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LITERARY TERMS
KEEP THESE NOTES WITH YOU SO THAT WHEN WE
NEED TO ADD TO THE LIST, YOU WILL HAVE IT.
You are responsible for the terms once they have been provided!
I. PlotThe events in a story.
The elements are...
I. Plot A. ExpositionBackground on story
and characters.Example:
“Once upon a time, in a forest far, far
away, there lived an evil queen and her
lovely granddaughter.”
I. Plot B. Conflict
Issue/problem that results from the struggle between two opposing
forces
There are two main categories of conflict...
I. Plot B. 1. Internal Conflict
occurs within a character. Character v. him/herself
I. Plot B. 2. External Conflict
occurs outside of a character.
Ex.character v. society, world,
nature, or another
character.
I. PLOT C. RISING ACTION
Events stemming
from conflict.
I. Plot Point D. Climax
HIGHEST POINT OF ACTION
IN A STORY.
I. Plot E. Falling Action
Events leading to the conclusion.
I.Plot Point F.: Resolution
The resolution of the original conflict. Also called
the Dénoument and includes any action after
the resolution.
Setting
Is the TIME and PLACE of the events of the story. This doesn’t just mean
which town or country the story is set in, it can refer to the culture, the
region, the room, the weather, etc. Or, the setting may include place, but leave the time period ambiguous
because the story’s plot and circumstances are timeless.
Tone and MoodTone is the narrator or author’s attitude
about the subject of the piece of literature. Some sample tone
adjectives are: angry, romantic, frightened, cheerful, condescending,
thoughtful, etc.
Mood is the effect of the images, word choice, conflict, tone, etc. on the
audience.
Figurative Language: A. SimileIndirect comparison of two unlike things using like, as, seems, or than.Example: They flew like birds to the party. She is
as mean as a snake.
Figurative Language
B. Metaphor
Direct comparison of two unlike things.
Ex: The man is a pig. Our father is a rock.
Figurative Language
C.Personification
Giving human characteristics to an animal or inanimate
object. Ex. “The sea licked greedy
lips in the shadows.”
AnthropomorphismSpecific type of personification
wherein we attempt to understand/translate non-
human behavior/motivations through the human, hence
“anthrop,” lens.Ex. The puppy was crying because he was scared.
Hyperbole
Extreme exaggeration Example: I have told you
a million times what hyperbole is!!!!
Symbol
Something that represents more than
what it is―more than the thing itself. Example: Red
rose=love.
Sound Devices...
Alliteration: Repetition of initial sounds.
Example: Mild mannered millionaire, and silly, silly
students.Onomatopoeia:
When a word sounds like what it is. Example: Whack, buzz, tinkle, sizzle, pop, and
ding!
Sound DevicesCacophony—use of harsh or
clashing sounds. Often used in descriptions of war, violence, hate,
etc.
Euphony—use of smooth or flowing sounds. Often used in description
of love, happiness, joy, etc.
Sound Devices...
Dialect—when literature is written, and words are spelled to indicate
how the speech of a region or character sounds.
Such as southern dialect with words like: y’all, fixin’ ta, howdy,
etc.
Consonance
Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds.
Example:lady lounges lazily , dark deep dread crept in
Assonance
Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds.
• Examples: fleet feet sweep by sleeping geeks.
Communion
Whenever an author writes about eating or drinking, he/she is assessing the relationship of characters. If food and drink is shared, the relationship is good. If food and drink are uncomfortable or are refused, the opposite is true.
Allusion
A reference to anything from art, history, mythology, The Bible,
Shakespeare, etc. Example: In “The Most Dangerous
Game” Zaroff's dog who sinks in the quicksand is named for Lazarus from The Bible who was raised from the
dead.
Imagery
Words that are used to help readers experience
something through their senses.
There are several specific types of imagery you should
know...
Imagery Types...
Sight:Visual Imagery Ex. The pool was crystal clear and deep blue with waters calmly rippling.
Imagery Types...
Hearing=aural imageryEx. I knew my mom was really mad when I heard
the SLAM of the door.
Imagery Types...
