Literary Terms Guide for Academic Year
Literary Terms
We will be using these literary terms
throughout the school year.
You need to keep up with your notes.
Don’t lose your terms! You will be
asked to refer to them –
be RESPONSIBLE.
We will use the following terms:
We will use the following terms:
Character
Character
Antagonist
Antagonist
Protagonist
Protagonist
Diction
Diction
Denotation
Denotation
Connotation
Connotation
Imagery
Imagery
Mood
Mood
Plot
Plot
Exposition
Exposition
Rising Action
Rising Action
Climax
Climax
Falling Action
Falling Action
Resolution
Resolution
Conflict
Conflict
Flashback
Flashback
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing
Suspense
Suspense
Point of View
Point of View
Setting
Setting
Style
Style
Theme
Theme
Tone
Tone
Character
A character is a person or
an animal that takes part
in the action of a literary
work.
Antagonist
•
The Antagonist is a
character or force in conflict
with a hero, or protagonist.
Do you know your Antagonists?
Do you know your Antagonists?
•
On your paper take a few minutes to write
down some antagonists that you can recall
from movies, television shows, and video
games
•
Remember the
antagonist
is in conflict
with the
protagonist
/hero!
•
Helpful hint – you should now know why
people use the saying “Don’t antagonize
me!”
Protagonist
•
The protagonist is the
hero/heroine -typically the
main character in a literary
work.
•
Can you name some famous
protagonists that are found in
literature?
Diction
•
Diction is the manner in which
we express words; the wording
used.
•
It refers to specific word choices
Denotation
The denotation of a word
is its literal, dictionary
meaning, independent of
other associations that
the word may have.
Connotation
The connotation of a word is the set of
ideas (emotions) associated with it in
addition to its explicit meaning. The
connotation of a word can be
personal, based on individual
experiences. More often, cultural
connotations – those recognizable by
most people in a group – determine a
writer’s word choices.
Denotation versus Connotation
Some examples –
Cheap is “low in cost” (denotation) but
“stingy” or “poorly made” are the
connotations of
cheap
Does cheap have a positive or negative
connotation?
Imagery
Imagery
is words or phrases
that appeal to one or more of
the five senses. Writers use
imagery to describe how their
subjects look, sound, feel,
taste, and smell.
MOOD
Mood
, or atmosphere, is the feeling
created in the reader by a literary
work or passage. Writer’s use many
devices to create mood, including
images, dialogue, setting, and plot.
Often, a writer creates a mood at the
beginning of a work and then
sustains the mood throughout.
Sometimes, however, the mood of the
work changes dramatically.
TIP
: Mood = Me (it’s about the reader)
Tone
Tone is a reflection of a writer’s or speaker’s
attitude toward a subject of a poem, story, or
other literary work.
For example, word choice or phrasing may seem
to convey respect, anger, lightheartedness, or
sarcasm.
Remember that mood refers to the reader’s
feelings while tone refers to the author’s
attitude.
Plot
Plot is the sequence of events. The first event
causes the second, the second causes the third,
and so forth.
The plot usually begins with an
exposition
that
introduces the setting, the characters, and the
basic situation. This is introduced and developed.
The conflict then increases (
rising action
) until it
reaches a high point of interest or suspense, the
climax
. The climax is followed by the
falling
action
, or end, of the central conflict. Any events
that occur during the falling action make up the
resolution
.
PLOTLINE
Exposition
Resolution
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Conflict Introduced
Exposition
The exposition is the
introduction. It is the part
of the work that introduces
the characters, setting, and
basic situation.
Rising Action
Rising action is the part of the
plot that begins to occur as
soon as the conflict is
introduced. The rising action
adds complications to the
conflict and increases reader
interest.
Climax
The climax is the point of
greatest emotional intensity,
interest, or suspense in the
plot of a narrative. The climax
typically comes at the turning
point in a story or drama.
Falling Action
Falling action is the action that
typically follows the climax and
reveals its results.
Resolution
The resolution is the part of
the plot that concludes the
falling action by revealing or
suggesting the outcome of
the conflict.
Conflict
Conflict is the struggle
between opposing forces in
a story or play. There are
two types of conflict that
exist in literature.
External Conflict
External conflict exists when a character
struggles against some outside force, such
as another character, nature, society, or
fate.
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Society
Man vs. Nature
Internal Conflict
Internal conflict exists within the mind of a
character who is torn between different
courses of action.
Man vs. Self
Flashback
A flashback is a literary device in
which an earlier episode,
conversation, or event is inserted
into the sequence of events.
Often flashbacks are presented as
a memory of the narrator or of
another character.
Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing is the author’s use of clues
to hint at what might happen later in the
story. Writers use foreshadowing to build
their readers’ expectations and to create
suspense. This is used to help readers
prepare for what is to come.
TIP: look for clues in strong warnings and
seemingly unrelated comments
Suspense
Suspense is the growing interest and
excitement readers experience while
awaiting a climax or resolution in a work
of literature. It is a feeling of anxious
uncertainty about the outcome of events.
Writers create suspense by raising
questions in the minds of their readers.
Point of View
Point of View is the perspective, or vantage point,
from which a story is told. It is the relationship of
the narrator to the story.
•
1
st
person is told by a character who uses the first-
person pronoun “I”.
•
3
rd
person - the narrator is not a character (uses
third-person pronouns such as “he” and “she” to
refer to the characters)
•
3
rd
person limited - the narrator is not a character
but can read the thoughts/emotions of a single
character
•
3
rd
person omniscient - the narrator is not a
character but can read the thoughts/emotions all
of the characters
Setting
The setting of a literary work is the time and
place of the action.
The setting includes all the details of a place and
time – the year, the time of day, even the
weather. The place may be a specific country,
state, region, community, neighborhood,
building, institution, or home.
Details such as dialect, clothing, customs, and
modes of transportation are often used to
establish setting.
In most stories, the setting serves as a backdrop
– a context in which the characters interact.
The setting of a story often helps to create a
particular
mood
, or feeling and can help to set
up the
conflicts
.
Style
Style is the distinctive way in which
an author uses language.
Word choice (DICTION), phrasing,
sentence length, dialogue,
purpose, and tone (attitude
toward the audience and subject)
can all contribute to an author’s
writing style.
Theme
The theme of a literary work is its central
message, concern, or purpose. A theme is a
universal statement about people or life. The
theme may be stated directly by the writer
although it is more often presented indirectly.
When the theme is stated indirectly, the reader
must figure out the theme by looking carefully at
what the work reveals about the people or about
life.
Theme Tips
•
The theme is NOT one word (ex: love or
friendship). Think about what the author
is trying to say about those universal ideas
and turn it into sentence/statement of fact
(ex: Love is blind. Or, love conquers all.)
•
The theme should be supported by
events/character actions, but it should be
also be a universal idea (not limited to
that one text).
In preparation for the upcoming school year, familiarize yourself with key literary terms such as Character, Diction, Imagery, Exposition, and more. Understand the roles of Antagonists and Protagonists, learn about Diction, Denotation, Connotation, and how they shape writing. Enhance your understanding of literature through these essential terms.
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Presentation Transcript
Literary Terms We will be using these literary terms throughout the school year. You need to keep up with your notes. Don t lose your terms! You will be asked to refer to them be RESPONSIBLE.
We will use the following terms: Character Diction Imagery Exposition Falling Action Flashback Point of View Theme Antagonist Denotation Mood Rising Action Resolution Foreshadowing Setting Tone Protagonist Connotation Plot Climax Conflict Suspense Style
Character A character is a person or an animal that takes part in the action of a literary work.
Antagonist The Antagonist is a character or force in conflict with a hero, or protagonist.
Do you know your Antagonists? On your paper take a few minutes to write down some antagonists that you can recall from movies, television shows, and video games Remember the antagonist is in conflict with the protagonist/hero! Helpful hint you should now know why people use the saying Don t antagonize me!
Protagonist The protagonist is the hero/heroine -typically the main character in a literary work. Can you name some famous protagonists that are found in literature?
Diction Diction is the manner in which we express words; the wording used. It refers to specific word choices
Denotation The denotation of a word is its literal, dictionary meaning, independent of other associations that the word may have.
Connotation The connotation of a word is the set of ideas (emotions) associated with it in addition to its explicit meaning. The connotation of a word can be personal, based on individual experiences. More often, cultural connotations those recognizable by most people in a group determine a writer s word choices.
