LITERARY TERMS

Part One
 HISTORY
oral storytelling traditions
epic poems such as Homers Odyssey used meter and rhyme (common in poetry)
to tell the stories
around the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales
a collection of short tales focusing on individual characters within a group traveling to
Canterbury.
short stories grew in popularity toward the end of the 19th century and into the
beginning of the 20th century
magazines were eager to publish short works of fiction
stories were often submitted as installments
introduced genres such as science fiction and mystery.
EX: Faulkners novel, Go Down Moses, was originally published as separate short stories.
CHARACTERISTICS

a small cast of characters

often take place in a single setting
focus on a self-contained situation/incident
no set length, but they are shorter than novellas and novels
Writers of short stories and novels both use literary elements,
such as plot, to compose their stories
Plot Structure: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
(dnouement).
 PLOT: WHAT IS IT?
The plot is the pattern events that makes up a story. Plot has
five parts:
exposition introduces information the reader needs to
know, like main characters, setting, and sometimes backstory
rising action the conflict or series of events that built to the
climax.
climax the turning point of the story and for the
character(s). Point of highest interest
falling action where the rising action or conflict unravels.
Often includes the winning/losing of protagonist or a moment
of suspense.
resolution (dnouement) comes at the end when story's
conflicts are resolved or worked out.
CONFLICT

There are two categories of conflict that can

affect an individual character:
Internal conflict the character struggles with
personal conflicts often ethical and/or emotional.
External conflict the character struggles with
an outside force, such as another character or
nature.

*Good to know: These conflicts drive the rising action of the

plot.

Can you give any examples of these two categories of

conflict?
 FIVE TYPES OF CONFLICT

1. Man vs. Man the conflict is between

characters. It could be direct opposition (i.e.
fighting) or indirect (i.e. personal conflict).

*This is an example of external conflict.

2. Man vs. Self the character grapples with
his/her self and may often have to choose
between two paths or have to overcome
his/her natural state of being.
*This is an internal conflict.
CONFLICT (3, 4 & 5)

3. Man vs. Nature this conflict positions the

protagonist against a force of nature (i.e. an animal,
weather, natural disaster)
4. Man vs. Society this is the conflict between the
character(s) and society/social institutions. Characters
are typically frustrated or oppressed by social rules.
5. Man vs. Destiny/Fate - a character is compelled to
follow an unknown destiny forcing a character to
consciously, or subconsciously, act on his or her fate.
Man versus fate conflict is a type of internal conflict.

Examples?
OTHER TYPES OF CONFLICT

Man vs. God or the Supernatural -

any supernatural force that is outside
the understanding of the protagonist.
Character vs. Machine/Technology -
places a character against man-made
entities which may possess "artificial
intelligence.

Examples?
 TERMS TO KNOW:

Suspense: the feeling of intensity the

audience experiences while waiting for the
outcome of the conflict. Characterized by
uncertainty, apprehension, and anxiety.
Flashback: a scene that takes the reader back
in time from the current place in the
narrative/story
Foreshadowing: a hint or warning the author
gives the reader about certain plot
developments that may come to be later in
the story.
CHARACTER TERMS

Protagonist: The main character a literary work, often the hero.

Antagonist: the character who opposes the protagonist or hero.
Dynamic character: a character who experiences significant change in outlook or
character throughout the story. Changes could be gradual or sudden.
Rounded character: a character who demonstrates varied and sometimes
contradictory traits. Round characters are usually dynamic and change in some
way over the course of a story.
Static character: a character who remains unchanged throughout the story. The
conflict/events in the story do not alter a static characters outlook or personality.
Flat character: a character who can be seen as uncomplicated (only a few
personality traits) and does not change throughout the course of the story. Flat
characters are usually static.
 CHARACTERIZATION

direct characterization: The author tells the audience what a character is like. May
be revealed through description, narration, other characters.
EX: Hes good-looking, hes strong enough to handle the work in the mines, and he can hunt. You can tell by the
way the girls whisper about him when he walks by in school that they want him (from The Hunger Games 10).

indirect characterization: The author shows the reader what the character is like.
The reader decides what the character is like through his/her thoughts, actions,
words, looks and interaction with other characters. Also revealed through the
reaction of other characters to the character.
EX: I reach her just as she is about to mount the steps. With one sweep of my arm, I push her behind me. I
volunteer! I gasp. I volunteer as tribute! (from The Hunger Games 22).
SETTING

