Introduction to Literature

Literary Terms

English 8
Mrs. Cowan
 I. Literature is the author’s written
form of expression that reflects his
views or opinions on life and living.
II. There are three main divisions of
literature.
A. Prose – any writing that is not poetry;
written in sentences and paragraphs
(essays, short stories, novels, newspaper
articles, and letters)
B. Poetry – beautiful thought, image, or
emotion, often expressed in rhythmical
language and often written according to
patterns of lines
 C. Drama (play) – written by a playwright;
tells a group of actors what to do or say on
stage
 III. There are two kinds of writing in
 literature.
 A. Fiction – literature that is not true
1. Short story – a form of prose fiction
that can be read in a single sitting and
produces a single effect; few characters; one
setting
 2. Novel – a long work of fiction that
contains more characters, settings,
complicated plots, and subplots
B. Non-fiction – literature that is
true
1. Biography – a story about a
person written by someone else
2. Autobiography – a story about
a person written by the person
3. Essay – a short prose
composition about a particular
subject
4. Article – a prose composition
5. News writing – prose writing
about recent events
 IV. There is a key (or point of emphasis) to
each major type of literature.
A. Novel – unfolding plot
B. Short story – single character
C. Play – Struggle or conflict
D. Biography – personal growth
E. Poem – imagination, emotion, rhythm
 V. The following list of words are literary
terms that we will be using when
discussing or analyzing literature in this
class.
A. Plot – the events (action) of the
story
1. Exposition (opening situation; conflict
or problem) – the beginning events;
introduces us to the characters, setting, etc.
2. Rising action (complications) – the
events in the central part of the story where
various problems arise; leads to the climax
 3. Climax – the event that changes
the main character; the turning point
 4. Falling action – the event(s) that
follow the climax; the action or
dialogue necessary to lead to the
resolution; helps the reader solve the
conflict
 5. Resolution (Denouement) – the
event that happens at the end to help
us solve the conflict
 6. Plotline – a visual that shows the
main events (action) of the story
 B. Conflict – a struggle between
opposing forces; problems and
complications in the story
1. Internal conflict (man vs.
himself) – conflict within the character
 2. External conflict – a struggle with
an outside force or problem
a. Man vs. Man – one against one
b. Man vs. Society – one against a
social issue or problem
c. Man vs. nature – one against an
element or animal
 d. Man vs. Supernatural – one
against ghosts, fantasies, etc.
C. Characterization – the description of
people in a story
1. static character – remains the same
2. dynamic character – changes during the
story; grows and develop
3. stereotype (consistent) – acts like you
would expect him/her to act
4. protagonist – hero; main character;
good guy
5. antagonist – person (force) against the
protagonist; the villain; bad guy
D. Flashback – info about the past
E. Foreshadowing – clues (hints) of what
is to come
F. Point-of-view – who is telling the story
1. First person – one of the characters in
the story is telling the story
2. Third person omniscient – the narrator
knows the feeling and thoughts of all the
characters
3. Third person limited omniscient -
narrator knows the feelings and thoughts of
one character
4. Third person objective (camera view) –
we know what the characters are doing, not
what they are thinking or feeling
G. Setting – time and place of events
1. Time – when events take place
a. Day c. Season
b. Year d. Historical Time
2. Place – where events take place
H. Theme – the central message
about life or human nature; a universal
truth
I. Symbol - an object that stands for an
idea or belief

J. Irony – a statement, action, or

situation that is the opposite of what it
normally means or what is expected
 a. verbal irony - say the opposite of what is
meant
 b. situational irony - something happens
that is the opposite of what is expected
 c. dramatic irony – the reader knows
something a character doesn’t know
K. Mood – the feeling a reader gets
from reading an author’s words (the
overall feeling of a work)
- frightening - joyful
- gloomy - romantic
- happy - suspenseful
L. Moral – the lesson taught by a story
M. Style – how the author writes; his
choice and arrangement of words; his
use of language
 N. Dialect – a non-standard sub-
group of a language that often reveals
region, economic, or social class
O. Suspense – a feeling of anxious
uncertainty about the outcome of events
P. Realism – actual or possible
experiences in a story
Q. Tone – the writer’s attitude toward
a subject, character, or audience (the
way feelings are expressed)
- serious - humorous - angry - ironic - formal
R. Diction – a writer’s choice of words
S. Syntax – the arrangement of words
in a sentence; how the writer
constructs a sentence
T. Imagery – descriptive words and
phrases that appeal to the senses
U. Connotation – not the original
(dictionary) definition of a word; a
cultural meaning

V. Denotation – the dictionary

definition of a word
W. Idiom – a word or expression peculiar
to certain language; means something
different that the literal meaning
It’s raining cats and dogs.

X. Blank verse – unrhymed poetry

written in iambic pentameter
Y. Free verse – poetry that has no
regular pattern of rhythm or rhyme;
generally arranged in lines.
 Z. Affix – a prefix or suffix
AA. Prefix – an addition to the
beginning of a word
BB. Suffix – an addition to the end of a
word
CC. Root – the base of a word; the essential
part
DD. Simile – a comparison of two unlike
things using the words like or as.
She is as pretty as a picture.

EE. Hyperbole – an outrageous

exaggeration
That weighs a ton.
FF. Alliteration – the repetition of
consonant sounds.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers.

GG. Assonance – the repetition of

vowel sounds at the beginning of a
word. Every elephant eats enormous eagles.
 HH. Metaphor – comparison of two
unlike things not using the words l
like or as.
 She is the picture of health.

II. Personification – when an animal or object

is given human qualities.
The trees sighed as the wind blew through them.
 JJ. Onomatopoeia – words that
mimic the sounds they describe.
The bee buzzed around my head.

KK. Allusion – a reference from the

arts, history, literature, mythology,
politics, religion, sports, or science.

LL. Inference – an educated guess

 MM. Analogy – a comparison using
something that is familiar to explain
something that is unfamiliar.

Mesa Verde National Park is an outdoor museum,

not a playground.