Summer Reading

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plot

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a plan made in secret by a group of people to do something illegal or harmful.

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setting

Back 2

the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event takes place.

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scene

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the place where an incident in real life or fiction occurs or occurred.

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imagery

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visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

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narrator

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a person who narrates something, especially a character who recounts the events of a novel or narrative poem.

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dramatic irony

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the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

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hubris

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excessive pride or self-confidence.

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direct characterization

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is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.

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unreliable narrator

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whether in literature, film, or theatre, whose credibility has been seriously compromised. The term was coined in 1961 by Wayne C. Booth in The Rhetoric of Fiction.

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meter

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the fundamental unit of length in the metric system, equal to 100 centimeters or approximately 39.37 inches.

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exposition

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a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory

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theme

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the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person's thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic.

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character

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the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.

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irony

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the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

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narration

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the action or process of narrating a story.

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situational irony

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is a literary device that you can easily identify in literary works. Simply, it occurs when incongruity appears between expectations of something to happen, and what actually happens instead.

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flat character

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are two-dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work. By contrast, round characters are complex and undergo development, sometimes sufficiently to surprise the reader.

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motif

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a decorative design or pattern.

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paradox

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a statement or proposition that, despite sound (or apparently sound) reasoning from acceptable premises, leads to a conclusion that seems senseless, logically unacceptable, or self-contradictory.

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ethos

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the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations.

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rising action

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in a plot is a series of relevant incidents that create suspense, interest and tension in a narrative. In literary works, a rising action includes all decisions, characters' flaws and background circumstances that together create turns and twists leading to a climax.

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drama

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a play for theater, radio, or television.

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character traits

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is a word that describes a person.

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protagonist

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the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.

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fiction

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literature in the form of prose, especially short stories and novels, that describes imaginary events and people.

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pun

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a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

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round character

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is a term coined by E.M.

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paraphrase

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express the meaning of (the writer or speaker or something written or spoken) using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity.

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allegory

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a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.

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pathos

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a quality that evokes pity or sadness.

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climax

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the most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex.

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stage directions

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an instruction in the text of a play, especially one indicating the movement, position, or tone of an actor, or the sound effects and lighting.

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simile

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a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid (e.g., as brave as a lion, crazy like a fox ).

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antagonist

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a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary.

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non-fiction

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prose writing that is based on facts, real events, and real people, such as biography or history.

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oxymoron

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a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g., faith unfaithful kept him falsely true ).

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static character

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The second main type of character is the static character.

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diction

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the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

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prose

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written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.

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logos

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the Word of God, or principle of divine reason and creative order, identified in the Gospel of John with the second person of the Trinity incarnate in Jesus Christ.

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prologue

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a separate introductory section of a literary or musical work.

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metaphor

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a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

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foreshadowing

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be a warning or indication of (a future event).

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point-of-view

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a particular attitude or way of considering a matter

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sonnet

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a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line.

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dynamic character

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a literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change, as a change in personality or attitude: Ebeneezer Scrooge is a dynamic character. Compare static character.

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denotation

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the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

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verse

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writing arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme.

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syntax

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the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language

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resolution

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a firm decision to do or not to do something

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act

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take action; do something

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personification

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the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

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narrative

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a spoken or written account of connected events; a story.

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allusion

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an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

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dramatic foil

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In fiction, a foil is a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. In some cases, a subplot can be used as a foil to the main plot.

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indirect characterization

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he process by which the personality of a fictitious character is revealed through the character's speech, actions, appearance, etc.

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connotation

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an idea or feeling that a word invokes in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

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rhyme scheme

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the ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse.

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tone

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a musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength.