Literary Terms
• Essay-Writing Terms
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• paraphrase – (verb) to put a passage in your own words and
simpler terms
•
• summarize – (verb) to shorten a passage focusing on main
points
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• thesis – (noun) a statement of the purpose, intent, or main
idea of a piece of writing; it should come in the introductory
paragraph and must be arguable
•
• cite – (verb) to indicate the source of a quote or a specific
example when writing about literature
•
• topic sentence – (noun) a sentence that expresses the main
idea of the paragraph in which it occurs, the first sentence of
your 8-sentence paragraph.
• concrete details – (noun) specific details that form
the backbone or core of the body
paragraphs. Synonyms for concrete details include
facts, specifics, examples, descriptions, illustrations,
support, proof, evidence, quotations, paraphrasing, or
plot references
• introduction – (noun) the first paragraph of an essay
that contains an overview of the topic and a thesis
statement
• conclusion – (noun) the final paragraph of an essay;
restate the thesis in a fresh way to reinforce the essay's
main idea, and include final thoughts that create a
lasting impression on the reader
• Story Structure Words
• plot – (noun) a series of related events in a story, each
connected to the next
• exposition – (noun) the opening of a story, when the character,
settings, and initial conflict are introduced
• setting – (noun) time, year, season, and place in which the
story happens
• conflict – (noun) a struggle between two forces
a. external conflict – man vs. man, man vs. nature, man
vs. supernatural, man vs. society
b. internal conflict – man vs. self
• climax – (noun) high point of the story when the outcome of
the conflict is determined
• foreshadowing – (noun) hints in a story that certain events
may happen later
• complications – (noun) problems and events the protagonist
must overcome in the rising action
• resolution or denouement – (noun) the very end of the story,
when the loose ends of the plot are tied up
• foreshadowing – (noun) hints in a story that certain events
may happen later
• flashback – (noun) a scene set in a time earlier than the main
story, often in the form of a vivid memory
• point of view – (noun) the vantage point, or perspective, from
which the story is told
•
a. omniscient - all-knowing view when the narrator is
not a character in the story but knows what is going on in every
character’s head
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b. first-person – a character telling the story from their
perspective using “I”
•
c. third-person limited – a view from only one
character’s perspective using “he” or “she”
• Characterization Words
• characterization – (noun) the method used by a writer
to develop a character, including their appearance,
actions, thoughts, dialogue, and other characters
reactions to them.
• protagonist – (noun) the main character of the story
whose need or want drives the action
• antagonist – (noun) character or thing that is an
obstacle to the protagonist getting what they want
• dynamic or round character – (noun) one who grows
and changes by the circumstances of the story
• static or flat character - (noun) one who does not
change throughout the story
• theme – (noun) the main idea of a piece of
literature that says something universal about
being human; a unifying idea that comes up
again and again throughout a literary work
• Figurative Language -
• figurative language – (noun) a way of saying something other
than the literal meaning of the words; the use of words that
go beyond their ordinary meaning
• symbol – (noun) an object, person, animal, or an event that
represents something more than itself
• metaphor – (noun) a comparison between two unlike things
without using “like” or “as”
• simile – (noun) a comparison between two unlike things using
“like” or “as”
• denotation – (noun) the dictionary definition of a word
• connotation – (noun) meanings, images, and emotions
connected to a certain word (i.e negative connotation and
positive connotation)
• irony – (noun) a contrast between what is expected and what
really happens
•
a. verbal irony – when a speaker says something and
means another; sarcasm
•
b. situational irony – contrast between what we think or
hope will happen and
what actually happens
•
c. dramatic irony – when the audience or reader knows
something that a character does not
• personification – (noun) giving human characteristics to nonhuman things
• idiom – (noun) the language particular to a people,
community, place, or time
• allusion – (noun) a reference to a historical event/person, a
piece of literature or art, or a geographic location that the
author expects the reader to know
• Non-Fiction Terminology
• purpose – (noun) – the author’s intent; why the
author is creating the essay or speech
• audience - (noun) to whom the author is
addressing the work
• tone – (noun) attitude of the writer