Literary Terms

The use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in the story.

• Symbolism

• Foreshadowing

• Dramatic Irony

• Euphemism

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

When the author shows/tells the audience what the personality of the character is.

• Characterization

• Personification

• Idiom

• Allusion

Tags

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.7.2D

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

When the reader knows something the characters do not.

• Characterization

• Dramatic Irony

• Foreshadowing

• Allusion

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

A person, place, object, or action that stands for something beyond itself.

• Mood

• Symbolism

• Diction

• Imagery

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5

CCSS.L.5.5

CCSS.L.6.5

CCSS.L.7.5

CCSS.L.8.5

When something happens that the reader wouldn’t have expected to happen.

• Situational Irony

• Allusion

• Theme

• Imagery

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

Problem in any piece of literature.

• Symbolism

• Imagery

• Hyperbole

• Conflict

Tags

CCSS.L.7.6

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.W.7.2D

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

The environment or surrounding in which an event or story takes place.

• mood
• external conflict
• setting
• plot

Tags

CCSS.L.7.6

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

the moment in the story when the action reaches its greatest conflict

• climax
• rising action
• falling action
• description

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

the perspective from which the story is told. Could be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person.

• climax
• point of view
• description
• opinion

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.5

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.3

how the writer feels about his subject that comes through based upon the types of words chosen.

• tone
• symbol
• theme
• satire

Tags

CCSS.L.3.3A

CCSS.L.4.3A

CCSS.L.5.3A

CCSS.L.6.3A

CCSS.L.6.3B