Unit 1 Literary Elements Flashcards
What is a Simile?
A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as”
What is a metaphor?
A direct comparison between two unlike things; saying one thing IS another.
What is motif?
Any recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story.
What is symbolism?
The use of an object, person, place, etc. to represent a larger idea
What is hyperbole?
An extreme exaggeration
What is euphemism?
An understatement used to lessen a potential harshness or crass
What is verbal irony?
Similar to sarcasm. When a character says one thing but means the opposite
What is situational irony?
When the opposite of what is expected (or is ideal) occurs.
What is dramatic irony?
When the audience knows what is happening but the character(s) does not.
What is a cliché?
A phrase or opinion that is overused and has lost its original effect.
What is tone and how does it relate to diction?
The way the author expresses his attitude through his writing. Diction (or word choice) often plays a role in how tone is revealed.
What is personification?
Giving human traits to non-human things.
What is onomatopoeia?
A word that sounds like its meaning.
What is an oxymoron?
A figure of speech where two opposite words appear together
What is an allegory?
A story, poem, or picture that sends a moral lesson to its audience.
What is a rhyme?
The repetition of same sounds in two or more words, often at the end of the word(s) or lines of poetry or prose.
What is an allusion?
A direct or indirect reference to something well known (like other stories, history, movies, etc.)
What is foreshadowing?
The hint an author gives about what will happen in a story
What is a flashback?
Showing events from before the story started, often through memories.
What is characterization?
CHARACTERIZATION: A device used by the author to show or tell about the characters. The author uses characterization to reveal traits about the characters and to develop their personalities.
What is direct characterization?
When the author tells us about the character.
What is indirect characterization?
When the author shows us about the character through the character’s thoughts, actions, looks, effects on other characters, and speech. (TALES)
Name the 5 different types of heroes
Classical, anti-hero, tragic-hero, romantic-hero, modern-hero
What is a protagonist?
The main character. The story revolves around this character.
What is an antagonist?
The character (or force) that is against the protagonist
What is a flat character?
An underdeveloped character with few traits.
What is a round character?
A developed character with many traits.
What is a dynamic character?
A character who changes over the course of a story.
What is a static character?
A character who stays the same over the course of a story.
What is a foil character?
A character who demonstrates opposite traits and contrasts another character (often the protagonist).
What is a stock character?
A stereotypical character who fills a purpose and is underdeveloped.
What is a major character?
The main, and important, characters in a story.
What is a minor character?
Additional characters who are not important to moving the story forward
ANALYSE THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLOT
Plot is a word used to describe the series of events that take place in a story
What is the introduction?
The characters are introduced
The setting is revealed
The goals of the protagonist are clear
Rising Action
(Explain the Inciting Incident
The problem is revealed (this is called the inciting incident). It gets in the way of the protagonist’s goals.
Suspense builds
What is the climax?
The turning point in the story.
The audience knows if the problem will be solved or if the problem will not be solved
What is falling action?
The result of the problem begins to be understood
Details and unanswered questions may be answered
What is the resolution?
The end of the story
The result is understood
What is conflict?
The problem that the protagonist faces in a story.
What is character vs self?
Internal conflict
Character has a struggle in his own mind
What is character vs character?
An external conflict
The character struggles against another character
What is character vs society?
An external conflict
The character struggles against the expectations of the society, or community he lives in.
what is character vs nature?
An external conflict
The character struggles against the forces of nature
What is character vs supernatural?
An external conflict
The character struggles against unnatural forces
What is character vs technology?
An external conflict
The character struggles against man-made structures, objects, inventions, etc.
What is character vs fate/circumstance?
An external conflict
The character struggles against situations that are out of his control but are somehow linked to him through his destiny
What is dialogue?
The speech exchange between two characters. A conversation.
What is point of view of first person?
Told from a character’s P.O.V. Uses words like “I, My, us,”
What is POV second person?
Used often with directions. Uses words like “you, your”
What is POV third person?
Told from an outsider’s P.O.V. Uses words like “they, his, her, John,”
What is an objective?
Can only report on what is happening (similar to a camera)
What is omniscient POV?
Knows all the thoughts and feelings of several characters.
What is the limited POV?
Knows the thoughts and feelings of only one character (often the protagonist)
What is alliteration?
The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of near words
What is assonance?
The repetition of vowel sounds within near words
What is consonance?
The repetition of consonant sounds within near words
What is imagery?
Visually descriptive language. Painting a picture with words. Engaging the five senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch)
What is tone TONE
AND HOW IT RELATES TO DICTION
The way the author expresses his attitude through his writing. Diction (or word choice) often plays a role in how tone is revealed.
MOOD (AND HOW IT RELATES TO SETTING)
The overall feeling of a piece. The setting often sets the mood by creating a particular atmosphere.
What is paradox?
A statement or situation that may seem to be both true and untrue at the same time.
What is idiom?
An expression that, as a whole, has a different meaning than the individual words that make it up
What is a pun?
A humorous use of words that sound similar but have different meanings
