Literary Elements
Vocabulary
August 26, 2008
Alliteration

Repetition of the same
or similar consonant
sounds in words that
are close together
The big, blue
butterfly
Allusion

Reference to a
statement, person,
place, event or thing
that is known from
literature, history,
religion, myth, politics,
sports, science, or the
arts
Analogy

Comparison made
between two things to
show how they are
alike
Atmosphere

Mood or feeling in a
work of literature (also
called mood)
Character

Individual in a story,
poem, or play
Direct Characterization

Writer tells us directly
what a character is
like.
He was happy he
received the promotion.
Indirect Characterization

We have to put clues
together to figure out
what a character is
like
Conflict



Man vs. Man
Man vs. Nature
Man vs. Himself
Conflict cont…


Internal Conflict—a struggle between
opposing needs, desires, or emotions
within a single character
External Conflict—a struggle against an
outside force (character, society, nature)
Connotation

All the meanings
associated with a word
Denotation

Literal meaning of the
word

The dictionary definition
Diction

Writer’s or speaker’s
choice of words
Exposition

1st part of the plot
which presents the
main characters and
their conflicts

It’s the one event that
tips off a story
Foil

Character who serves
as a contrast to
another character
Foreshadowing

The use of clues to
hint at events that will
occur later in the plot
Imagery

Language that
appeals to the senses
Irony

Contrast or
discrepancy between
expectation and reality
Journal—August 22, 2007


Write a list of at least 20 things that make
you happy.
Explain at least three.