50 Common Literary Terms AMERICAN LITERATURE Fiction A work that is not based on reality Drama A play Poetry The writings of a poet.
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50 Common Literary Terms AMERICAN LITERATURE Fiction A work that is not based on reality Drama A play Poetry The writings of a poet that are considered beautiful and graceful; usually written in a specific format Non-fiction A story or writing that is based on truth and reality Characterization How the character is described in terms of its personality, physical appearance and character. dialogue Conversation between two or more characters monologue A speech, usually very long, that is give by one character only in the presence of other people Direct characterization When the author describes the character for the audience through vivid detail and description Indirect characterization When the reader determines what the character is like through inferences made in the reading Setting When and where the story takes place Chronological order When a written work is ordered from the oldest to the most recent; ordered by date Epistolary Form When a work is written in the form of letters Frame Narrative A story that is written within another story; similar to a dream within a dream Point of View The perspective from which the story is told Tone The overall voice that the author portrays in a work Diction The word choice a person/ author makes when writing Rhetoric The art of writing and argumentation Syntax The order in which words appear in a sentence Mood The overall feeling or atmosphere the work gives to the reader Theme The overall meaning or message a work sends to its audience End Rhyme Rhyme that comes at the end of a line in a poem Internal Rhyme rhyme between a word within a line and another either at the end of the same line or within another line Slant Rhyme Words that do not quite rhyme but are still paired within a poem. Ex. Gain and again Assonance the use of words that have the same or very similar vowel sounds near one another. Ex. as in “summer fun” and “rise high in the bright sky” Alliteration Repeated consonant sounds Ex. Suzy sells seashells Blank Verse un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter. It has 10 syllables per line narrative A written work that comes in the form of a “story” Sonnet a poem of 14 lines, usually in iambic pentameter, with rhymes arranged according to one of certain definite schemes Stream of Consciousness a literary style in which a character's thoughts, feelings, and reactions are depicted in a continuous flow uninterrupted by objective description or conventional dialogue Irony the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect Sarcasm the use of irony to mock or convey contempt Situational Irony irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected. Dramatic Irony Irony in a play in which the audience knows something that the characters do not. Verbal Irony When a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning. Satire the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues Ex. Family Guy Figurative Language Similes, metaphors, imagery, ways to describes things in vivid detail and with comparisons Simile A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’ Metaphor A comparison that does not use ‘like’ or ‘as’ Hyperbole Extreme exaggeration Idiom an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket Connotation The implied meaning of a word Denotation The given definition of a word Farce a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations Juxtapose place or deal with close together for contrasting effect Bildungsroman A novel dealing with one person's formative years or spiritual education. (aka- a coming of age story) Archetype a very typical example of a certain person or thing Motif a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition Epic a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds Soliloquy speech you make to yourself Imagery Descriptive detail that is meant to create an image in the reader’s mind