Literary Elements
(Important parts that go into the writing of a story or essay.)
GENRE: A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive
style, form, or content
PLOT: The series of events that happen chronologically in a story. (Exposition, Rising Action,
Climax/Turning Point, Falling Action, and Resolution)
CHARACTERIZATION/QUALITIES: The process of revealing the personality of a character
DIRECT CHARACTIZATION: The writer tells the reader exactly what the character is
like; no guessing.
INDIRECT CHARACTIZATION: The writer gives the reader evidence or clues that
reveal what the character is like; the reader must decide for himself/herself.
SETTING: The time and place in which the story takes place.
CONFLICT: Character vs. Character, Character vs. Nature, Character vs. Self, Character vs.
Society, and Character vs. Technology
THEME/MORAL: The author's message to the reader.
CONCLUSION: The part of a story where the author brings everything together.
MOTIVATION: The reason why a character makes certain choices in a story.
PROTAGONIST: The principal character in a literary work; often the hero.
ANTAGONIST: A character that contends with or opposes another in a literary work; often the
villain.
DYNAMIC CHARACTER: The character changes as a result of the story's events.
SHORT STORY: A short fictional prose narrative usually multiple pages long.
NARRATIVE: A kind of writing or speaking that tells a story.
CLIMAX: The high point (usually the most exciting part) of the story.
PERSONIFICATION: An idea, or object, or animal is given the characteristics of a person.
POINT OF VIEW: The perspective by which a story is presented to the reader.
First Person: The narrator is a character in the story and refers to him/herself as “I.
Third Person Omniscient: This type of narrator is not a character, but is all-knowing and
is able to recount the background and inside thoughts and feelings of any character.
Third Person Limited: Like the omniscient narrator, this narrator is not a character in the
story, but rather provides the reader only the inside thoughts of one character, and none
of the thoughts of any of the other characters.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: Creative ways of using writing to describe parts of a story.
SIMILE: A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, using
like or as,
METAPHOR: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates
one thing is used to designate another, thus making a comparison. (No like or as)
HYPERBOLE: A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect.
IMAGERY: Visually descriptive or figurative language, creates a picture in the reader’s
mind.
RHYME SCHEME: The pattern of rhyme in a poem.
FLASHBACK: When a story presents detailed accounts of events from the past within a story.
FORESHADOW: When a story presents clues to events to occur in the future.
SYMBOLISM: The practice of representing things by means of symbols or of attributing
symbolic meanings or significance to objects, events, or relationships.
IRONY: The use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning.