| A | B |
|---|
| antagonist | force or character against which the protagonist is pitted |
| atmosphere | mood or feeling in a literary work |
| allusion | a brief reference to a person, event, or place |
| character | a person in a work of fiction |
| alliteration | consonant sounds repeated at the beginning of words |
| character, consistent | a character whose actions, decisions, attitudes, etc. are in keeping with what the author has led the reader to expect |
| anecdote | brief account of a particular incident |
| character, dynamic | a character who changes or develops |
| character, static | a character who does not change or develop |
| conflict | struggle between two opposing forces |
| character, flat | a character who has only one side of the personality developed |
| conflict, internal (inner) | a struggle between two opposing forces within the heart and mind of the protagonist: person vs. self |
| character, round | a character who has many facets (sides) of the personality developed |
| conflict, external | a struggle between the protagonist and some outside force |
| genre | represents a type, such as different types of writing or stories |
| flashback | plot timeline of events reverts to an earlier time |
| imagery | words and phrases which appeal to the reader's senses |
| foreshadowing | clues in the story which hint to what will happen in the future |
| situational irony | a situation when the outcome of an event differs from what is expected |
| initiation story | character has a life-changing "growing up experience" |
| motivation | causes or reasons that a character acts as s/he does |
| plot | series of events that make up the action of a work of fiction |
| dramatic irony | when the audience knows something that a character does not know |
| nonfiction | prose that deals with real people, things, events |
| climax | point of highest interest or dramatic intensity; marks a turning point |
| rising action/complications | action leading up to climax |
| conclusion | ending of a story, problem is not solved |
| exposition | beginning of the plot in revealing the setting, main characters, and initial conflict |
| dénouement | ending where the many remaining questions are answered, in a mystery |
| resolution | a conclusion where the story's primary conflict is solved |
| poetic license | breaking a composition rule (spelling, punctuation, etc.) in order to enhance the effect in your poem or other writing |
| limited third person point of view | narrator is outside the story, like an omniscient narrator, but tells the story from the vantage point of only one character; pronouns used: he, she, they |
| setting | where and when the story takes place |
| point of view | through whose eyes the story is told; narrator |
| prose | a genre (type) of writing which is different from poetry; it uses normal speech rhythms in sentences and paragraphs, such as articles, essays, short stories, and novels |
| stanza | a group of lines that form a unit of poetry |
| symbol | an object that stands for something beyond itself; example: a heart represents love |
| poetry | type of rhythmic, compressed language that uses figures of speech and imagery to appeal to the reader's emotions and imagination |
| structure | in poetry, arrangement of words and lines to produce a desired effect |
| third person omniscient point of view | narrator is a godlike observer who is entirely outside of the story and can tell us anything that occurs anywhere, including all characters' thoughts; pronouns used: he, she, they |
| style | distinctive manner in which the writer uses language |
| first person point of view | narrator is the main character in the story; using the pronouns "I" or "we" |
| simile | a direct comparison of two unlike things using the word "like" or "as" |
| theme | main idea which underlies and unifies all of the elements of the story; the lesson/message |
| stereotype | character who conforms to certain widely accepted ideas of how such a person should look, think, or act |
| tone | author's attitude toward his or her subject |
| protagonist | main character who is trying to solve his or her conflict |
| suspense | feeling of excitement, curiosity, or expectation about the outcome of the narrative |
| universality | literary piece’s appeal and ability to apply to all readers of all times |