Denotation versus Connotation Some examples Cheap is low in cost (denotation) but stingy or poorly made are the connotations of cheap Does cheap have a positive or negative connotation?
Imagery Imagery is words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses. Writers use imagery to describe how their subjects look, sound, feel, taste, and smell.
MOOD Mood, or atmosphere, is the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage. Writer s use many devices to create mood, including images, dialogue, setting, and plot. Often, a writer creates a mood at the beginning of a work and then sustains the mood throughout. Sometimes, however, the mood of the work changes dramatically. TIP: Mood = Me (it s about the reader)
Tone Tone is a reflection of a writer s or speaker s attitude toward a subject of a poem, story, or other literary work. For example, word choice or phrasing may seem to convey respect, anger, lightheartedness, or sarcasm. Remember that mood refers to the reader s feelings while tone refers to the author s attitude.
Plot Plot is the sequence of events. The first event causes the second, the second causes the third, and so forth. The plot usually begins with an exposition that introduces the setting, the characters, and the basic situation. This is introduced and developed. The conflict then increases (rising action) until it reaches a high point of interest or suspense, the climax. The climax is followed by the falling action, or end, of the central conflict. Any events that occur during the falling action make up the resolution.
PLOTLINE Climax Resolution Exposition Conflict Introduced
Exposition The exposition is the introduction. It is the part of the work that introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation.
Rising Action Rising action is the part of the plot that begins to occur as soon as the conflict is introduced. The rising action adds complications to the conflict and increases reader interest.
Climax The climax is the point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or suspense in the plot of a narrative. The climax typically comes at the turning point in a story or drama.
Falling Action Falling action is the action that typically follows the climax and reveals its results.
Resolution The resolution is the part of the plot that concludes the falling action by revealing or suggesting the outcome of the conflict.
Conflict Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces in a story or play. There are two types of conflict that exist in literature.
External Conflict External conflict exists when a character struggles against some outside force, such as another character, nature, society, or fate. Man vs. Man Man vs. Society Man vs. Nature
Internal Conflict Internal conflict exists within the mind of a character who is torn between different courses of action. Man vs. Self
Flashback A flashback is a literary device in which an earlier episode, conversation, or event is inserted into the sequence of events. Often flashbacks are presented as a memory of the narrator or of another character.
Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is the author s use of clues to hint at what might happen later in the story. Writers use foreshadowing to build their readers expectations and to create suspense. This is used to help readers prepare for what is to come. TIP: look for clues in strong warnings and seemingly unrelated comments
Suspense Suspense is the growing interest and excitement readers experience while awaiting a climax or resolution in a work of literature. It is a feeling of anxious uncertainty about the outcome of events. Writers create suspense by raising questions in the minds of their readers.
Point of View Point of View is the perspective, or vantage point, from which a story is told. It is the relationship of the narrator to the story. 1st person is told by a character who uses the first- person pronoun I . 3rd person - the narrator is not a character (uses third-person pronouns such as he and she to refer to the characters) 3rd person limited - the narrator is not a character but can read the thoughts/emotions of a single character 3rd person omniscient - the narrator is not a character but can read the thoughts/emotions all of the characters
Setting The setting of a literary work is the time and place of the action. The setting includes all the details of a place and time the year, the time of day, even the weather. The place may be a specific country, state, region, community, neighborhood, building, institution, or home. Details such as dialect, clothing, customs, and modes of transportation are often used to establish setting. In most stories, the setting serves as a backdrop a context in which the characters interact. The setting of a story often helps to create a particular mood, or feeling and can help to set up the conflicts.
Style Style is the distinctive way in which an author uses language. Word choice (DICTION), phrasing, sentence length, dialogue, purpose, and tone (attitude toward the audience and subject) can all contribute to an author s writing style.
Theme The theme of a literary work is its central message, concern, or purpose. A theme is a universal statement about people or life. The theme may be stated directly by the writer although it is more often presented indirectly. When the theme is stated indirectly, the reader must figure out the theme by looking carefully at what the work reveals about the people or about life.
Theme Tips The theme is NOT one word (ex: love or friendship). Think about what the author is trying to say about those universal ideas and turn it into sentence/statement of fact (ex: Love is blind. Or, love conquers all.) The theme should be supported by events/character actions, but it should be also be a universal idea (not limited to that one text).
