Literary Elements Vocabulary Flashcards
Literary Elements
Characteristics of texts often seen in fictional and nonfictional stories and poetry, but they can also be seen in other types of nonfiction; examples of elements include setting, characterization, mood, theme, etc.
Diction
An author’s choice of words.
Figurative Language
Language that is not meant to be understood literally and includes the use of simile, metaphor, analogy, personification, hyperbole, oxymoron, idiom, symbolism, irony, and paradox.
Setting
The time and place of a story; includes its surroundings and environment.
Mood
The feeling created in the reader.
Tone
The writer’s attitude toward the subject.
Atmosphere
The feeling created by mood, tone, and setting.
Characterization
The way an author reveals a character’s nature.
Point of View
The perspective of who is telling a story.
Persona
The character assumed by the author who has different characteristics from the author.
First Person Point of View
Uses the pronoun (I) to give the perspective of a character; makes the writing more personal.
Second Person Point of View
Used the pronoun (you) to address the reader; in some cases, makes the writing more informal or more persuasive.
Third Person Point of View
Used pronouns (he and she) to give a more objective perspective; can make the writing or story more objective, formal, or impersonal.
Exposition
Is background information, which prepares for the next step in the story.
Plot
The story
Flashback
A break in the story line to show an earlier event.
Conflict
The problem the main character faces.
Climax
The turning point of the story.
Resolution
The solution to the conflict.
Foreshadowing
Hints about the future.
Dramatic Irony
Irony that occurs when the reader or audience knows something important that one character doesn’t know.
Falling Action
Contains events or actions that occur after the climax.
Third Person to First Person
Can make text more personal.
First Person to Third Person
Can make the text less personal and more objective.
