Flashcards › Essential Literary Terms

Exposition The essential background information at the beginning of a literary work Rising action the development of conflict and complications in a literary work Climax the turning point in a literary work Falling action results or effects of the climax of a literary work Resolution/denouement end of a literary work when loose ends are tied up and questions are answered Symbol/symbolism One thing (object, person, place) used to represent something else Allusion a reference to something well-known that exists outside the literary work Antagonist character that is the source of conflict in a literary work Theme the idea about life or human nature that the author is trying to get across through the characters and plot of the story Characterization The manner in which an author develops characters and their personalities Conflict struggle between two or more opposing forces (person vs. person; nature; society; self; fate/God. Dialogue direct speech between characters in a literary work Figurative Language language that represents one thing in terms of something dissimilar (non-literal language). Includes simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, symbol Flashback the method of returning to an earlier point in time for the purpose of making the present clearer Foreshadowing hint of what is to come in a literary work Setting The time and place of a literary work Protagonist the main character in a literary work Imagery language that appeals to the five senses Irony when the outcome of a situation is different from what was expected or when the audience knows something a character does not Metaphor an implied comparison between dissimilar objects: alliteration the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words close to each other Plot The sequence of events in a literary work analogy a point by point comparison between two things that are alike in some respects. author's purpose either to inform, entertain, persuade or express themselves autobiography an account of a person's life written by themselves biography true account of a persons life written by someone else character the people who take part in a story connotation the attitudes and feelings associated with a word and not the literal definition dialect the form of language spoken by a particular region, area, or ethnic group essay a brief composition on a single subject fiction works of prose from the imagination first person point of view a story told from the I perspective hyperbole figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humorous effect foil a character who provides a striking contrast to another character non-fiction writing that is true and deals with real people events and places mood the feeling or atmosphere created by the writer narrator character from whose point of view the story is told personification figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to an object, animal, or idea simile a comparison between two unlike things using the words like or as Literary Terms used in literary analysis to help see different levels of meaning.