Scapa Language Arts - Literary Terms

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Allusion

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A reference to a well-known person, event, place, literary work, or work of art.

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Antagonist

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A person or force who opposed the central character, or protagonist, in fiction.

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Author's Purpose

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The intention of the writer which could be to explain, to tell a story, to amuse, to persuade, or to inform.

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Character

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A person, or sometimes an animal, who takes part in the action of a literary work. Characters include the protagonist, antagonist, and minor characters. They may be dynamic, round, static, or flat.

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Dynamic Character

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A character who changes during the story.

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Flat Character

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A character who is one-sided and is often stereotypical.

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Round Character

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A character who is fully developed and exhibits many traits including faults and virtues.

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Static Character

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A character who does not change.

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Characterization

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The methods a writer uses to develop the personality of a character.

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Direct Characterization

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The writer makes direct statements about the character's personality.

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Indirect Characterization

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The writer reveals a character's personality through the character's words and actions and through what other characters say and think about the character.

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Climax

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The point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or suspense in a story.

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Conflict

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The central struggle or problem in a story or play. There are four types: man vs. self, man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. society.

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Internal Conflict

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A struggle with the mind of a character who is torn between opposing feelings or goals. Example: man vs. self

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External Conflict

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A character struggles against some outside force such as another person, society, or nature. Examples: man vs. man, man vs. society, man vs. nature

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Dialect

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The form of a language spoken by people in a particular region or group. Dialects differ in pronunciation, grammar, and word choice.

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Dialogue

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A conversation between characters.

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Exposition

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In the plot of a story, this is the part that introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation.

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Falling Action

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Events that lead to a resolution.

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Fantasy

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Highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life.

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Fiction

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A type of writing in which situations and characters are invented by the author.

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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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Foreshadowing

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Clues the author provides in a story to prepare readers for events which will happen later in the story.

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Figurative Language

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Writing or speech that is not meant to be taken literally. The many types of figurative language are known as figurative speech. Common figures of speech include metaphor, personification, and simile.

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Genre

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A division or type of literature. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama are the main literary genres.

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Imagery

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Language that helps the reader to see, hear, taste, feel, and smell things described in the work.

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Irony

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A contrast between reality and what appears to be reality. The end result is the opposite of someone's expectations.

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Metaphor

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A figure of speech which compares seemingly unlike things. A metaphor implies the comparison instead of stating it directly so "like" or "as" are not used in metaphors.

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Mood

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The feeling created in the reader by a literary word or passage.

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Motive

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A reason that fully or partially explains a character's thoughts, feelings, actions, or speech. Motives may be hidden or obvious and could include: food, shelter, fear, pride, love, etc.

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Narrator

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A speaker or a character who tells a story.

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Narrative Hook

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The point in a story where the author grabs the reader's interest.

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Nonfiction

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A type of writing which deals with real people and experiences.

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Personification

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A figure of speech in which a human quality is given to an animal, object, or idea.

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Plot

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A series of events and character actions that relate to the central conflict.

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Point-of-View

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The relationship of the narrator to the story.

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First Person Point-of-View

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The story is told by one of the characters. The reader sees everything through the narrator's eyes. The narrator uses the pronoun "I" when telling the story.

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Limited Third Person Point-of-View

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The narrator reveals only one character's inner thoughts and is not himself or herself a character in the story. The narrator uses the pronouns "he", "she", or "they" when telling the story.

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Omniscient Point-of-View

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The narrator is also outside the story, but can reveal events, thoughts, and actions of the characters as well as background information important to the story.

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Protagonist

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The main character of the story.

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Resolution

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The final outcome of the conflict.

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Rising Action

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Adds complications to the plot's problems and increases reader interest.

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Science Fiction

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Combines elements of fiction and fantasy with scientific fact.

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Setting

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The time and place in which the story happens.

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Simile

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A figure of speech using "like" or "as" to compare two seemingly unlike things.

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Style

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The author's choice or arrangement of words, and sentences in a literary work. Style can reveal an author's purpose in writing and attitude toward his or her subject and audience.

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Suspense

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A feeling of curiosity, uncertainty, or even dread about that is going to happen next.

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Symbol

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Any object, person, place, or experience that stands for something else because of a resemblance or association.

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Theme

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The central Idea or belief in a literary work.

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Tone

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The attitude of a narrator toward a subject. The tone may be eerie, threatening, serious, or light.