Literary terms – Flashcards

The central message of a work of literature, often expressed as a general statement about life. Some themes are universal, meaning that they are widely held ideas about life. These themes are often recurring, Meaning that they are frequently used. A literary work may have more than one theme.

The emotional quality of a literary work. A writers choice of language, subject matter, setting, and tone, as well as sound devices such as rhyme and rhythm, contribute to creating mood.

And authors attitude toward his or her subject matter. Town is conveyed through elements of style, including direction, or word choice. A writers tone may convey a variety of attitudes such a sympathy, objectively, or humor. The tone may be related to the authors purpose or perspective.

An authors intent and writing a literary work. Authors typically write for one or more of the following purposes: to persuade, to inform, to explain, to entertain, or to describe

The sequence of events in a story, play, or narrative poem. A plot revolves around a central conflict, or problem, faced by main characters. The plot usually develops and five stages.

It's begins the story and introduces the stories conflict, the characters, and setting

As the story progresses, it builds suspense and adds complications to the conflict. In some stories, it includes a shift in tone or action, called a turning point that helps move the story toward the climax

It is the point of highest emotional pitch

It is the logical result of the climax

It is sometimes called the denouement, and it presents the final outcome

The time and place in which the events of a literary work occur. Setting includes not only the physical surroundings, but also the ideas, customs, values, and beliefs of a particular time and place. Setting often helps create an atmosphere or mood

And interruption in a narrative that tells about something that happened before that point in the narrative or before the narrative began. A flashlight gives readers information that helps to explain the main event of the narrative

It is the central struggle between two opposing forces in a story or drama

This exist when a character struggles against some outside force, such as another person, nature, society, or fate.

This exist within the mind of a character he was torn between opposing feelings are goals

An Individual in a literary work of fiction, drama, or narrative poem. A main character is central to the story and is typically fully characterized. A minor care to displace few personality traits and is used to develop the story.

A character who shows varied and sometimes contradictory traits

A character who reveals only one personality trait. Flat characters are generally stereotypes

This type of character usually grows and changes during the story

This type of character remains basically the same throughout the story

The central character in a narrative literary work, around him the main conflict resolves. Generally the reader or audience is meant to sympathize with the protagonist, who usually changes after the climax of the plot

A person or a force that opposes the protagonist, or central character, in a story or drama. The reader is generally not meant to sympathize with the antagonist

The person who tells a story. In some cases, the narrator is a character in the story

The standpoint, or perspective, from which a story is told. All stories are told by narrator, and who that narrator is affects the point of view.

The narrator is a character in the story, referred to as I. The reader sees everything through the characters eyes

The narrator describes events as only one character perceives them

This point of view is described as all knowing, which means that the narrator knows everything about all characters and events and may reveal details that the characters themselves could not reveal

The narrator is someone who stands outside the story and describes the characters and action. The narrator refers to characters as he or she