Literary Terms (Benchmarks-Reading Prose)

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Denotation

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The dictionary meaning of a word, independent of other associations that the word may have.

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Omniscient Narrator

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An all-knowing, third person narrator who can tell readers what any character thinks and feels.

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Theme

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The moral or message readers should learn from the story; it often reflects what the character learns or how they change.

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Text Evidence

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Text that comes from the story used to support your analysis.

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Conflict

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The main struggle or problem in a story.

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Connotation

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The emotional or cultural association with a word, beyond its literal meaning.

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Imagery

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Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates a visual representation in the reader's mind.

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Personification

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A literary device where human qualities are attributed to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract concepts.

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Climax

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The most intense, exciting, or important point of a story, often the turning point.

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Resolution

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The part of the story where the conflict is resolved and the story comes to a close.