Literary Terms

Seeks to convey an impression about a person, place, or object

There is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader knows to be true

All events leading up to the climax

The sequence of events in a literary work

Feeling that a literary work creates in a reader

A character or force in conflict with a main character

A feeling of uncertainty about the outcome of events in a literary work

Label "E" on the plot diagram

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

A figure of speech where the words like or as are used to compare two items

The main character struggles against an outside force.

Label "C" on the plot diagram

Label "A" on the plot diagram

Label "B" on the plot diagram

Tells a true story

The writer's attitude toward his/her audience or subject

Gives information, discusses ideas, or explains a process

Words are used to suggest the opposite of what is meant

Label "D" on the plot diagram

Time and place of the action

The action that follows the climax

The main character in a literary work

A conversation between characters that may reveal their traits and advance the action

An expression that is characteristic of a language, region, community, or class of people

A narrator sees the world through one character's eyes, reveals only one person's thoughts

A character in conflict with himself or herself.

Anything that stands for something else

An author's choice of words, especially with regard to range of vocabulary, slang, formality.

A speaker or character who tells a story

An event occurs that directly contradicts the expectations of the characters, readers, audience

The way a narrator gives information; his/her perspective

Literary techniques that portray differences between appearance/reality, expectation/result

The use of clues that suggest events that have yet to occur

Tries to convince readers to do something or accept the author's POV

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

Form of characterization where the author directly states a character's traits.

A character that shows many different traits--faults as well as virtue.

A general insight or change is conveyed

Introduces the setting, characters, basic situation

An author provides clues about a character.

High point of interest or suspense

A central message or insight into life revealed through a literary work

A way an author presents materials that occurred earlier

A character that develops and grows over the course of the story.

All-knowing narrator

Man vs. Man, nature vs. nature, man vs. society

A figure of speech where one thing is spoken of as if it were something else

The form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group, may involve changes

A character that shows only one trait.

A character in the story tells the story, "I"