literary terms

• Genre - how literature is categorized based on literary conventions
• Short Story - a type of fictional narrative story usually written in prose; often shorter in length and focuses on one event, character, or incident
• Poetry - a type of literary art form where writers use figurative language and other poetic devices to get the point of their subject across
• Drama - a type of fiction characterized by performance of actors
• Fiction - a type of narrative literature that contains imaginary characters and events
• Non-fiction - a type of narrative literature where the characters and events actually happened
• Biography - a type of literature written about someone by another person
• Autobiography - a type of literature written by someone about their own life
• Fable - a type of fictional story where the main characters are non -humans, such as animals or mythical creatures, but have the qualities of human
• Science Fiction - a type of genre where characters and events are often set in the future where science and technology far surpasses the present
• Tragedy - a type of narrative that often involves human suffering, including death, in the story
• Comedy - a type of story designed for humor or irony
• Anecdote: a brief story
• Allegory: a symbolic representation – can be a piece of writing eg. The blindfolded figure with scales is an allegory of justice.
• Satire: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics
• Parody: an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.
• Setting - this is where a story takes place in time and location
• Character - protagonist, antagonist, hero/ heroine are the people that move the plot along and the reason that many readers stay with a story
• Point of view - this how the story is told by the narrator or author; either first, second, or third person
• Exposition: the insertion of important background information within a story; for example, information about the setting, characters' backstories, prior plot events, historical context, etc.
• Rising action: the series of events that begin immediately after the exposition (introduction) of the story and build up to the climax. These events are generally the most important parts of the story since the entire plot depends on them to set up the climax and ultimately the satisfactory resolution.
• Inciting Incident - the event/ moment that sparks the beginning of the conflict
• Falling Action: During the falling action, the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels, with the protagonist winning or losing against the antagonist.
• Plot - these are the events in the story from the beginning until the end
• Conflict - this important part of a story often prevents the characters from achieving their goals but allows them to grow from the experiences and then continue onward in their journey
• Climax - a very exciting section of the story – the turning point - it represents the point of greatest tension
• Resolution - this is how the story ends and happens after the climax
• Dénoument : the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.
• Theme - is the central idea of the story, which is often abstract (greed, love, coming of age)
• Tone - words used to express how the author feels about the text
• Mood - how the reader feels about the text while reading
• Narrator - is the person who tells the story and can be limited or omniscient
• Subplot: a subplot is a secondary strand of the plot that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots.
• Protagonist: the main character
• Antagonist: the character who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something (protagonist); an adversary.
• Allusion - when an author intentionally makes a reference to another work, such as another piece of literature, artwork, or a time, place or person
• Imagery - words used to evoke pictures in the minds of the readers
• Hyperbole - an exaggeration
• Dialogue - the words that characters speak
• Symbolism - a symbol is a physical object that represents an abstraction