Literary Terms 7 th Grade Reading
Point of View The vantage point from which a story is told First person is told by a character who uses the pronoun I Second person You Third person narrator uses he/she to tell the story; like you are on the outside looking in
continued Third person Limited the narrator relates the inner thoughts and feelings of only one character, and everything is viewed from the character s perspective Omniscient (all-knowing) the narrator knows and tells about what each character thinks and feels
Character Any person or animal that takes part in a story (Characters can be round, flat, static, or dynamic)
Character, cont. Static character: These characters do NOT change throughout the story.
Protagonist The main character in a literary work
Protagonist The main character in a literary work
Antagonist A character or force in conflict with the main character
Setting The time and place of the action in a story
Plot The sequence of events in a story (Freytag s Pyramid)
Theme The central message in a literary work
Figurative Language Writing or speech not meant to be taken literally (ex. Simile, personification, metaphor)
Metaphor a comparison of two things without using like or as, may say one thing and mean another
Onomatopoeia Words that are spelled like the sounds they make.
Conflict The problem in the story. Internal Conflict: Character VS Self : an argument or decisionmaking process within one character's mind External Conflict: Character VS Character, Character VS Nature, Character VS Society, & Character VS Fate : fight, argument, disagreement or simply opposition in which 2 sides are present
Oxymoron Basically a phrase that has 2 words that would contradict each other, or just don't seem they should go together, such as "jumbo" and "shrimp.
Simile Comparing two uncommon things with the words like or as
Alliteration Words in a sentence that begin with the same consonant sound.
Irony A contradiction between what you think will happen and what actually happens.
Types of Irony Situational Irony: Irony of a situation, event, or name. Ex: A flat, barren town being named Mountain Hills. Verbal Irony (Sarcasm): Saying one thing but meaning another. Dramatic Irony: When the reader/audience (or other characters) knows something that the main character doesn t.
Imagery Language that evokes one or all of the five senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching.
Dialogue A talk between two or more people or between characters in a play, film, or novel; quotation marks will be used.
Narrator A person or character who tells a story.
Climax The top o Freytag s Pyramid, the point at which a conflict reaches a crisis in a work of literature.
Direct Characterization The process by which the personality of a fictional character is revealed by the use of descriptive adjectives or phrases.
Indirect Characterization The writer reveals information about a character and his personality through that character's thoughts, words, and actions, along with how other characters respond to that character, including what they think and say about him..
Flashback An interruption of the action to present events that took place at an earlier time. It can provide information that helps readers understand a character s current situation.
Foreshadowing When a writer provides hints that suggest future events in a story. It creates suspense with preparing the reader for what s to come
Personification Giving human characteristics (traits) to nonhuman characters.
Mood A feeling that a literary work conveys to readers.
Tone It expresses the writer s attitude toward his/her subject. Words such as angry, sad, and humorous can be used to describe different tones.
Style A manner of writing; it involves how something is said rather than what is said.
Suspense A feeling of growing tension or excitement.
Allusion Reference in one piece of literature to another piece of literature; often biblical.
Characterization OR Character Traits All of the techniques a writer uses to create a character: physical appearance, their personality (what other characters say or how they feel about a character OR by his/her own thoughts and actions), direct comments about the character.
Dynamic Character Also called a round character, a dynamic character is one whose personality changes or evolves over the course of a narrative or appears to have the capacity for such change Ex: Ebenezer Scrooge is a dynamic character because he changes his view about Christmas.
Static Character A static character is a simplified character who does not change or alter his or her personality over the course of a narrative. Such static characters are also called flat characters if they have little visible personality or if the author provides little characterization for them.