- Sossaman Middle School
- Elements of Literature
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APPENDICES: TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
ELEMENTS OF FICTION PLOT LINE- Plot- the action or sequence of related events that make up a story; consists of 5 basic elements
- Exposition-the characters and setting are introduced
- Rising Action-the complications that build to the climax; conflict(s) developed
- Climax-the turning point in the story
- Falling Action-events leading to the resolution
- Resolution-conflict(s)resolved; loose ends are tied up
ELEMENTS OF FICTIONIrony- using a word or phrase to mean the exact opposite of its literal meaning, 3 types:
Dramatic- where the reader or the audience is aware of a character’s mistakes, but the character does not
Verbal-where the writer says one thing and means another
Irony of situation- where there is greater difference between the purpose of an action and the resultSetting- the time of day or year, historical period, place, situation; influence on story
Characterization-the techniques the author uses to create and develop character (4 types)
a. thoughts, speech,and actions of the character
b. thoughts, speech,and actions of other characters
c. physical description
d. direct comments
Protagonist-the main character in the storyAntagonist- the person or force working against the main characterForeshadowing-the clues or hints given by the author about what might happen later in the storyFlashback-a scene that interrupts the present action to describe an event that took place at an earlier timeMood- the feeling the text creates in the reader (gloomy, scary, humorous, romantic, adventurous,lighthearted)Suspense- the growing tension and excitement the reader feelsSymbolism- the authors use of symbols to represent concrete ideas, events, or relationships
Theme- the underlying idea/message/statement the author is trying to convey
Point of View-the perspective from which the story is told
1st person- the narrator is a character who tells the story as he/she experience, saw, heard, and understood; identified by the use of first person pronouns: I, we, me, us, etc.3rd person omniscient- the narrator is all-knowing with the ability to see into the minds of more than one character
3rd person limited- the narrator has the ability to see into the mind of only one character
Conflict-a struggle or problem between or among opposing forces that triggers the action in literatureFour types of conflict- person vs. person person vs. society
person vs. him/herself person vs. nature
Tone- the writer/narrator’s attitude towards a subject through his or her own word choice (sarcastic,ironic, serious, funny, hesitant, angry, cheerful, etc.)Style- the method in which the author writes (simple, blunt, flowery, fast paced, full of digressions,full of flashbacks, stream-of-consciousness, etc.)
ELEMENTS OF READINGInference- logical guess or conclusion based on evidence; read between the linesPrediction- using prior knowledge and/or details to guess what will happen in the futureDrawing Conclusions-combining several pieces of information to make a decisionSequencing-arranging events to aid in understanding of a text: developmental, chronological, level of difficulty (easy to hard, hard to easy), structure (part to whole/whole to part)Author’s Purpose- the intent the author had when writing (to entertain, inform, persuade, etc.)Compare/Contrast-identifying similarities or differences in the readingFact-a statement that can be proved or disprovedOpinion- a belief or conclusion that is not supported by evidence or factsVisual Aids- visual representation of the information presented; usually helps clarify or explaininformation to the reader (graphs, charts, etc.)Cause/Effect- describes a relationship between events; the first event in time is the cause and thesecond event is the effectBias- the writer’s attitude,outlook or prejudice; writer’s leaning or belief about a topicMain Idea-the most important idea in a passage; the point the author is trying to make
Literal-adhering to the fact or the primary meaning or intent
Implied-a suggested meaning or intent (as opposed to explicit)
Explicit-clearly revealed or expressedPropaganda- the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or hurting a causeBandwagon-a persuasive technique that attempts to get people to follow the crowd using the logical fallacy that since “everyone likes it”, it must be good
ELEMENTS OF POETRYEpic- a narrative poem,usually about the heroic adventures and heroic deeds of a folk hero (e.g.,Homer’s “Iliad”)Lyric- a short poem that expresses personal feelings or emotions, often in a song-like style or formSonnet-a poem consisting of 14 lines with a formal rhyme scheme which expresses a thought or feeling in a unified wayBallad- a narrative, often of folk origin and intended to be sung; consists of simple stanzas, usually with a refrainElegy- a song or poem written as a lament for the deadHaiku-a style of Japanese poetry consisting of three unrhymed lines of 5,7,5 syllables; traditionally about nature or the seasonsFree Verse- a style of poetry that has an irregular rhyme or line pattern; verse that is developed according to the author’s own style
ELEMENTS OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGESimile- comparison of two unlike objects using like or asMetaphor- direct comparison of two unlike objectsPersonification- giving human attributes to non-human things
Hyperbole- a figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or humor
Idiom- expression that means something different that the words actually mean; understandable to a particular culture, language, or group of people (e.g. “let the cat out of the bag”)
PARAGRAPHING TERMS AND DEFINITIONSTopic Sentence- providesclear and easily identifiable purpose and main ideaSupporting Sentences- the details used in writing to prove, explain, or describe a topicConclusion Sentence-summarizes or retells the main idea as an effective way to endTransitions-words or phrases that connect or tie ideas, words, sentences, or paragraphs togetherIntroductory Paragraph- the first paragraph that grabs the reader’s attention, makes him or her want to read the rest of the composition, and states the main ideaThesis Statement-a statement that gives the main idea or focus of an essayBody Paragraph-the details used in paragraphs to prove, explain, or describe a topic; all paragraphs in the body work together to support the main idea
Concluding Paragraph- the final paragraph that ties the ideas together and restates the main idea
Last Modified on May 25, 2016