Literary Terms

flat character

a character that, having only one or two traits is easily described and one-dimensional

dynamic character

a character who changes in some important way as a result of what happens in the story

static character

a character who remains the same or changes very little from beginning or end

stereotype character

a character whose personality traits represent a group rather than an individual

heroic or homeric simile

a comparison as described above except that the comparison is extended and explains heroic or epic events in terms of everyday happenings

irony

a contrast or discrepancy between expectation and reality

metaphor

a figure of speech that compares two unlike things in which one thing becomes another thing (or is another thing) without the use of the words "like," "as," "than," or resembles"

simile

a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things, using a term such as "like," "as," resembles," or "than"

poetry

a kind of rhythmic, compressed language that uses figures of speech and imagery designed to appeal to our emotions and imaginations

genre

a kind of type of literature

fiction

a literary work portraying imaginery characters and events

novel

a long fictional story with uses all the elements of storytelling

epic

a long story told in poetry relating deeds of a larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of this society

personification

a metaphor in which a non-human thing or quality is talked about as if it were human

extended metaphor

a metaphor that is extended or developed, over several lines of writing or throughout an entire poem

foil character

a pair of characters who are opposites but share similar thoughts

character

a person in a story

symbol

a person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and for something beyond itself

tragedy

a play, novel, or other narrative depicting serious events in which the main character comes in an unhappy end

round character

a realistic character that has many different character traits

allusion

a reference to a statement, person, place, event, or thing well known from literature, history, religion, pop culture, etc.

essay

a short piece of nonfiction prose that examines a single subject

paradox

a statement that appears contradictory but which may be shown to contain a truth

comedy

a story that aims to amuse and end happily

drama

a story that is written to be acted out in front of an audience

conflict

a struggle or clash between opposing characters or forces

diction

a writer's or speaker's choice of words

epithet

an adjective or other descriptive phrase that is regularly used to characterize a person, place, or thing

catharsis

an emotional release which brings about renewal of the self or welcome relief from anxiety, tension, etc.

monologue

an extended speech given by one speaker

antagonist

an obstacle to the protagonist or character who is involved in the most important conflict with the protagonist

hubris

arrogance; excessive self-pride and self-confidence, especially in reference to Greek tragic heroes whose pride led them to ignore warnings from the gods and thus invite catastrophe

mood

atmosphere; feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage

foreshadowing

clues which hint at events to come in a play or story

suspense

feeling of growing uncertainty about the outcome of events in a story or play

science fiction

fiction of a highly imaginative or fantastic kind, generally involving some actual or projected scientific phenomenon

imagery

language that appeals to any of the senses

prose

literary expression not marked by rhyme or metrical regularity

third person limited

narrator (not a character) focuses on thoughts and feelings of one of the characters

third person omniscient

narrator knows everything about characters and various situations

first person narrator

one of the characters tells the story using "I"

narrator

one who tells a story

external conflict

person v. person person v. society person v. nature/environment

internal conflict

person v. self

juxtaposition

placing two ideas or characters"side by side" for comparison or contrast

nonfiction

prose writing that deals with real people, events, and places

conotation

something suggested or implied, not actually stated

myth

story involving fantasy to express ideas about life that cannot be expressed easily in realistic terms

direct characterization

the author explains directly what the character is like

indirect characterization

the author shows what the character is like by representing the character's manner of speech, actions, dress, by indicating what others think or say about the character and by revealing what the character himself or herself thinks

tone

the author's attitude toward his or her subject, character, or audience

theme

the central idea of a work of literature that is reflective of the writer's commentary on aspects of society and that is expressed in the form of a univeral statement

resolution

the final part of the story's problems are resolved and the story is "closed"

denouement

the final unraveling of the plot; used as a synonym for falling action

exposition

the first part of a fictional story; the part in which characters, setting and their conflict are usually introduced

flashback

the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological sequence of a narrative

protagonist

the main character, the one who "drives the action"

climax

the most significant and exciting moment in a plot, a turning point when the outcome is decided one way or another

situational irony

the outcome of events or the state of affairs is the opposite of what one would expect

falling action

the point in a story or play following the climax in which the intensity of action or conflict diminishes and leads to the resolution

initial or inciting incident

the point in a story, play, etc., when conflict is introduced or initiated

rising action

the portion of a story or play in which conflict intensifies, leading to the climax; often contains many complications

characterization

the process of revealing the personality of a character in a story

dramatic irony

the reader perceives something significant that the character misses

plot

the series of related events that make up a story

denotation

the strict, litteral, or factual meaning of a word or phrase

setting

the time and place of a story or play

point of view

the vantage point from which the writer has chosen to tell the story

in media res

to start a story in the middle of an action rather than at the beginning

verbal irony

words imply the opposite of what they literally mean

repetition

words or phrases repeated throughout a story, poem, epic, etc.

social commentary

writing that offers insight into society, its value, and its customs

local color

writing which presents the mannerisms, dress, speech, and customs of a particular geographical region

satire

writing which ridicules society, a group, a social institution, etc., in order to reveal a weakness