Literary Terms

Literary Terms You may already know some of the following terms, but you WILL know ALL the following terms by the end of this semester.

Allusion reference to a person, place or event In literature, writers often use allusions to express an idea or get a message across. They use allusions because they are quick references that readers from their time period can easily identify and understand. EXAMPLES: I was really shocked and scared, it was like 9/11 all over again. “ I Have a Dream” that one day you will all realize that your education should be one of the more important things in your life.

Antagonist the rival (the bad guy) In literature, the antagonist isn’t always the bad guy. Sometimes antagonist refers to the main person opposing the main character. EXAMPLES: Spiderman: The Green Goblin, Doc Ock Batman: The Penguin, The Joker, Catwoman Harry Potter: Lord Voldemort, the Malfoys, Professor Snape

Protagonist the leading character in a play or novel. In literature, the protagonist isn’t always a good guy, but it is the main or leading character in a play or novel. EXAMPLES: Spiderman Batman Harry Potter

Connotation the suggestion or implication evoked by a word, phrase or statement. Words not only carry the meaning that we can find in the dictionary, but they also have meaning as slang words. They can usually be classified as being positive or negative. EXAMPLES: Connotation Denotation Cool Good Cold Tight Good close-fitting Junker Negative a bad car

Denotation the dictionary definition of a word. The very literal meaning of the word. EXAMPLES: Connotation Denotation Cool Good Cold Tight Good close-fitting Junker Negative a bad car

Dialogue two or more characters speaking to each other. EXAMPLES “ What time are you going over to Mayra’s house?” asked Alyssa. “ I haven’t decided,” replied Eva, “I thought I would wait to see what time we get finished at practice.” “ That’s a good point,” Alyssa admitted, ”I forgot about practice.”

Diction the vocabulary chosen by a writer. Author’s choose to have the narrator speak in a specific way. We often refer to diction as being formal or informal. EXAMPLES: I told him that I didn’t have a clue what he was up to. I was about to bounce when he got up in my grill and started talking smack. (Informal) I told him that I wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. I was about to leave when he came up to me. He got very close to me in an attempt to intimidate me, then began speaking rudely to me. (Formal)

Dramatic Irony the audience of a play is aware of facts that the character(s) are not. When we, as the reader, know something that the characters do not know. EXAMPLES: Spider Man: Mary Jane tells Spider Man that she would know hid eyes anywhere. The audience knows that Spider Man is Peter Parker and that she doesn’t even recognize that it is her friend.

z Exposition background information (beginning stuff) essential to the story. Where you find out the setting and are introduced to the characters. 1. Exposition 2. Rising Action 4. Falling Action 5. Resolution 3. Climax

z Rising Action When the story is beginning to get more interesting. Where the problem of the story begins to really develop. 1. Exposition 2. Rising Action 4. Falling Action 5. Resolution 3. Climax

z Climax The turning point in a story Where you are the most interested in what will happen next. 1. Exposition 2. Rising Action 4. Falling Action 5. Resolution 3. Climax

z Falling Action events that happen after the climax and before the resolution Downhill. The action in the story is heading downhill toward the resolution. 1. Exposition 2. Rising Action 4. Falling Action 5. Resolution 3. Climax

z Resolution Where the problem in the story is resolved. 1. Exposition 2. Rising Action 4. Falling Action 5. Resolution 3. Climax

First Person The use of “I” in speech and writing. EXAMPLES I walked into my English class excited to begin having fun. It wasn’t long before I realized we weren’t having fun today, we were working.

Second Person The use of “you” in speech and writing. Example You walked into your English class excited to begin having fun. It wasn’t long before you realized you weren’t having fun today, you were working.

Third Person The use of “he/she/they” in speech or writing EXAMPLE: He walked into his English class excited to begin having fun. It wasn’t long before he realized that his class wasn’t going to be having fun today, they were going to be working.

External Conflict Struggle between a character and something outside of his or her own mind and thoughts. Human Vs. Human Human Vs. Nature Human, Vs. Machine EXAMPLES: Internal External You can’t decide whether Your parents will be to skip class or not. mad at you if you skip You can’t decide whether Your ex-friend hit to fight your ex-friend on your girlfriend or not.

Internal Conflict Struggle between a character and his or her own beliefs, ideas, feelings. Internal conflicts usually involve a decision you are trying to make. EXAMPLES: Internal External You can’t decide whether Your parents will be to skip class or not. mad at you if you skip You can’t decide whether Your ex-friend hit to fight your ex-friend on your girlfriend or not.

Hyperbole huge exaggeration or overstatement. This is something most of you do on a daily basis: exaggerate. EXAMPLES: I am so hungry that I could eat a horse. I so tired that I could pass out right now. My head aches so badly that it’s going to explode.

Imagery writing that creates a picture in the mind, usually through the use of comparisons. EXAMPLE: As I walked to class this morning, I was thinking about how I couldn’t wait until lunch. We had pizza for dinner last night with pepperoni, sausage, and black olives, and it was the tastiest pizza I’ve ever had. Since we ordered a large, we had plenty left over. I placed two pieces in a ziploc bag for lunch today. I was so obsessed with imagining my lunch that I wasn’t paying attention to where I placed my feet. I walked through the parking lot to get to class and didn’t raise my foot high enough to reach the top of the curb. I fell face forward onto the ground. Everyone around me laughed and I was really embarrassed. The only good thing was that I hadn’t squished my pizza.

Irony saying one thing but meaning the opposite. There are three different types of Irony: Verbal Dramatic Situational

Metaphor a comparison that says one thing is another thing. EXAMPLES: I run so quickly that I am a cheetah. You are a rose, you are so beautiful.

Simile a comparison which use the words like or as. EXAMPLES: I run so quickly that I am like a cheetah. You are like a rose, you are so beautiful.

Mood The way a piece makes you feel. The mood that a piece makes you feel. EXAMPLES:

Tone The way the speaker feels about what he/she is describing As opposed to Mood, which is how a piece makes YOU feel, tone is how the speaker or author feels about what they are describing. EXAMPLES:

Oxymoron the linking together of contradictory or opposite words. EXAMPLES: Jumbo Shrimp Bittersweet Civil War

Personification objects are given human characteristics. Giving something the qualities of a person. EXAMPLES: The pen walked across the paper. The hills have eyes. The dog talked to me.

Symbol objects which are used to represent something else EXAMPLES: The American Flag The Peace Sign A heart

z Pun a play on words which sound the same or similar which is usually used for comic effect. EXAMPLES Have a nice trip? See you next fall. The only date that is a command: March 4 th There are three kinds of people, those who can count and those who can’t.

Theme the central idea or message the writer is trying to express. EXAMPLE:

Literary Terms

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