Literary Terms Flashcards
Antagonist
a character or a group of characters which stand in opposition to the protagonist or the main character.
Connotation
a meaning that is implied by a word apart from the thing that describes it explicitly.
Denotation
literal or dictionary meanings of a word.
Flashback
interruptions that writers do to insert past events in order to provide background or context to the current events of a narrative. By using flashbacks, writers allow their readers to gain insight into a characters’s motivation and provide a background to a current conflict. Dream sequences and memories are methods used to present flashbacks.
Foreshadowing
a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.
Inference
a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.
Mood
a literacy element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions. mood is the atmosphere, sparking an emotional response from the reader.
Plot
the events that make up a story or the main part of a story. Consists of the exposition, (beginning), inciting incident, conflict, rising action, climax and the resolution (denouement).
Point of view
the mode of narration that an author employs to let the reader hear and see what takes place in a story poem or essay etc.
First person- involves the use of either of the two pronouns I and we.
Second person- employs the pronoun you.
Third person- uses pronouns like he, she, it, they, or a name.
Protagonist
the central character or leading figure in poetry, narrative, novel or any other story.
Style
the authors own unique way of writing.
Symbol/symbolism
an object representing another to give it an entirely different meaning that is much deeper and more significant.
Theme
a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly.
Tone
an attitude of a writer toward a subject of an audience. Tone is generally conveyed through the choice of words or the viewpoint of a writer on a particular subject.
