9th Grade Literary Terms

***the literal, Dictionary Definition of a word***

a short poem about personal thoughts and feelings

“Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter…”

the turning point of the story

***short moral story (often with animal characters that have human traits)ex.Tortoise & Hare***

the story of a person’s life written by that same person

tells a story or relates a series of events (ex. epics and ballads)

a short, interesting story intended to make a point

A hint or clue about what is going to happen as the story unfolds

a tale that explains historical events or supernatural phenomena

Example: When is a doctor most annoyed? When he runs out of patients.

a line of rhymed poetry made up of five iams "It is my lady. O it is my love"- Romeo and Juliet

a partial or imperfect rhyme; examples: “orange” and “flourish” or “grown” and “moon”

*** a writer’s or speaker’s choice of words (ex. formal vs. informal) ***

an extended, prose narrative; example: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

the time and place in a story

the introduction of the setting, characters and initial situation in a story

the character is struggling against a force outside of himself (nature, technology, etc.)

The writer tells us straight-forwardly what the character is like.

poetry that doesn’t have a regular meter or rhyme scheme (but may use other poetic devices)

Examples: “My backpack weighs a ton.” "My mom is going to strangle me."

*** a character who is capable of growing, learning and changing in an important way ***

*** a nickname or phrase that helps to characterize a person/thing (bright eyed Athena)***

Examples: Break a leg! Don't spill the beans. Hit the books. It was a piece of cake!

a speaker talks to a silent listener about a dramatic event or experience

The pattern of rhyme (determined by using a letter of the alphabet to indicate each new rhyme)

*** the resolution/ ending of the story ***

*** a 14 line poem ***

“O my love is a red, red rose.” -Robert Burns

ironically stating LESS than what is expected; the opposite of hyperbole

***all meanings, associations or emotions that a word suggests (positive, negative, neutral)***

a fundamental character weakness such as excessive pride, ambition or jealousy

the speaker/ the voice of the person telling the story

The story is told by a single character using he/she

the event in which the character first meets with the conflict

a generally regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry (da DUM da DUM...)

a narrative that focuses on a character’s personality

a serious drama in which the protagonist is overcome by sad events

*** The writer shows us what the character is like through speech, thoughts, actions, etc. ***

*** an indirect reference to a statement, person, place, event or thing that is well-known ***

a character who STAys exactly the same throughout the story

A form of writing about one’s own life in which the author recalls significant events

the main character, usually an admirable/likable person with whom we can identify

*** a long comparison between two things ***

Ex: A firehouse burns down. / A policeman breaks the law./ "The Gift of the Magi" by O.Henry

a literary technique in the opening of a story that captures the reader's attention

**a story in which characters/events represent ideas outside of the story/have hidden meaning**

the character must make a difficult decision

a more complex, imperfect, three-dimensional character (has strengths and weaknesses)

*** a speech in which a character on stage ALONE expresses his or her thoughts aloud ***

*** a situation in which the audience knows something that a character doesn’t know ***

a person, place, thing or event stands for itself as well as for something beyond itself

a satirical, exaggerated representation of a person’s characteristics

*** private words that a character speaks to the audience or to another character in a play ***

a character who has only 1 or 2 key personality traits & can be described in a single sentence

the part of the story in which complications develop

a contrast or discrepancy between what is said and what is really meant

a series of related events that make up a story or drama; the underlying structure of a story

"Love pricks like a thorn"- Romeo

*** a character that is used as a striking contrast to another character (an opposite) ***

the character or force that comes into conflict with the protagonist

Rhyme that occurs within a line: "O let us be married! Too long have we tarried!"-Edward Lear:

a humorous or light-hearted drama with a happy ending (ex. A Midsummer Night's Dream)

a flawed character who is nobly born and who may have a great influence in his/her society

A story with a simple plot and few characters Ex. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

a long, narrative poem about the adventures of a hero

poetry written in iambic pentameter WITHOUT end rhyme

the significant action that takes place between the climax and the resolution

examples: crackle, pop, hiss, fizz, click, zoom, crash, splash, whirr, tick-tock, meow, ruff...

a larger-than-life figure, usually male, who goes on a long, dangerous adventure

the main message, central idea or insight of a work of literature; the “big idea”

the story of a person’s life written by someone else

a false assumption about a person based on that person’s appearance, gender, etc,

an “all-knowing” godlike observer

An “I” tells the story and participates in the action (like a diary)