| A | B |
|---|
| first person point of view | the events are told by a character in the story |
| third person point of view | the events are told by someone outside the story |
| repetition | the repeated use of words or phrases in order to emphasize a point |
| simile | a comparison between two things, using “like” or “as”. |
| metaphor | a figure of speech in which something is described as if it were something else; a comparison made without using “like” or “as”. |
| alliteration | the repetition of similar initial consonant sounds in order to create a musical or rhythmic effect, to emphasize key words or to imitate sounds. |
| imagery | words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses and help to create a vivid description for the reader |
| rhyme scheme | a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem. (To indicate the rhyme scheme of a poem, one uses lower-case letters. Each rhyme is assigned a different letter. The rhyme scheme of a poem, for instance, might be ababcd.) |
| symbol | anything that stands for or represents something else. |
| stanza | a group of lines in a poem. |
| speaker | the imaginary voice assumed by the writer of a poem, the one describing the events in a poem |
| narrator | the speaker or character who is telling the story |
| allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art, often used to help make a comparison. |
| antagonist | a character or force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist. |
| autobiography | the story of a person's life narrated by that same person. |
| biography | a form of non-fiction in which a writer tells the life story of another person. |
| character | refers to what someone is like – what their qualities are |
| character trait | the quality of a character; what a character is like. |
| climax | the highest point of action in a story, often the turning point. |
| conclusion | the outcome of a series of events |
| conflict | a problem or struggle between two or more forces |
| direct characterization | the writer directly states the character’s traits or characteristics. |
| drama | writing meant to be performed by actors on a stage. This form includes dialogue and stage directions. |
| dynamic character | a character who changes over the course of a story |
| exposition | provides background for the story. Characters are introduces, the setting is described, and the tone is set. |
| external conflict | a problem or struggle between a character and an outside force |
| fable | a brief story, usually with animal characters, that teaches a lesson or a moral. |
| falling action | ( sometimes called resolution) occurs after the climax and resolves the conflict. The loose ends are tied up and the story comes to a close. |
| fiction | writing that tells about imaginary characters and events. This form uses sentences and paragraphs. |
| flashback | a section in a literary piece that interrupts the sequence of events in order to relate an earlier incident or set of events. |
| folk tale | a story composed orally and then passed down from person to person by word of mouth. |
| foreshadowing | an author’s use of hints or clues to give a reader an idea of what may happen next. |
| free-verse | poetry that has irregular lines and may or may not rhyme. |
| generalization | a vague or indefinite statement that is made to cover many cases. Example: “All human beings hope for something.” |
| hyperbole | use of extreme exaggeration. |
| idiom | a word or phrase which means something different from what it says – it is usually a metaphor. An idiom is an expression peculiar to a certain group of people and/or used only under certain circumstances. |
| indirect | the writer allows the reader to draw his/her conclusions as to what a character is like, based on the appearances, words, actions, and interactions with other characters. |
| inference | a conclusion drawn by the reader based on available information. |
| internal conflict | a problem within a character (character vs. self). |
| introduction | the location of the story where the reader first learns about the main characters, the setting, and the storyline. |
| irony | a situation where the opposite of what is expected to occur or exist does occur or exist. |
| mood | the atmosphere or feeling an author creates within the piece of writing. |
| moral | a lesson taught by a literary work. |
| motivation | a reason that explains or partially explains a character’s thoughts, feelings, actions, or speech. |
| myth | a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or heroes or the origins of elements of nature. |
| narrative | writing or speech that tells a story. |
| narrative poetry | poetry that tells a story |
| non-fiction | writing that tells about real people, places, objects, or events. This form includes sentences and paragraphs. |
| objective details | details that are factual and true to life. |
| oxymoron | the close placement of words having opposite or near opposite meanings in order to create a unique description. |
| parable | a short tale that illustrates a universal truth, a belief that appeals to all people of all civilizations. |
| personification | a type of figurative language in which a non-human subject is given human characteristics. |
| plot | the sequence of events in a literary work. The plot is the writer’s plan for what happens, when it happens, and to whom it happens. |
| poetry | expressive writing that may use rhythm and rhyme to convey emotion. |
| protagonist | the main character in a literary work. |
| pun | a humorous play on words. |
| resolution | occurs after the climax and resolves the conflict. |
| rhyme | a close similarity in the final sounds of two or more words or lines of verse in a poem |
| rhythm | a flow in music or poetry of regular accented beats |
| second person point of view | the narrator tells the story to another character using "you," so that the story is being told through the addressee's point of view. |
| setting | the time and location of the events described in a literary work. |
| static character | a character who does not undergo a change over the course of a story |
| subject | who or what the story is about; the topic |
| theme | a central message, idea, or concern that expressed in a literary work. |
| third person limited point of view | a method of storytelling in which the narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of a single character, while other characters are presented externally. |
| third person omnicient point of view | A method of storytelling in which the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the characters in the story, as opposed to third person limited, which adheres closely to one character's perspective. |
| tone | the attitude of an author toward the subject that he/she is writing about. |
| rising action | complications are introduced and suspense builds |
| falling action | events here are the effect of the climax; the reader senses the story will end soon |
| inciting incident | the point where the action or conflict begins |
| denouement | this is where any final mysteries or questions are answered |
| onomatopoeia | is a word that imitates or suggests the source of the sound that describes. |
