Literary Terms (Exam #2)

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Tone

Back 1

the writer's or speaker's attitude toward a subject, character, or audience; it is conveyed through the authors choice of words and detail. Tone can be serious, humorous, sarcastic, indignant, objective etc.

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mood

Back 2

the atmosphere or predominant emotion in a literary work

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point of view

Back 3

the perspective from which a narrative is told

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theme

Back 4

the writer's main message about life. theme is usually not stated directly and is left for the reader to figure out

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setting

Back 5

time and place in which the story happens

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exposition

Back 6

how the stage is set for the story. characters are introduced, the setting is described, and the conflict begins to unfold

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complications

Back 7

events that make the plot become more complex

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climax

Back 8

the point of greatest interest or suspense in a story. action reaches its peak and the outcome of the conflict is decided

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falling action

Back 9

the events between the climax and the resolution

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resolution

Back 10

the end of the story when loose ends are tied up

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foreshadowing

Back 11

the use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest future action

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motif

Back 12

a unifying element in an artistic work, especially any recurrent image,symbol,theme,character type,subject or narrative detail

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Subject

Back 13

one word

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irony

Back 14

when a speaker or narrator says one thing while meaning the opposite

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style

Back 15

can be shown through tone/mod, diction, imagery, organization, syntax and point of view.

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Alliteration

Back 16

repetition of initial consonant sounds. Writers use alliteration to draw attention to certain words or ideas, to imitate sounds, and to create musical effects.

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Allusion

Back 17

reference to a well-known person, event, place, literary work, or work of art. Allusions allow the writer to express complex ideas without spelling them out.

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Analogy

Back 18

a comparison between two or more things that are similar in some ways but otherwise unalike.

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Antagonist

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character or a force in conflict with a main character, or protagonist.

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Author Argument

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the position he or she puts forward, supported by reasons.

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Author’s Purpose

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his or her main reason for writing.

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Character

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person or an animal that takes part in the action of a literary work.

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Conflict

Back 23

a struggle between opposing forces. Conflict is one of the most important elements of stories, novels, and plays because it causes the action.

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Cultural Context

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The cultural context of a literary work is the economic, social, and historical environment of the characters. This includes the attitudes and customs of that culture and historical period.

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External Conflict

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a character struggles against some outside force, such as another person. Another kind of external conflict may occur between a character and some force in nature.

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Flashback

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a scene within a story that interrupts the sequence of events to relate events that occurred in the past.

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Historical Context

Back 27

the actual political and social events and trends of the time.

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Imagery

Back 28

are words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses.

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Internal Conflict

Back 29

conflict that takes place within the mind of a character.

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Main Character

Back 30

the most important character in a story, poem, or play.

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Metaphor

Back 31

figure of speech in which something is described as though it were something else.

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Minor Character

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one who takes part in the action but is not the focus of attention.

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Onomatopoeia

Back 33

the use of words that imitate sounds.

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Oxymoron

Back 34

a figure of speech that links two opposite or contradictory words, to point out an idea or situation that seems contradictory or inconsistent but on closer inspection turns out to be somehow true.

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Personification

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a type of figurative language in which a nonhuman subject is given human characteristics.

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Perspective

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the way he or she sees things.

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Persuasion

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writing or speech that attempts to convince the reader or listener to adopt a particular opinion or course of action.

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Plot

Back 38

sequence of events in which each event results from a previous one and causes the next.

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Protagonist

Back 39

the main character in a literary work.

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Repetition

Back 40

the use, more than once, of any element of language

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Simile

Back 41

a figure of speech that uses like or as to make a direct comparison between two unlike ideas.

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Symbol

Back 42

anything that stands for or represents something else.

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Symbolism

Back 43

the use of symbols. Symbolism plays an important role in many different types of literature.

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Tragedy

Back 44

a work of literature, especially a play, that results in a catastrophe for the main character.