Most Important Literary Terms
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- Point of View
- 1st person- narrator is character ("I"). Ominicent 3rd person- tells what each character thinks and feels ("he/she" no "I") . Limited 3rd person- only viewed from one character's perspective. see also narrator
- Figurative Language
- Figurative language is writing or speech not meant to be taken literally. Writers use figurative language to express ideas in vivid and imaginative ways. See also figure of speech
- Diction
- Diction is a writer's or speaker's word choice. Diction is a part of a writer's style and may be described as formal or informal, plain or ornate, common or technical, abstract or concrete. See also style
- Speaker
- the speaker is the voice of the poem. Could be writter, inanimate object, or character. To understand speaker: recognize who speaker is addressing, the attitude of speaker, or tone. see also point of view
- Setting
- The time and place of the action. May serve a number of funtions. Backgound of action, crucial element in plot or central conflict, create a certain emotional atmosphere or mood.
- Rhyme Scheme
- A rhyme scheme is a regular pattern of rhyming words in poem. To describe a rhyme scheme one uses a letter of the alphabet to represent each rhyming sound in a poem or stanza.
- Rhyme
- Rhyming words have identical vowel sounds in their final accented syllables. End rhyme occurs when rhyming words are repeated at the ends of lines. Internal rhyme occurs when rhyming words fall within a line. Approximate, or slant, rhyme occurs when the rhyming sounds are similar, but not exact, as in prove and glove. See also rhyme scheme.
- Style
- Includes word choice, tone, degree of formality, figurative language, rhythm, grammatical structure, sentence length, organization. Everything in use of language. See also Plain style and diction.
- Rhythm
- Rhythm is a pattern of beats, or stresses, in spoken or written language. Free verse- written in irregular pattern. Traditional poetry- follows a regular rhythmatical pattern. See also meter
- Irony
- Irony is a contrast between what is stated and what is meant, or between what is expected to happen, and what actually happens. In verbal irony, a word or phrase is used to suggest the opposite of its usual meaning. In dramatic irony, there is a contradiction between what a character thinks and what the reader and audience knows. In irony of situation, an even occurs that contradicts the expectations of the characters, of the reader, or of the audience.
- Mood
- Mood, or atmosphere is the feeling created in the reader by a literary work or passage. Elements that can influence the mood of a work include setting, tone, and events. See also setting and tone.
- Plain Style
- Uncomplicated sentences and ordinary words are used to make simple, dircet statements.See also style
- Narrator
- Speaker or character who tells the story. Look at point of view card.
- Tone
- The tone of a literary work is the writter's attitude toward his or her subject, characters, or audience. May be: formal, informal, friendly, distant, personal, or pompous. (ironic, humorous etc). see also mood
- Figure of Speech
- A figure of speech is an expression or a word used imaginatively than literaly.
- Meter
- Iamb- US. Trochee- SU. Anapest- SSU. Dactyl- SUU. Spondee- SS. Pyrrhic- UU. Monometer- 1 ft lines. Dimeter- 2 ft lines. Trimeter- 3 ft lines. tetrameter... pentameter
- Theme
- A theme is a central message or insight into life revealed by a literary work. In essays: direct. In poetry: indirect.