definitions for review table. plot exposition rising action climax falling action denouement simile...

LITERARY DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

Definitions for Review Table

plot

exposition

rising action

climax

falling action

denouement

simile

metaphor

analogy

personification

onomatopoeia

dead metaphor

implied metaphor

mixed metaphor

extended metaphor

PLOT - Series of events that make up a story.


EXPOSITION - Background information to a story; introduces characters and setting



RISING ACTION - The events of a plot that lead up to the climax; builds suspense




CLIMAX - The highest, most intense point of conflict in a story

PLOT - Series of events that make up a story. EXPOSITION - Background information to a

story; introduces characters and setting RISING ACTION - The events of a plot that

lead up to the climax; builds suspense CLIMAX - The highest, most intense point of

conflict in a story FALLING ACTION - The events of a dramatic

or narrative plot following the conflict





FALLING ACTION - The events of a dramatic or narrative plot following the conflict

DENOUEMENT - Resolution of the plot

SIMILE - Comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as”


METAPHOR - Comparing two unlike things



ANALOGY - Resembling relations; comparing groups to show relationships




PERSONIFICATION - Giving human qualities or characteristics to nonliving things





ONOMOTOPOEIA - Use of a word whose sound often imitates its meaning

DEAD METAPHOR - An overused metaphor that has gained a new meaning


IMPLIED METAPHOR - A more subtle use of a metaphor



MIXED METAPHOR - Two or more metaphors used together that appear illogical




EXTENDED METAPHOR - Metaphor that continues throughout the entire text

anachronism

allusion

protagonist

antagonist

foil

flat character

round character

static character

dynamic character

symbolism

imagery

flashback

foreshadow

theme

tone

mood

ANACHRONISM - Something that is not in its correct historical time period


ALLUSION - An implied or direct reference to another text, person, thing, or event



PROTAGONIST - Main character of a story




ANTAGONIST - The character who opposes the main character





FOIL - Character who contrasts protagonist to enhance qualities

FLAT CHARACTER - A one-dimensional character


ROUND CHARACTER - A fully developed character



STATIC CHARACTER - A character that stays the same throughout the story



STATIC CHARACTER - A character who stays the same throughout the story

DYNAMIC CHARACTER – Character who changes permanently throughout the story

SYMBOLISM - Representations of things to others by means of symbols


IMAGERY - Descriptive text; creating mental images for the reader



FLASHBACK - When the text refers back to previous events




FORESHADOW - To give a hint to what will happen later in the text

THEME - Author’s message to the reader; underlying meaning of a story


TONE - Attitude of the writer toward a subject



MOOD - Feeling the reader gets from a story

allegory

internal conflict

external conflict

denotation

connotation

parallelism

alliteration

parody

satire

irony

situational irony

dramatic irony

verbal irony

hyperbole

understatement

ALLEGORY - Symbolic representations of abstract or spiritual ideas


INTERNAL CONFLICT - Conflict within a character; man vs. self



EXTERNAL CONFLICT - Conflict outside of a character; man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. nature, etc.




DENOTATION - Basic dictionary definition of a word





CONNOTATION - The implied meaning or attributes given to a word

PARALLELISM - The use of identical phrases, clauses, and structures within a sentence


ALLITERATION - Repetition of same sounds at the beginning of words



PARODY - Humorous imitations of a piece of text




SATIRE - A text that mocks social conventions; ridicules serious situations

IRONY - Contrast between expectations and reality


SITUATIONAL IRONY - Expecting one thing to happen but something entirely different taking place



DRAMATIC IRONY - Contrast between what the character knows and what the reader knows




VERBAL IRONY - When someone says something but means another (often called “sarcasm”)

HYPERBOLE - Extreme exaggeration


UNDERSTATEMENT - Statement less strong or striking than facts would show

paradox

oxymoron

pun

idiom

assonance

dissonance

dialect

jargon

slang

iambic pentameter

soliloquy

monologue

propaganda

stereotype

PARADOX - A seemingly contradictory or absurd statement that may suggest truth


OXYMORON - Two seemingly contradictory words used together for effect



PUN - Humorous use of words; a play on words




IDIOM - Expressions; meaning of expression is not true to words

ASSONANCE - Resemblance of sounds; vowel rhyme


DISSONANCE - Harsh, disagreeable sounds; discord



DIALECT - A provincial, rural, or socially distinct variety of language




JARGON - “jibberish”; words associated with a specific subject or profession





SLANG - Informal language

IAMBIC PENTAMETER - Verse consisting of 5 meters alternating stressed and unstressed syllables


SOLILOQUY - Speaking to oneself oblivious to people hearing; reveals inner thoughts



MONOLOGUE - An extended period of time in which one character speaks

PROPAGANDA - The persuasion of others to buy a product, believe something, etc.


STEREOTYPE - Simple and often inaccurate categorizing of a group of people



BIAS – having a pre-existing preference for something (one-sided)

ALL DEFINITION

S15 SLIDES