Touch=Tactile imagery Ex. The bunny’s fur felt like
silk against my hand.
Imagery Types...
Taste=Gustatory imagery Ex. The salt lingered on his lips long after he had eaten
the olives.
Imagery Types...
Smell=Olfactory Imagery Ex:The scent of rotten
eggs wafted through the halls.
Imagery Types...
Thermal Imagery to show us how warm or cold
something is Ex. The blood warm
waters of the Caribbean closed over his head.
Imagery Types...
Kinetic Imagery is used to show us how
something moves. Ex: The boat rocked back and forth and back and
forth and back and forth.
Poetic ApostropheWhen the speaker
addresses someone or something that is not
present.
Ex: “Oh, Elvis. Your words inspire me to
tears!”
CHARACTERIZATION
Is process of informing an audience about a character. There are two
methods authors employ:
Direct characterization—the speaker tells us directly about a character and what to think about him/her.
Example: “Ms. Labor was the meanest teacher at Sumner High.”
Characterization, cont.
Indirect characterization—the speaker reveals a character
through his/her words and actions and the audience draws
conclusions. Example: “When we walked
into 18A, Ms. Labor was kicking a puppy and throwing students' folders around the
room.”
PROTAGONIST
Main character of a story, sometimes
referred to as a hero.
ANTAGONIST
Character that is in conflict with the
protagonist. Sometimes called
the “bad guy,” and often shown in dark
clothing in films.
Flat Character
A character that is one-dimensional. A stereotype. We have no clue about the hopes,
dreams, etc. of these characters, nor do we care to.
Examples: dumb jock, ditzy blond, absent-minded professor, pencil-necked geek, macho cop, kooky
artist, etc.
Round Character
A three-dimensional character who is well
fleshed-out for us. We understand who they are,
what they love, dream, hate, etc.
These are the memorable characters that we think of almost as real people
we know.
Dynamic Character
These characters change as a result of the action of the plot. The conflict changes them in some way—usually
enlightening them and making them better.
#27: Static Characters
These characters do not change as a result of the action or
conflict. They stay the same from the beginning to the end.
These static characters are most often also the flat
characters.
Point of View
is the vantage point from which a story is told. For the purpose of discussing literature we usually focus
on the following four types:
First Person Point of View
The narrator (story teller) is involved in the story and uses
“I” to unfold the plot.
Second Person Point of View
The narrator tell the story using the
pronoun “you” as the driver of the plot. Most rarely used narrative point of
view.
Third Person Limited Point of View
The narrator is not involved in the story and reveals the thoughts and
feelings of only ONE character.
Third Person Omniscient Point of View
The narrator is not involved in the story, and can see into
the minds (thoughts and feelings) of all the
characters.
Suspense and Foreshadowing
Suspense is the quality of a work that makes us continue to read to see what
will happen next. Writers create suspense with details that arouse curiosity by foreshadowing, or
hinting at what is to come. Ex. A thunderstorm on the morning of an outdoor wedding might foreshadow
a bad marriage.
Diction
Diction is word choice. Each time a writer
chooses one word over another it effects the readers’ experience.
Three Types of Diction1. High/Formal Diction: Many Polysyllabic
words, formal sounding, sometimes considered “pedantic”
This is the language you would hear in a college-level discussion.
2. Neutral Diction: This is deliberately clear language. Not overly formal. It is the
language we should be using with each other in the classroom.
3. Low Diction: This is language that is full of slang, dialect, and informality. This is the language of the high school hallway.
Explication
Line-by-line or stanza-by-stanza explanation of
poetry.
Rhetorical Questioning
Questioning that you don’t expect anyone to answer. Its purpose is to make people think, and sometimes
work out internal conflict in literature and in life.
Types of Irony
Situational: when what happens is ABSOLUTELY not what could have
been predicted. Example: My neighbor kept talking
about his cat, Lucky, and when I saw him he only had three legs
and one eye!
Types of IronyVerbal: when what is said what is not
what is meant. Example: When my brother dropped my super expensive sculpture and it
broke into one thousand pieces, I said, “You are BRILLIANT!”
Types of Irony Dramatic: when the audience
knows things that the character’s don’t know.
Example: When the husband has purchased an anniversary
gift for a wife, and the audience saw him do it, but the wife didn’t, every time she gives
him a hint or nags him about it, the audience gets a laugh.
Theme
Theme is the most important concept to understand for the purpose of encountering art of any kind. Everyone who writes, sings, draws, sculpts, acts, directs, designs, etc. has a vision
or an opinion about some aspect of life that he/she wishes to share with his/her audience.
This vision or opinion is called the theme! We should phrase our theme statements
universally, U.M.
Synecdoche Synecdoche is a type of metaphor;
one word or a part that represents the whole.
Examples: • One man can change his stars. • All hands on deck. • Lend me your ears.
Metonymy
Metonymy is substituting a word for another word closely associated with it.
Examples:• The White House said in a press
release.• The peasants bowed to the crown.
• The central office makes the rules.
Malapropism
• Malapropism is an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, esp. by the confusion of words that are similar in sound.
• Example: You say one thing but mean your mother.
• Or, on a more serious note: You say weary when you mean wary.
AnaphoraAnaphora [LLat. Gk. anapherein, to repeat:
ana-, again + pherein, to carry]• The deliberate repetition of a word or
phrase at the beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or paragraphs.
• One of the devices of repetition, in which the same phrase is repeated at the beginning of two or more lines.
• "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills" (Winston S. Churchill).
•
Paradox
Paradox is a seeming contradiction.
Ex.• The blind prophet (someone who can
see the truth/future). • Innate wisdom in the uneducated. • Parents who want their children to have
an easier life, but are then disappointed in their kids for having it too easy.
Ethos
• Ethics• Authority• Integrity
Logos
• Logic• Reasoning,
deductive/inductive
Pathos
• Emotion
Verisimilitude
The appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true. Something that has the appearance of being true or real.
Character Foil
Foil is a character that contrasts second character that highlights certain qualities of that first character.
Ex: Tybalt/Romeo (the fighter/the lover)
Anachronism Anachronism something that occurs out
of its time period.
Example:• The clocks in Julius Caesar
• 1962 Pennies in the opening scene of 1932 set To Kill a Mockingbird
• Music from A Knight’s Tale/Mulin Rouge• Knight’s Tale and the Nike Swoop.
Oral Tradition
Oral tradition is the way in which stories were passed down from generation to generation before written language was common.
Epic
An Epic is a long poem about the adventures of a hero or of the gods.
• Ex. The Odyssey is an epic about Odysseus’ ten-year journey home.
• Other Epics: Virgil’s Aeneid , Don Juan, Paradise Lost, The Divine Comedy, Beowulf, Metamorphoses, Gilgamesh, and of course, The Iliad
Kenning
Is a compound expression used in place of a name or noun.
Examples:• Whale-road = ocean• Flashing-steel=sword• Light of battle=sword• Battle sweat=blood
Beot Beot (Anglo-Saxon: "vow"; becomes Modern English
"boast") A ritualized boast or vow first made publicly by Anglo-Saxon warriors known as thegns before the hlaford in a mead-hall the night before a military engagement. A typical warrior's boast might be that he would be the first to strike a blow in the coming battle, that he would kill a particular champion among the enemy, that he would not take a single step backward in retreat during the battle, that he would claim a renowned sword from an enemy warrior as booty, and so on.
Example: • From A Knight’s Tale: Introductory speech by Chaucer
for Ulrich/William. • Tons of them in Beowulf
Xenia Xenia is the Greek concept of the
guest/host reciprocal relationship. • Concept at the heart of the Greek culture.• It is not as simple as “hospitality.” • Hospitality in our culture is voluntary. • It is an obligation/ bond , between the two Xenos and
is hereditary• You would choose a Xenos based on your social
station.• Xenia was mandatory, and enforced by none other
than Zeus Xenios. Violators were punished!• Translation: If you eat at my table or sleep under my
roof, I will do you no harm, and you will do me no harm.
• You can only ask the identify of a guest AFTER you have fed him.
• Interesting tidbit: it is the source of our word Xenophobia—fear of strangers (Xenos--foreigner)