Transcript A Glossary of Literary Terms Review for Finals Grade 7

A Glossary of Literary Terms
Review for Finals
Grade 7
onomatopoeia

the use of words that imitate sounds:
sizzle, snap, buzz, boom
prose

the kind of everyday writing that does
not have the rhyme or rhythm patterns
of poetry; writing in sentence and
paragraph form
stanza

a formal division of lines in a poem and
is consider a unit; it is to poetry what a
paragraph is to prose.
simile

a comparison of two essentially unlike
things using the words “like” or “as” to
make the comparison.
exposition

the beginnings of the story during
which the author reveals the setting,
introduces central characters, and sets
in motion a story problem
protagonist

the central character in a literary work.
In some stories, this character may
play the role of a hero/heroine
speaker

.
the imaginary voice a poet uses when
writing a poem; the character who tells
the poem. This character, or voice,
often is not identified by name. There
can be important differences between
the poet himself and this voice.
falling action

the action which follows the story’s
climax, tying up the loose ends and
leading to the conclusion
epic poetry

a long narrative poem about the adventures
of gods or a hero. Serious in tone and broad
in theme, it offers a portrait of the culture in
which it was produced. The earliest known
were created in ancient Greece and Rome
and are part of the oral tradition.
surprise ending


As the term implies, this is when the ending
of a story takes an unexpected turn, one the
reader may not have seen coming; however,
upon revisiting the plot, the author likely
dropped hints that were either overlooked,
dismissed as unimportant, or misinterpreted.
O. Henry is considered the “master” of the
surprise ending.
universal

A term used to describe themes that
are common in human experience
mood

the emotional effect of feeling that an
author creates in a literary work
genre


a term used in literature and art,
meaning a category or classification
the three major genres are prose,
poetry, and drama
diction

A level of speech, described in terms of
“high,” “middle,” and “low;” it is adjusted
according to audience and purpose of
speech or writing.
alliteration

the repetition of initial consonant
sounds to draw the reader’s attention
or create musical effects; “tonguetwisters”
plot

the series of related events in a literary
work; the action that takes place in a
story
historical context

The customs, laws, modes, and
expectations of the time period in which
a literary work is set.
poetry

writing that is highly concise, often
musical, and emotionally charged. It
can take many forms and employ many
devices of sound and sense. It may
may feature imagery, figurative
language, and rhyme
myth

a fictional tale that explains the actions
of gods or heroes or the origins of
elements of nature. Part of the oral
tradition, they are composed orally and
then passed from generation to
generation by word of mouth. Every
ancient culture has its own.
antagonist

the character or force that opposes the
protagonist, or hero, in a work of
literature
author’s purpose

What the author hopes to accomplish in
writing. It may be to 1) inform or teach
you, 2) persuade you of some position,
3) reflect upon his/her experiences, or
4) entertain you.
metaphor

a direct comparison between two
essentially unlike things. “Like” or “as”
is not used in such a comparison.
setting

the time and place in which the action
of a literary work unfolds
personification

when a non-human animal or thing is
given human traits or capabilities
round character

A character for whom an author has
created a fully developed physical
appearance and personality. A multidimensional character whose feelings
and attitudes are explored; such a
character will likely experience change
as the story progresses.
oxymoron

the juxtaposition of contradicting terms:
jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly, Icy Hot,
Battle of Little Bighorn
oral tradition

the passing of songs, stories, and
poems from generation to generation
by word of mouth. Folk songs, folk
tales, legends, and myths are
examples. No one knows who first
created these stories and poems.
fiction

prose writing that tells an imaginary
story in the form of a short story or
novel
foreshadowing

when an author gives you a foretaste,
hint, or preview of what is to come
nonfiction

prose writing that presents and
explains ideas or that tells about real
people, places, objects, or events.
Autobiographies, biographies, essays,
reports, letters, memos, and
newspaper articles are all examples of
this genre.
conflict

the struggle between opposing
characters or forces that is central to
the action of a literary work; man
versus man, man versus nature, man
versus society, man versus God, and
man versus himself
etymology

The study of the history and origin of
words
stereotype

A character that bears obvious traits of
a person or group; often negative, they
tend to reinforce qualities reflective of
perceptions and assumptions readers
have in their minds about a type of
character.
euphemism


