Basic Literary TermsEvery Freshman

Should Know

Commonl

y seen on

standardiz

ed tests in

Texas

Mood

• The overall feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for a reader; specific words or phrases can contribute to it, as well as figurative language, repetition, etc.

• Examples: scary, spooky, suspenseful… easy-going, care-free, relaxed…

• Not to be confused with “tone”

Author’s Craft

• The choices an author makes in word choice, structure, and tone to make the reader feel a certain way

First-Person Point of View

• When a story is told by one of its characters.– Characters: involved in the plot; a part of the

action

• Will use pronouns such as:– I, me, my, mine, us, we, our

Third-Person Point of View

• When a story is told by a narrator (not a character in the story) who does not participate in the action

• Will use pronouns such as:– He, she, his, her, they, them, their

Personification

• Gives human qualities to a non-human thing (an object, animal, or idea).

• Examples:

The sun smiled down on the town that bright morning.

I lost my pencil… it must have ran away!

Conflict

• The problem in the story• An internal or external struggle between two

characters, between characters and society, or between characters and nature.– Man vs. Man– Man vs. Nature– Man vs. Society– Man vs. Self

Author’s Purpose

• The reason the author wrote a specific piece:– To inform– To persuade– To express– To entertain

Dialogue

• Written conversation between two or more characters– In quotation marks “ “

Plot

• What happens in a story, including the problem or conflict faced by one or more characters and how the problem or conflict is resolved.

Resolution

• The outcome; loose ends that are tied up.– Keep in mind that, like some frustrating movies,

some stories have no end.. they simply stop.

Drawing Conclusions

• The reader uses his/her reasoning skills to make a decision about what will happen after gathering evidence and information and considering possible outcomes.

Simile

• A comparison using “like” or “as.”

• Example: Hungry as a horseBusy as a beeCute as a kittenSnug as a bug in a rug

Metaphor

• A figure of speech that makes an implied or hidden comparison between two objects that are different, but share some common characteristics.

• Examples: My brother was boiling mad.The assignment was a breeze.The skies of his future began to darken.

Setting

• The time and place in which the events of a story occur. – This is not always directly stated, so you may have

to look for hints or significant historical details.

Theme

• The overall message of a literary work– Underlying message– Reveals something about human experience

Flashback

• An interruption in a story that relates an event that occurred in the past.– Usually explains a character’s current behavior by

revealing an event from his/her past.

Irony

• Addresses the difference between what appears to be and what really is:– Verbal: a character says the opposite of what he

means.– Situational: an event/situation turns out to be

different from what the reader expected.– Dramatic: there is a difference between what a

character says or thinks and what the reader knows is true.

Symbol

• Stands for something more than itself:– Example: A road symbolizing someone’s journey

through life.

Inferences

• When the reader combines information read with what the reader already knows to make a reasonable guess.

• Making a guess or assumption based off what you know from what you’ve read so far.

Foreshadowing

• When a writer hints about something that may happen in the future– Intended to arouse curiosity or build suspense

• Sometimes the SETTING is used to foreshadow events… how?

Protagonist

• The main character who drives the plot and usually undergoes change.

Antagonist

• A character who opposes the protagonist and often brings about the change for the protagonist.

Climax

• Turning point of the story• The high point – The moment of highest interest or intensity

Tone

• The author reflects their attitude toward the content in the text, affecting the way the student reads and understands it.– Examples:• Writing a letter to your boss: formal, serious tone• Writing a letter to your friend: casual, relaxed tone