Reading Literary Elements

Take a minute and imagine building What are some of the things that Some of those non-negotiable If you didn't have these elements,
a house. you would absolutely have to elements are a roof, walls, a you wouldn't have a house, you
include in order to make a house? kitchen, and a bathroom. might not even have a building!
 Literary elements are the things
A literary element's definition is that all literature—whether it's a
pretty similar.  news article, a book, or a poem—
absolutely have to have. 

Just like a house, the elements Literary elements are the

might be arranged slightly fundamental building blocks of
differently...but at the end of the writing, and they play an important
day, they're usually all present and role in helping us write, read, and
accounted for. understand literature.
Plot
(Once upon a time…)

Plot: The sequence of events that take place in a story.

Exposition: sets up the story by telling background, setting, & characters

Rising Action: main part of the story where problems arise

Climax: point of greatest intensity; the turning point

Falling Action: contains dialogue & action that lead to a satisfying ending

Resolution: satisfying ending telling how problems are resolved

…and they lived happily ever after.

Setting

TIME
&
PLACE
(IT WAS A DARK AND SCARY NIGHT….)
 Authors present believable characters by:

character’s actions & words

character’s appearance

Characterization character’s inner thoughts

character’s background

what other characters think & say about the character

narrator commenting directly about a character

Character
Motivation
The reason a character behaves in a certain way
Conflict!

The struggle that

takes place EXTERNAL: (outside ★person versus ★person versus
between two the character) person nature
opposing forces.

INTERNAL: (within
★person versus
the character’s ★person versus self
society
mind)
Point of View

★1st person: a ★3rd person: a

character speaks narrator who is not a
directly to the reader character & refers to
& refers to him/herself all characters as “he”
Who is telling the
as “I” -- this allows or “she”--this allows
story?
readers to experience readers to experience
the thoughts and the thoughts and
emotions of the main emotions of several
character. characters.
Suspense

What will happen next?

The author’s ability to make

the reader uncertain or tense
about what is to happen next.
Mood

The atmosphere or feeling Writers create mood usually

What emotion is this writing
that runs through a work of through their choice of
trying to make me feel?
literature. details & description
Foreshadowing

The use of clues or hints by Foreshadowing helps us

the author to prepare the make predictions…and then
reader for future we want to read on to see if
developments in a story. our predictions come true!
Flashback
• An interruption of the action in a story to tell about something
that happened earlier in time.
 Central Idea is the universal life subject

Central Idea
found in a work of literature (friendship,
fear, love, determination, etc.)

& Theme
Theme is the life lesson learned from the
Central Idea, stated in sentence form.
 Simile

A simile compares two things

using the words “like” or “as.”

Comparing one thing to

another creates a vivid image.

An emerald is as green as
grass.
 A metaphor compares two things
without using the words “like” or “as.”

Gives the qualities of one thing to

Metaphor something that is quite different.

The Night is a Big Black Cat

 Personification
gives human traits
and feelings to

Personification
things that are
not human – like
animals or
With objects.
Mister
the
Sun
moon.

Wakes
Trading
up at
places
dawn,

Sky at Puts his

noon, golden

Climbs
Slippers
the
on,
summer
 Onomatopoeia

Words that represent the

actual sound of something are
words of onomatopoeia. Dogs
Appeals to the sense of sound.
“bark,” cats “purr,” thunder
“booms,” rain “drips,” and the
clock “ticks.”

Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Frozen snow and brittle ice
Make a winter sound that’s
nice
 Alliteration is the
repetition of the
first consonant
sound in words.
Alliteration

“Peter Piper picked

a peck of pickled
peppers.”
 Hyperbole is when you use
language to exaggerate
what you mean or
emphasize a point.
Hyperbole
“There’s enough food in the
cupboard to feed an entire
army!”
 Irony occurs when there's a "How nice!" she said when I
marked contrast between told her I had to work all
what is said and what is weekend.

Irony meant, or between

appearance and reality.

The Titanic was said to be

unsinkable, but it sank on its
first voyage.