Literary Terms

1. Literary Terms Review of terms for final exam Be able to identify examples in literature

2. We will use the following terms: Flashback Foreshadowing Suspense Point of View Setting Theme Tone Metaphor Simile Oxymoron Personification Alliteration Direct & Indirect Characterization Allegory Allusion Imagery Mood Plot Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution Conflict

3. Allegory

4. Allusion A reference in a literary work to another work of fiction, film, play. In Diane Lang’s Fat Boy Chronicles, students pick on Jimmy Winterpock, the overweight protagonist, calling him “Piggy” after reading William Golding’s Lord of the Flies in English class.

5. Direct characterization • The writer makes direct statements about a character’s personality and tells what the character is like (Think: 1st chapter of The Outsiders)

6. Indirect Characterization • The writer reveals information about a character through the character’s thoughts, words, and actions • Information about a character can also be revealed through other characters’ interactions (how other characters respond to the character – including what they say and do).

7. Example: Indirect Characterization • Mr. and Mrs. Jones thought of Robert, their next-door neighbor, as the son they never had. He routinely showed up unannounced to shovel their walk after snowstorms and raked leaves in the fall. When Mrs. Jones fell and broke her hip, Robert visited her in the hospital on his way from work everyday, then brought dinner over to Mr. Jones in the evenings to keep him company. • WHAT CAN YOU TELL ABOUT ROBERT?

8. Indirect Characterization, continued • Robert is: • Caring • Selfless • Devoted • Service-oriented • Thoughtful

9. Juxtaposition • Placing two elements side by side in literature to paint a contrast. • Adeline Yen Mah’s roughly-sewn poor clothes compared to Little Sister and Fourth Brother’s fine new Western outfits – this sharp contrast highlights even more painfully the difference in treatment

10. Irony Dramatic/situational irony: Characters’ words and actions or the story events have a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters; what is expected contrasts with what actually happens (an ironic twist)

11. Dramatic irony, continued • Niang tells Adeline her studies are worthless because she’ll never amount to anything. Adeline turns around and uses her education and writing skills to become a famous author. She focuses her writing on exposing Niang and the family as hateful (uses those same skills to prove Niang wrong) • O. Henry’s “Gift of the Magi”: • Delia Young cuts off and sells her beautiful long hair to afford a watch chain as a Christmas gift for her husband, while… • Jim Young sells his heirloom watch to afford a sparkly barrette for his wife’s long hair

12. Verbal irony: Person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning. (often in the form of sarcasm) “Gee, thanks a LOT!” the woman complained loudly as the family of six cut in front of her in the buffet line. “Hey, pal, nice work!” she scowled as he spilled his tray at her feet.

13. Imagery Rich description -- words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses. Writers use imagery to describe how their subjects look, sound, feel, taste, and smell.

14. MOOD Mood is the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage. Writers use many devices to create mood, including images, dialogue, setting, and plot. Often, a writer creates a mood at the beginning of a work and then sustains the mood throughout. Sometimes, however, the mood of the work changes dramatically.

15. Plot Plot is the sequence of events. The first event causes the second, the second causes the third, and so forth.

16. PLOTLINE Climax Rising Action Falling Action Resolution Exposition Conflict Introduced

17. Exposition The Exposition is the introduction. It is the part of the work that introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation.

18. Rising Action Rising Action is the part of the plot that begins to occur as soon as the conflict is introduced and builds. Rising action adds complications to the conflict and increases reader interest.

19. Climax The climax is the point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or suspense in the plot of a narrative. The climax typically comes at the final (and most significant) turning point in a story or drama.

20. Falling Action Falling Action is the action that typically follows the climax and reveals its results.

21. Resolution The resolution is the part of the plot that concludes the falling action by revealing or suggesting the outcome of the conflict; wrapping up of loose ends.

22. Conflict Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces in a story or play. There are two types of conflict that exist in literature.

23. External Conflict External conflict exists when a character struggles against some outside force, such as another character, nature, society, or fate. Man vs. Man Man vs. Society/World Man vs. Nature

24. Internal Conflict Internal conflict exists within the mind of a character who is torn between different courses of action. Can be inner struggle, self-worth, self-doubt Man vs. Himself

25. Flashback A flashback is a literary device in which an earlier conversation or event is inserted into the sequence of events. Often flashbacks are presented as a memory of the narrator or of another character.

26. Flashback continued… The movie Titanic is told almost entirely in a flashback (Rose is an old woman at the end, and the entire story that precedes was her memory). What are some other films that contain flashback to help tell stories? Willy Wonka (Tim Burton version) Think of some more…

27. Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is the author’s use of clues to hint at what might happen later in the story. Writers use foreshadowing to build their readers’ expectations and to create suspense. This is used to help readers prepare for what is to come.

28. Can you think of an element of foreshadowing?

29. Point of View/Narration Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. It is the relationship of the narrator to the story. First-person narration is told by a character who uses the first-person pronoun “I.” Third-person narration is the point of view where the narrator uses third-person pronouns such as “he” and “she” to refer to the characters. Third person limited or third person omniscient

30. Theme The theme of a literary work is its central message, concern, or purpose; Universal themes are common throughout literature and can apply to many people’s lives Good vs. evil Survival against all odds Importance of friends Coping with loss Coming of age Finding one’s identity

31. Tone Tone is the writer’s or speaker’s attitude toward a subject of a poem, story, or other literary work. Tone may be communicated through words and details that express particular emotions and that evoke and emotional response from the reader. For example, word choice or phrasing may seem to convey the writer’s respect, anger, lightheartedness, or sarcasm toward the subject.

32. Figures of Speech A figure of speech is a specific device or kind of figurative language, such as hyperbole, metaphor, personification, simile, or understatement. Figurative language is used for descriptive effect, often to imply ideas indirectly. It is not meant to be taken literally. Figurative language is used to state ideas in vivid and imaginative ways.

33. Metaphor A Metaphor is a type of speech that compares or equates two or more things that have something in common. A metaphor does NOT use like or as. Example: Life is a bowl of cherries.

34. Simile A Simile is another figure of speech that compares seemingly unlike things. Simile’s DO use the words like or as. Example: Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

35. Oxymoron An Oxymoron is a figure of speech that is a combination of seemingly contradictory words. Examples: Same difference Pretty ugly Deafening silence Jumbo shrimp

36. Personification Personification is a figure of speech in which an animal, object, force of nature, or idea is given human qualities or characteristics. Example: Tears began to fall from the dark clouds.

37. Hyperbole Use of exaggeration in writing or speech. • My backpack weighs a ton • Her smile stretched from ear to ear • I worked on that paper until my eyes bled.

38. IDIOMS • Expressions not intended to be taken literally: • She was skating on thin ice as she sassed back to her father • It was raining cats and dogs that afternoon • My pet goldfish, Hermie, kicked the bucket. • I was sweating bullets as I walked into the room to take English final exam. • However, I sailed through Mrs. Henry’s final exam with flying colors.

39. Onomatopoeia Use of words whose sound suggests the meaning or sound associated with it. Boom! Plip-plop! Crack!

40. Alliteration Alliteration is the repetition of sounds, most often consonant sounds, at the beginning of words. Alliteration gives emphasis to words. Dally’s dark deeds put Pony in a pickle. ALSO: “In a pickle” = example of a(n) _______

41. SHAKESPEARE • Know: Iambic pentameter • Basic biography information from webquest • Information about theatre at the time (from webquest)