literary terms

SettingThe time and place in which

the events of a work of literature take place

Conflict

a struggle or clash between opposing characters or

opposing forces

Theme The truth about life

revealed in a literary work expressed in a complete

sentence

Point of view The vantage point from which

a story is told--omniscient

--third-person limited--first person

Foreshadowing The use of clues to suggest

events that will happen later in the plot

Suspense the uncertainty or anxiety you

feel about what will happen next in the story

Metaphor An imaginative comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be

another thing.Example: "Memory is a crazy

woman that hoards colored rags and throws away food.”~Austin

O'Malley,

Mood The overall emotion created by a work of literature.

Example: The children who sat at the kitchen table had smiles

on their faces and birthday cake and ice cream in front of

them. They laughed and squealed with delight.

Simile A comparison between two

unlike things using a word such as like, as, than, or resembles.Example: "When he finished

the apple, he smacked his lips together like a pair of

cymbals."

Symbol a person, a place, a thing, or

an event that has its own meaning and stands for

something beyond itself as well.

Example: The American flag

1. Characterization The process of revealing the

personality of a character in his story.1.What the character says2. How the character looks3. What the character thinks

4.What other characters say about the character

5.How the character acts6. By telling you directly

The author directly states a character’s traits or makes direct

comments about a character’s nature

When a writer reveals a character’s personality through the words of a

character, description of a character’s looks and clothing, comments made

about the character by another character in the story, or the

character’s behavior

A person or an animal in a story, play, or another

literary work

The main character in a work of literature who is involved in the

central conflict

The character or force in conflict with the protagonist

A character who does not change throughout the work, and the reader’s

knowledge of that character does not grow

A character who undergoes some kind of change because

of the action in the plot

PlotA series of events that tell the story.

11. Exposition

The background information about the characters and

the setting at the beginning of a story.

13. ConflictA struggle or clash between

opposing characters or opposing forces

A character’s struggle with an outside force which may be

another character, society as a whole, or a natural force.

A conflict that takes place within a character’s own mind. It is a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions.

The turning point of the story. It is often the most intense moment either mentally or in action. Usually the main character comes face to face with the

conflict. Something happens that reveals how the story will turn out

17. ResolutionThe part of the plot that occurs after the climax and is where

conflicts are resolved and loose ends are tied up.