7th Grade Literary Terms 1-35

Giving things that are not alive, human-like characteristics. "A nail bit me in the foot."

The act of creating and describing a character.

The use of similar consonant sounds at the beginning of words. Carrie's cat clawed her couch.

A struggle a character has within his/her own mind.

An over-exaggeration used to emphasize a point. An example might be "I have a ton of homework."

A point of view using he, she, they, or them; an outside narrator not part of the action.

The main character (good or bad) in a literary work.

The sequence (order) of events in a literary work. It starts with the exposition.

The attitude a writer has toward his subject. It might be angry, humorous, or sarcastic.

Something that represents itself and "stands" for something else. White stands for purity.

A character, or force, that presents an obstacle or opposes the main character in a story.

A type of character whose attitude on life changes because of events. They have an epiphany.

When a story is told from a single character's view using the pronoun "I".

Events leading to the resolution.

A struggle that takes place between a character and some outside force such as society.

Often mistaken for the denouement, readers learn outcome of the conflict in this part of plot.

Often substituted for the term resolution, it literally means the "untying" of the conflict.

Words or phrases that paint a picture in the readers mind.

The feeling a reader gets when they read a story. It's created by the author using devices.

A figure of speech were two unlike things are compared, but have similar qualities.

The struggle between two opposing forces. It could be physical or emotional.

A character that exhibits many behavior traits, emotions, or attitudes; multi-dimensional.

The highest point of suspense or interest in a story.

The central (underlying) message the author tries to get across to readers in a literary work.

When two contradictory terms are used together such as "act natural" or "bittersweet".

Writing that isn't meant to be taken literally. Readers must understand it imaginatively.

Clues or hints that let the reader know what might happen in the story later.

Events leading to the climax.

The time and place of the action. For example, "In the Amazon jungle in 1940".

A character that shows one character trait throughout the story. A one dimensional character.

When the opposite of what is expected to happen, happens. The fire chief's house burns down.

Sometimes called the crisis, a point in the plot where something happens to decides the future.

The time of the action, main characters, and basic situation are introduced here.

A type of character whose attitude or outlook on life doesn't change from beginning to end.

A comparison between two unlike things using like, as, or than. "I'm as fast as lightning".