Literary Terms and Concepts

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Genre

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A category or class to which a literary work belongs. Examples include poetry, mythology, mysteries, and science fiction.

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Denotation

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A word’s exact, literal meaning.

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Connotation

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A word’s suggested or implied meaning or emotion associated with a word beyond its literal definition.

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Narrative

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Tells a story or describes a sequence of events in an incident. Includes personal response and reflection.

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Sensory details

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A word that appeals to one of the five senses.

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Plot

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The sequence of related events that make up a story or novel.

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Exposition

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Events that give readers background information needed to understand a story.

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Rising Action

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Major events that develop the plot of a story and lead to the climax.

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Climax

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The turning point or the high point of a story.

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Falling Action

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Events after the climax of a story but before the resolution.