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English > Literary Elements > Flashcards

Literary Elements Flashcards

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1
Q

CHARACTER:

A

the people or animals in the story

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2
Q

Protagonist:

A

the main character

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3
Q

Antagonist:

A

the person or force against the protagonist

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4
Q

Dynamic character:

A

a literary or dramatic character who undergoes an important inner change (a change in personality or beliefs)

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5
Q

Static character:

A

a character who undergoes little or no inner change or growth in the story

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6
Q

SETTING

A

time, place, and culture/environment in which the story takes place

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7
Q

PLOT:

A

the sequence of events in the story

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8
Q

Conflict

A

problem faced by the characters

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9
Q

Internal conflict:

A

conflict within the character (Man vs. Himself) Examples: insecurity, fear, jealousy, deciding whether or not to cheat on a test, a competitive drive to beat your own record

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10
Q

External conflict:

A

conflict the character has outside of themselves (Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society)

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11
Q

Exposition

A

the background information on the characters and setting often explained at the beginning of the story. The exposition gives information about the characters’ history that is important to understanding their personality, relationships, and present lives. It is important that readers know some of these details in order to understand a story.

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12
Q

Rising Action

A

the stage of the plot that develops the conflict or struggle. Events occur that make the conflict more complicated and build toward a climax or turning point.

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13
Q

Climax

A

the critical ‘turning point’ of the story, when the plot changes for better or for worse for the main character(s); this may sometimes be the most exciting part of the story

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14
Q

Falling Action

A

the story begins to draw to a close. Events in the falling action show the results of the important decision/action that happened at the climax. Tension eases as the final action begins.

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15
Q

Resolution

A

the conflict is resolved/finalized

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16
Q

FORESHADOWING

A

the author’s use of written hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story

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17
Q

FLASHBACK

A

When a story starts out in the present setting (this does not mean our present time) and goes back in time through a character

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18
Q

SYMBOLISM

A

In writing, symbolism is the use of a word, a phrase, or a description, which represents a deeper meaning than the words themselves.

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19
Q

THEME:

A

Themes touch on the moral aspect of the story and how we as readers can learn lessons about life through literature. The reader has to come up with what he or she thinks is the message of the story. Theme is a generic lesson that can also be the lesson of another story.

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20
Q

Main Idea:

A

Similar to theme, but main idea is SPECIFIC to that story. The main idea will include a character’s name.

21
Q

POINT OF VIEW:

A

the perspective from which the story is told

22
Q

First Person

A

The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He can’t tell us thoughts of other characters. Uses pronouns like I, me, my, myself, and us, our, we, ourselves.

23
Q

Second Person

A

uses personal pronouns like you, your, and yours. It is often used for giving directions, offering advice, or providing an explanation. This perspective allows the writer to make a connection with his or her audience by focusing on the reader.

24
Q

Third-Person Objective

A

The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the thoughts of the characters.

25
Q

Third-Person Limited

A

The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of ONE of the characters.

26
Q

Third-Person Omniscient

A

The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.

27
Q

OBJECTIVE narrator

A

reports events in a factual way, without sharing any characters’ hidden thoughts or feelings

28
Q

SUBJECTIVE narrator

A

shares one or more character’s thoughts, feelings, and observations

29
Q

IRONY

A

the contrast between what is expected or what appears to be and what actually is.

30
Q

Verbal Irony

A

The contrast between what is said and what is actually meant (ex: sarcasm)

31
Q

Situational Irony

A

This refers to something happening that is the opposite of what is expected or intended.

32
Q

Dramatic Irony

A

This occurs when the audience or reader knows more than the characters know.

33
Q

IMAGERY

A

writing that uses descriptive language to appeal to one or more of the five senses

34
Q

ALLUSION

A

a brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary, or political significance.

35
Q

TONE

A

The author’s attitude, stated or implied, toward a subject (how the author feels). An author’s tone can be revealed through choice of words and details.

36
Q

MOOD

A

The climate of emotional feeling in a literary work (how the author wants the reader to feel). The choice of setting, objects, details, images, and words all contribute towards creating a specific mood.

37
Q

METAPHOR

A

a comparison between two unlike objects NOT using the words “like” or “as.”

38
Q

SIMILE:

A

a comparison between two unlike objects using the words “like” or “as”.

39
Q

HYPERBOLE:

A

a LARGE exaggeration (taking something real and highly exaggerating it)

40
Q

PERSONIFICATION

A

giving an INHUMAN thing HUMAN qualities

41
Q

IDIOM

A

expressions (sayings) that do not mean what they literally say

42
Q

OXYMORON:

A

a figure of speech where two ideas seem to be completely opposite

43
Q

SOUND DEVICES

A

used most often in poetry when the poet wants to create specific sounds to add to the effect of the poem.

44
Q

ONOMATOPOEIA

A

a word(s) that imitates the natural sounds of a thing. It creates a sound effect that mimics the thing described.

45
Q

ALLITERATION

A

a poetic device- beginning of words start with the same consonant sound.

46
Q

ASSONANCE

A

repetition of vowel sounds within words

47
Q

CONSONANCE

A

Repetition of internal or ending consonant sounds of words close together.

48
Q

RHYME

A

the repetition of sounds at the ends of words, as in sun and one. Rhyme scheme is the pattern that the end-rhyming words follow. To identify rhyme scheme, assign a letter to each sound.

49
Q

RHYTHM

A

the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in each line of a poem. A regular pattern of rhythm is called a meter.

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