Legend: Literary Terms

Point of View

• The perspective from which a story is narrated (first-person, third-person limited, third-person omniscient).

• The main character's journey throughout the story.

• The setting and time period in which the story takes place.

• The underlying message or moral of the story.

Tone

• The author’s attitude toward the subject, audience, or character, conveyed through stylistic choices.

• A type of literary device used to create imagery.

• The main idea or theme of a literary work.

• The emotional response evoked in the reader by the text.

Characterization

• The process of creating a plot in a story.

• The representation of a character’s traits, motives, and psychological makeup within a story, shown through direct description or through actions, thoughts, and dialogue.

• The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

• The sequence of events that make up a story.

Pathetic Fallacy

• A literary device where nature reflects human emotions, such as an 'angry storm' when a character is furious.

• A type of irony where the opposite of what is expected occurs.

• A form of symbolism that uses objects to represent ideas.

• A technique that involves exaggeration for emphasis.

Diction

• The author's choice of words, which affects tone, style, and meaning.

• A type of figurative language used to create imagery.

• The overall message or theme of a literary work.

• The structure and organization of a written piece.

Imagery

• Descriptive language that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) to create vivid mental pictures.

• A type of figurative language that compares two unlike things using 'like' or 'as'.

• A narrative technique that involves the use of dialogue to convey character thoughts.

• A literary device that involves the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Internal Conflict

• A psychological struggle within the mind of a character, often involving moral dilemmas, desires, or emotions.

• A physical battle between two characters in a story.

• A conflict between a character and an external force, such as nature or society.

• A disagreement between two characters that leads to a resolution.

Mood

• The emotional atmosphere or feeling that a literary work evokes in the reader, often created through setting, tone, and diction.

• A specific type of literary device used to create imagery.

• The main idea or theme of a literary work.

• The author's personal opinion about the subject matter.

Metaphor

• A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unrelated things by stating one is the other ("Time is a thief").

• A type of analogy that compares two similar things.

• A rhetorical device that exaggerates for emphasis.

• A figure of speech that uses the words 'like' or 'as' to compare two things.

External Conflict

• A struggle between a character and an outside force, such as another character, society, nature, or fate.

• A character's internal struggle with their own emotions or decisions.

• A conflict that occurs within a single character's mind.

• A situation where a character faces a moral dilemma without any external influence.