall from the dark clouds.