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Literary Terms and Elements
Literary terms and elements, also going to be on the midterms.
23
English
9th Grade
01/22/2011

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Term
Plot
Definition
The arrangement of events in a story
Term
Elements of plot
Definition
1. Exposition (the introduction- introduces main characters, setting, and the inciting incident- the event that gives rise to the conflict) 2. Rising action (the portion of the story where the plot becomes more complicated and the conflict intensifies) 3. Climax (the point at which the conflict reaches its greatest height- after this the rest of the story is inevitable) 4. Falling action (leads to and culminates with the resolution) 5. Resolution (also known as the denouement, which means "the unknotting")
Term
Setting
Definition
Time, place, and context (social, political, and economic situation)
Term
Conflict
Definition
A struggle between opposing forces
Term
Four types of conflict
Definition
Person versus Person
Person versus Self
Person versus Society
Person versus Nature
Term
Character
Definition
The personalities who populate a story
Term
Protagonist
Definition
The main character
Term
Antagonist
Definition
Provides the primary conflict. If the antagonist is evil, (s)he is referred to as the villain.
Term
Theme
Definition
A statement the text seems to be making about a subject. Basically, it is the meaning, and it may be a moral or a lesson, but it may come from an unmoralized or less obviously moral perspective.
Term
Diction
Definition
Author's, or speaker's, word choice
Term
Metaphor
Definition
An implied comparison between unlike things. There is no word to tell the reader a comparison is made. It is up to the reader to identify the figurative nature of the language.
Term
Simile
Definition
A comparison between unlike things that uses signal words to make the comparison explicit. Some examples of these words are like, as, seems, and resembles.
Term
Hyperbole
Definition
A gross exaggeration. Overstatement used to make a point.
Term
Personification
Definition
Giving human characteristics to non-human things
Term
Coming of age
Definition
(1) Tells the tale of an individual's transformation from childhood to maturity, and (2) shows the physiological or spiritual development a character goes through to understand his/her place in the world.
Term
Analysis
Definition
Breaking something into smaller pieces to better understand the whole
Term
Tone
Definition
The attitude of authors toward their subjects, their readers, and/or themselves
Term
Atmosphere
Definition
The feeling(s) created in the reader by the work
Term
Symbol
Definition
Something that, although it is of interest in its own right, stands for or suggests something larger and more complex
Term
Motif
Definition
A recurrent thematic element
Term
Drama
Definition
A written work meant to be performed theatrically
Term
Cultural assimilation
Definition
When an individual adopts some or all aspects of a dominant culture (such as its religion, language, norms, values, etc.)
Term
Allusion
Definition
An indirect, or brief, reference to a person, event, statement, or theme found in literature, the other arts, history, mythology, religion, or popular culture)
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