LITERATURE TERMS
STRATEGIES AUTHORS USE
TO ENGAGE THE READER
Literature Terms
The following slides are a collection of literary
terms that you may find as you study and
analyze great pieces of literature. The terms are
listed in alphabetical order, so if you need to
refer back to a term, you can do so quickly and
easily.
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*Allegory
• a story with a double meaning, in which
the characters and events are
representing other things and symbolize
a deeper, often spiritual or moral
meaning.
• Ex. The Lion the Witch and the
Wardrobe
• Ex. Billy Budd
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*Alliteration
• is the repetition of initial sounds in
adjoining words
• usually more than 2 words
• ex. “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers…”
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*Allusion
• is a brief reference to a person, event,
or place, real or fictitious, or to another
work of fiction or a piece of art.
• ex. In Gary Paulsen’s book, The River,
Brian thinks the raft looks like something
out of Huckleberry Finn.
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Protagonist
• The main character in a piece of literature who
struggles with the main conflict.
• Who would this be in Holes?
• Who would this be in Maniac Magee?
• Who would this be in The Land of Stories?
Antagonist
• The person (ex. Another character) or thing (ex.
A blizzard) that causes the conflict for the
protagonist.
• Who or What was the antagonist in Holes?
• Who or What was the antagonist in Maniac
Magee?
• Who or What was the antagonist in The Land of
Stories?
Characterization
(Can be Direct or Indirect)
• is the technique used by a writer to develop
character traits.
(1) showing the character's appearance
(2) displaying the character's actions
(3) revealing the character's thoughts
(4) allowing the character to speak
(5) receiving the reactions of others.
©2014HappyEdugator
Types of Characters
• Static Character-A character whose personality
does not change throughout a piece of literature.
Give an example from Holes.
• Dynamic Character-A character whose
personality changes as the result of conflicts.
Give an example from Holes.
Conflict
• is the opposition between or among
characters or forces in a literary work
that creates or stimulates the action of
the plot.
• Conflict may be internal or external.
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*Conflict Cont.
(1) Character vs. Self (making a difficult decision)
(2) Character vs. Character
(3) Character vs. Nature (a storm)
(4) Character vs. Society (unfairness in society)
(5) Character vs. Machine
©2014HappyEdugator
Flashback
• An interruption of the plot to go back earlier in
time.
• Ex. Holes
Foreshadowing
• is a literary device in which an author
drops subtle hints about plot
developments to come later in the story.
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*FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
• TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING BY
COMPARING IT TO SOMETHING ELSE.
o
o
o
o
o
o
Simile
Analogy
Metaphor
Personification
Hyperbole
Idiom
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*Simile
• is a comparison between two different
things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
• ex. He jumped as if his feet were on fire!
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*Analogy
• is the comparison of two pairs that have
the same relationship.
• ex. Teachers are the salt as students are
the pepper in the classroom…
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*Metaphor
• is a comparison of two unlike things
using the verb "to be" (am, are, was,
were, etc.) instead of using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
• Example: Her words are butterflies.
• Example: I am an empty house ready for
a new owner.
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Personification
• is giving human qualities to inanimate
objects.
• Example: The sun smiled down on us.
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*Hyperbole
• is a deliberate and obvious exaggeration used
for effect
• Example: I rang you a zillion times and you
never answered!
• Example: Last night seemed to last forever.
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Idiom
• Literally ideas as expressions. They develop from
older usage, where the words mean something
other than their literal meaning.
• Example: A chip on your shoulder
• This is a grudge for a previous experience. It can
apply to people, or subjects.
• He’s got a real chip on his shoulder about the
change in his schedule.
Genre
• A French word referring to the “kind” or “type”
of literature
• Fiction Examples: science fiction, historical
fiction, realistic fiction, mystery, fantasy
• Nonfiction Examples: Biography, Essay,
Autobiography, Article, Memoir, Journal,
Editorial
Imagery
• is writing or language that evokes one or
all of the five senses.
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*Irony
• A clash between what actually happens
and what might be expected to happen.
• Example: The fireman’s house burnt
down.
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LITERAL LANGUAGE
• TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING AS IT IS.
You must take literal language word
for word. (literally) It is the opposite
of figurative language.
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Motif
• is an important and sometimes recurring
theme or idea in a work of literature.
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Mood
• is the atmosphere or state of mind of a
reader in reaction to a story or poem
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*Onomatopoeia
• is the use of a word to imitate sound
• Example: The strumming of the guitar
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*Oxymoron
• is putting two contradictory words
together.
• Example: Jumbo shrimp
HUH?
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*Paradox
• is a statement, proposition, or situation that
seems to be absurd or contradictory, but
actually may be true.
• Example: "I know that I know nothing."
• If you know nothing, then you know
something, which cannot be “nothing.”
HMMMM…
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Plot- The sequence of events that make
up a story
Exposition: The author introduces the main characters, the
conflict, and establishes the setting.
Inciting Incident: The plot event that incites the conflict.
Rising Action: The plot events leading up to the climax.
Climax: The most exciting or suspenseful moment in a novel
or short story.
Falling Action: The plot events occurring after the climax.
Resolution: The moment in plot where the conflict is resolved.
Point of View
• is the perspective on events of the narrator or a particular
character in a story.
• 1st person: the pronoun “I” is used to tell the story.
• 2nd person: “you” is used to make the reader a part of the
action
• 3rd person: The pronouns “he” or “she” is generally used in
this perspective.
• 3rd person Omniscient-knows the
thoughts and feelings of characters
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Satire
• is the use of wit, especially irony,
sarcasm, and ridicule, to critique politics
and society.
• Example: South Park
• Example: The Simpsons
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Setting
• is the time and location in which a story
takes place.
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Symbolism
• is the use of symbols to represent
something abstract by something
concrete.
• ex. A book worm symbolizes someone
who loves to read
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Theme
• is a main idea in a story, or a message or lesson
the author wants to give the reader.
• How to find the theme in a work:
1. Ask yourself, “What is the work about?” ___________
2. Ask yourself, “What about __________?”
• Theme is NEVER just one word.
• “Love” isn’t a theme / “Love endures all things” is a
theme
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Tone
• is the author’s attitude toward the subject
and/or toward the audience implied in a
literary work.
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Examples and Practice
Go to
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/imageryexamples.html