Literary Terms

the deliberate use of exaggeration

the point of greatest interest or suspense in the story

a text structure which gives description based on physical location

a text structure examining how conflicts or obstacles are overcome

the person who wrote the story or passage

the narrator's outlook on the events of a story

a text structure exploring the reason something happened and its result

a type of literature that tells a made-up story

the storyline of a literary piece

when a character in the story tells the story using "I"

a comparison of two unlike things using the words "like" or "as"

a saying that cannot be literally translated (i.e. kick the bucket)

a comparison of two unlike things not using the words "like" or "as"

the time and place of the story's events

a suggested or implied meaning--either positive or negative

the use of vivid description to create a picture in the reader's mind

the direct words of character(s), set off by quotation marks

a text structure showing similarities and differences

a strong prejudice for one side over another

words that have similar meanings

the person(s) to whom the writing is addressed

a word or phrase that imitates the sound (i.e. whoosh)

a classification of literature

persuasion techniques

a text structure presenting events in the order in which they occur

creating a "special effect" by saying a word over and over

a personal, sharply ironical taunt or expression

a folktale about gods and goddesses

the final outcome of the story

a statement that cannot be proven--someone's own belief

the use of one thing to stand for or represent another

a seemingly contradictory combination of words (i.e.  jumbo shrimp)

An American hero folktale full of extreme exaggerations

the dictionary definition of the word

when someone not in the story tells the story

a comparison that shows a relationship between two things

the person who is telling the story

a guess based on a known fact

a reference to a well-known work of literature

a statement meaning the opposite of what is literally stated

a play written to be performed by actors

a type of literature that tells about real-life people

surrounding words which provide the meaning

the author's attitude about his/her topic

restating something using different words

the main problem the character faces

a text structure that starts with specific ideas and works toward a general idea

the feeling or atmosphere in the story set by the author

the way the author uses phrases/sentences to make the story distinctive

words that have opposite meanings

a person or other creature in a story

gives human qualities to animals or objects 

interrupting the story with events from the past

gives clues that suggest what might happen in the future

the overall meaning of a piece of writing

a text structure that starts with a general idea and works toward specific ideas

gives the main idea and important details of a passage

a subject or topic of a passage

a feeling of uncertainty or dread about what will happen next

a folktale