A Glossary of Literary Terms

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A Glossary of Literary Terms

• Review for Finals
• Grade 7

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onomatopoeia

• the use of words that imitate sounds sizzle,
  snap, buzz, boom

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prose

• the kind of everyday writing that does not have
  the rhyme or rhythm patterns of poetry writing
  in sentence and paragraph form

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stanza

• a formal division of lines in a poem and is
  consider a unit it is to poetry what a paragraph
  is to prose.

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simile

• a comparison of two essentially unlike things
  using the words like or as to make the
  comparison.

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exposition

• the beginnings of the story during which the
  author reveals the setting, introduces central
  characters, and sets in motion a story problem

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protagonist

• the central character in a literary work. In
  some stories, this character may play the role of
  a hero/heroine

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speaker

• the imaginary voice a poet uses when writing a
  poem the character who tells the poem. This
  character, or voice, often is not identified by
  name. There can be important differences between
  the poet himself and this voice.
• .

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falling action

• the action which follows the storys climax,
  tying up the loose ends and leading to the
  conclusion

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epic poetry

• a long narrative poem about the adventures of
  gods or a hero. Serious in tone and broad in
  theme, it offers a portrait of the culture in
  which it was produced. The earliest known were
  created in ancient Greece and Rome and are part
  of the oral tradition.

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surprise ending

• As the term implies, this is when the ending of a
  story takes an unexpected turn, one the reader
  may not have seen coming however, upon
  revisiting the plot, the author likely dropped
  hints that were either overlooked, dismissed as
  unimportant, or misinterpreted.
• O. Henry is considered the master of the
  surprise ending.

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universal

• A term used to describe themes that are common in
  human experience

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mood

• the emotional effect of feeling that an author
  creates in a literary work

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genre

• a term used in literature and art, meaning a
  category or classification
• the three major genres are prose, poetry, and
  drama

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diction

• A level of speech, described in terms of high,
  middle, and low it is adjusted according to
  audience and purpose of speech or writing.

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alliteration

• the repetition of initial consonant sounds to
  draw the readers attention or create musical
  effects tongue-twisters

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plot

• the series of related events in a literary work
  the action that takes place in a story

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historical context

• The customs, laws, modes, and expectations of the
  time period in which a literary work is set.

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poetry

• writing that is highly concise, often musical,
  and emotionally charged. It can take many forms
  and employ many devices of sound and sense. It
  may may feature imagery, figurative language, and
  rhyme

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myth

• a fictional tale that explains the actions of
  gods or heroes or the origins of elements of
  nature. Part of the oral tradition, they are
  composed orally and then passed from generation
  to generation by word of mouth. Every ancient
  culture has its own.

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antagonist

• the character or force that opposes the
  protagonist, or hero, in a work of literature

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authors purpose

• What the author hopes to accomplish in writing.
  It may be to 1) inform or teach you, 2) persuade
  you of some position, 3) reflect upon his/her
  experiences, or 4) entertain you.

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metaphor

• a direct comparison between two essentially
  unlike things. Like or as is not used in
  such a comparison.

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setting

• the time and place in which the action of a
  literary work unfolds

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personification

• when a non-human animal or thing is given human
  traits or capabilities

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round character

• A character for whom an author has created a
  fully developed physical appearance and
  personality. A multi-dimensional character whose
  feelings and attitudes are explored such a
  character will likely experience change as the
  story progresses.

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oxymoron

• the juxtaposition of contradicting terms jumbo
  shrimp, pretty ugly, Icy Hot, Battle of Little
  Bighorn

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oral tradition

• the passing of songs, stories, and poems from
  generation to generation by word of mouth. Folk
  songs, folk tales, legends, and myths are
  examples. No one knows who first created these
  stories and poems.

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fiction

• prose writing that tells an imaginary story in
  the form of a short story or novel

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foreshadowing

• when an author gives you a foretaste, hint, or
  preview of what is to come

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nonfiction

• prose writing that presents and explains ideas or
  that tells about real people, places, objects, or
  events. Autobiographies, biographies, essays,
  reports, letters, memos, and newspaper articles
  are all examples of this genre.

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conflict

• the struggle between opposing characters or
  forces that is central to the action of a
  literary work man versus man, man versus nature,
  man versus society, man versus God, and man
  versus himself

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etymology

• The study of the history and origin of words

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stereotype

• A character that bears obvious traits of a person
  or group often negative, they tend to reinforce
  qualities reflective of perceptions and
  assumptions readers have in their minds about a
  type of character.

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euphemism

• A softer, gentler, less-offensive term for one
  considered harsh
• Think passed away instead of dead

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flat (stock) character

• A character that is not fully developed, but has
  a specific role to play in the plot.

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dialect

• a regional variety of speech, a form of language
  spoken by people in a particular region of the
  county or by a group of people bound by some
  commonality, differing in pronunciation, grammar,
  word choice, and idiomatic speech.

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resolution

• the point at which the conflict in the story is
  resolved the conclusion is reached

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short story

• a brief work of fiction that is meant to be read
  in a single sitting. They usually follow a
  standard plot development format of exposition,
  conflict, rising action, climax, falling action,
  resolution

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hyperbole

• a gross exaggeration that cannot possibly be
  taken seriously

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fantasy

• A genre of fiction that is highly imaginative,
  containing elements not found in real life

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flashback

• when the narrator of the story or a character
  recalls a memory, action, or dialogue from an
  earlier time, out of sequence from the storys
  present time line

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climax

• the moment in the story that comes as its high
  point or its most emotional peak

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realistic fiction

• fiction set in relatively modern times that
  reflect common experiences to which the average
  person could relate. This type of fiction tells
  an imaginary story about characters and places
  that could actually exist and events that could
  actually happen

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euphemism

• the substitution of an inoffensive term for one
  considered blunt or offensive

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novel

• a long work of fiction, usually divided into
  chapters. It is meant to be read over multiple
  sittings. In such a literary work, there is more
  opportunity for greater depth in terms of themes,
  plot lines, and characterization.

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rising action

• the plot developments that add complications and
  expand the conflict it contributes to the
  building of suspense or tension

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connotation

• Described as positive, negative, or neutral, it
  is the meaning beyond the literal definition of a
  word or phrase a feeling or sense attached to a
  word that is not part of its dictionary
  definition.

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rhyme scheme

• the regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem.

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suspense

• Tension that is built when the reader feels
  anxious or uncertain as to what will be the
  outcome of events.

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point of view

• the perspective from which a story is told. An
  author may choose to narrate from the
  first-person, meaning the story is told by a
  character in the story itself. A author may also
  employ a third-person point-of-view.
  Third-person limited implies the story is seen
  from the perspective of one or a limited number
  of characters. Third-person omniscient implies
  that the narrator has a God-like view into the
  hearts and minds of all the characters

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denotation

• the literal, dictionary definition or meaning of
  a word or phrase

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imagery

• the mental pictures created in the readers
  mind by the authors use of figurative language,
  sensory language, and descriptive word choice
  the total sensory effect a piece of literature
  has upon the reader

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theme

• the underlying idea or message about life or
  human nature contained in a literary work

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science fiction

• Science fiction combines elements of fiction and
  fantasy with scientific fact. The author of
  science fiction poses a what if question and
  brainstorms ideas from there.
• The story may explore futuristic worlds and
  envision new technology
• Alien life forms may play a part

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narrative poem

• A poem that tells a story and features many of
  the conventions found in a prose narrative

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sensory language

• language that is meant to appeal directly to the
  readers five senses

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idiom

• a figure of speech, an expression that has a
  particular meaning to a language or a region of
  the country. These expressions cannot be taken
  literally. They do not translate easily into
  other languages.

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drama

• a story written to be performed by actors.
  Though meant to be performed, a reader can also
  read the script (the written dialogue and stage
  directions) and imagine the action. It is
  divided into acts and scenes.

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irony

• when the opposite of what is expected happens a
  contrast between appearances and what actually
  is examples are verbal and situational

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characters

• a person, an animal, or a personified object that
  plays a role in the action of a literary work
• Characterization
• the techniques, both direct and indirect, an
  author uses to present and develop characters.
• direct characterization
• the authors comments in a straightforward manner
  on the nature of the a character. The author
  tells the reader about and or actually describes
  the character
• indirect characterization
• the author allows the reader to draw conclusions
  about characters based upon the characters own
  words and acts, as well as upon how other
  characters react to them the reader learns about
  the character by noting what other characters
  think and say

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dialogue

• A conversation between characters. In poems,
  novels, and short stories, dialogue is usually
  set off by quotation marks. In a play, it
  follows the names of the characters who will
  speak the lines, and colons, not quotation marks,
  are used.

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narrator

• The speaker or character who tells a story.

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figurative language

• language based on figures of speech symbolic in
  meaning. Examples include idiom, simile,
  metaphor, and personification.

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literature

• writing as art