A softer, gentler, less-offensive term for
one considered harsh
Think: passed away instead of dead
flat (stock) character

A character that is not fully developed,
but has a specific role to play in the
plot.
dialect

a regional variety of speech, a form of
language spoken by people in a
particular region of the county or by a
group of people bound by some
commonality, differing in pronunciation,
grammar, word choice, and idiomatic
speech.
resolution

the point at which the conflict in the
story is resolved; the conclusion is
reached
short story

a brief work of fiction that is meant to
be read in a single sitting. They usually
follow a standard plot development
format of exposition, conflict, rising
action, climax, falling action, resolution
hyperbole

a gross exaggeration that cannot
possibly be taken seriously
fantasy

A genre of fiction that is highly
imaginative, containing elements not
found in real life
flashback

when the narrator of the story or a
character recalls a memory, action, or
dialogue from an earlier time, out of
sequence from the story’s present time
line
climax

the moment in the story that comes as
its high point or its most emotional peak
realistic fiction

fiction set in relatively modern times
that reflect common experiences to
which the average person could relate.
This type of fiction tells an imaginary
story about characters and places that
could actually exist and events that
could actually happen
euphemism

the substitution of an inoffensive term
for one considered blunt or offensive
novel

a long work of fiction, usually divided
into chapters. It is meant to be read
over multiple sittings. In such a literary
work, there is more opportunity for
greater depth in terms of themes, plot
lines, and characterization.
rising action

the plot developments that add
complications and expand the conflict;
it contributes to the building of
suspense or tension
connotation

Described as positive, negative, or
neutral, it is the meaning beyond the
literal definition of a word or phrase; a
feeling or sense attached to a word that
is not part of its dictionary definition.
rhyme scheme

the regular pattern of rhyming words in
a poem.
suspense

Tension that is built when the reader
feels anxious or uncertain as to what
will be the outcome of events.
point of view

the perspective from which a story is told. An author
may choose to narrate from the first-person,
meaning the story is told by a character in the story
itself. A author may also employ a third-person
point-of-view. Third-person limited implies the
story is seen from the perspective of one or a limited
number of characters. Third-person omniscient
implies that the narrator has a God-like view into the
hearts and minds of all the characters
denotation

the literal, dictionary definition or
meaning of a word or phrase
imagery

the “mental pictures” created in the
reader’s mind by the author’s use of
figurative language, sensory language,
and descriptive word choice; the total
sensory effect a piece of literature has
upon the reader
theme

the underlying idea or message about
life or human nature contained in a
literary work
science fiction



Science fiction combines elements of
fiction and fantasy with scientific fact.
The author of science fiction poses a
“what if” question and brainstorms
ideas from there.
The story may explore futuristic worlds
and envision new technology
Alien life forms may play a part
narrative poem

A poem that tells a story and features
many of the conventions found in a
prose narrative
sensory language

language that is meant to appeal
directly to the reader’s five senses
idiom

a figure of speech, an expression that
has a particular meaning to a language
or a region of the country. These
expressions cannot be taken literally.
They do not translate easily into other
languages.
drama

a story written to be performed by
actors. Though meant to be
performed, a reader can also read the
script (the written dialogue and stage
directions) and imagine the action. It is
divided into acts and scenes.
irony

when the opposite of what is expected
happens; a contrast between
appearances and what actually is;
examples are verbal and situational
characters
a person, an animal, or a personified object that plays a role in
the action of a literary work
Characterization

the techniques, both direct and indirect, an author uses to
present and develop characters.

direct characterization
 the author’s comments in a straightforward manner on
the nature of the a character. The author tells the
reader about and or actually describes the character

indirect characterization
 the author allows the reader to draw conclusions about
characters based upon the characters’ own words and
acts, as well as upon how other characters react to
them; the reader learns about the character by noting
what other characters think and say

dialogue

A conversation between characters. In
poems, novels, and short stories,
dialogue is usually set off by quotation
marks. In a play, it follows the names
of the characters who will speak the
lines, and colons, not quotation marks,
are used.
narrator

The speaker or character who tells a
story.
figurative language

language based on figures of speech;
symbolic in meaning. Examples
include idiom, simile, metaphor, and
personification.
literature

writing as art