Setting: where and when the story

takes place. It is crucial for setting the
plot.
Setting is usually revealed during the
exposition

A question for you:

What are some ways that the setting
can influence a story?
 IMAGERY

Imagery: vivid and descriptive

language that appeals to human
senses to deepen the reader's
understanding of the work.
 TYPES OF IMAGERY

Five types of imagery used in literature: For you: Identify the imagery in the quotation. What
senses are triggered? What kind of understanding do
Visual imagery: appeals to sight and the you have?
visualization of events or places.
This is a valley of ashes a fantastic farm where
Auditory imagery: appeals to a sound (often ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and
revealed through literary devices like grotesque gardens; where ashes take the forms of
consonance, assonance, alliteration, and houses and chimneys and rising smoke and, finally,
with a transcendent effort, of men who move dimly
onomatopoeia).
and already crumbling through the powdery air []
Olfactory imagery: descriptive imagery that the ash-gray men swarm up with leaden spades and
appeals to ones sense of smell. stir up an impenetrable cloud(23).
From The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Gustatory imagery: pertains to a taste.
Tactile imagery: appeals to ones sensation of
touch and texture.
 SIXTH SENSE

Kinesthetic imagery: descriptive

imagery that pertains to movement.

This type of imagery is often found in literature, but is not

one of the five types you will need to know for test and
quizzes.
LITERARY TERMS
Part 2
 POINT OF VIEW

Point of View: describes the narrator's position in relation to the story being told.

First person
Second person
Third person
 FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW

First Person Point Of View: the main character is telling the story using "I" narration.
Reader, can only experience the story through this person's eyes.

First Person Peripheral: This is when the narrator is a supporting character in the story, not
the main character.

Can you think of any examples?

 THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW

Third Person Omniscient: The narrator knows

everything about the characters; all thoughts,
feelings, and actions. The narrator can know
things that others don't and can make
comments about what's happening.
Third Person Point Of View: The
narrator is not a character in the story Third Person Objective: uses third person
and uses third person ("he/she/it") to narration and contains no references to
thoughts or feelings; it only reports what can be
narrate the story. This is the most seen and heard.
commonly used POV in writing.
Third Person Limited: The narrator is able to
see into the mind of a single character and tells
the story this one characters perspective and
experiences.
SECOND PERSON & ALTERNATING PERSON
POINT OF VIEW

Second Person Point Of View: It is

told from the perspective of "you".

Alternating Person View: The

author switches between point of
view.
 TONE VS. MOOD

Tone: the narrators (or authors)

attitude toward the subject. It can
be many things, such as playful, How is mood different than a
angry, dry, serious, ironic, caring storys tone?
the list goes on.

What are some ways that a writer

Mood: includes the elements of creates a specific tone?
tone (attitude), as well as the storys
atmosphere (setting, weather, time
of day).
 TONE VS. MOOD

How is mood different than a storys tone?

What are some ways that a writer creates a specific tone?
IRONY

Irony: a difference or contrast TYPES OF IRONY:

between appearance and reality; Verbal
what appears to be true and what Situational
really is true. Dramatic
THREE TYPES OF IRONY

Verbal irony: a literary device in which

the speakers words contrast with what
he/she really means. Verbal irony
comes in two varieties: overstatement
and understatement. Dramatic irony: when the reader has
http://youtu.be/IiR-bnCHIYo more knowledge or deeper
understanding of the events taking
place than the character(s).
Situational irony: the actions of a http://youtu.be/RZFYuX84n1U
situation have the exact opposite effect
on the situation than what was
intended. The outcome is contrary to
the expectation.
http://youtu.be/tqg6RO8c_W0
SYMBOLS

Common Symbols
White: purity

Symbol: a person, place, or thing Black: death

that comes to represent an Dove: peace

abstract idea or concept. Symbols Water: rebirth

can be anything that stands for

something more than itself. Questions for you:
What are some everyday symbols in
our popular culture?
How can we spot symbols?
THEME VS. MORAL

Theme is the general subject or ideas Moral is an underlying lesson one can
explored in a literary work. Theme learn from events of a story. Usually
explores universal truths in relation to pertains to ethical d
the human experience. It is What the
writer wishes to convey about the
subject.
COMMON THEMES: COMMON LESSONS:
Coming of age Cheating is wrong
Self discovery Be kind to one another
Mortality Dont be quick to judge