Literary Terms Review

1. Literary Terms Review ESSENTIAL QUESTION: WHy IS IT IMPORTANT TO REVIEW LITERARY ELEMENTS?

2. Name that literary term! • “The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor.” • I heard the swishing of her skirts as she walked up the stairs. • "Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.“ • The pen is mightier than the sword.

3. Name that literary term! • "He was a remarkable Prime Minister with feet of clay". • The less you have the more free you are. • “My love is like a red, red rose.” • Julie wears so much make-up she has to use a sandblaster to get it off at night. • America is a melting pot. • My desk is groaning underneath the mountains of papers to grade. • I love it when my students cheat on their tests.

4. Imagery • Use of words to create a sensory experience or image • Uses the 5 senses • Ex: The family dinner was a “combination of boisterous conversation, badly burnt chicken, and the scent of freshly baked bread.”

5. Imagery • Examples: • A sunset (sight) • A bowl of ice (touch) • A song you love (sound) • Be ready to share!

6. Simile • Figure of speech that makes a comparison between two seemingly unlike things by using a connective word—like, as, than, or resembles • “My love is like a red, red rose.” -Robert Burns • “And the sudden flurries of snow-birds, Like brown leaves whirling by.” –James Russell Lowell

7. Simile • The desks overhead sounded like the thunderous dancing of elephants. • My eyes pooled like rivers during the wedding vows. • Your examples: • Anger tastes like . . . • Kindness smells like . . .

8. Metaphor • Figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using a connective word such as like or as. Metaphors can be direct, implied, extended, or mixed • Ex: “I am soft sift/ In an hourglass.” –Gerard Manley Hopkins

9. Metaphor • “All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely playersin it.” -William Shakespeare • America is a melting pot. • How could she date a snake like that? • Your example: fill in the blank with an object • Friendship is . . . • Education is . . .

10. Symbolism • Represents something else and itself • Always actually occurs in the text, usually more than once, instead of as a comparison • Common symbols: • Rose • Flag • Rain

11. Symbolism • “All this last day Frodo had not spoken, but had walked half-bowed, often stumbling, as if his eyes no longer saw the way before his feet. Sam guessed that among all their pains he bore the worst, the growing weight of the Ring, a burden on the body and a torment to his mind.” -J.R.R. Tolkien • Your example: Come up with your own symbol that represents two different meanings.

12. Irony—Which kind? • The beautiful woman lawyer walked into the courtroom wearing a visibly stained suit that frayed at the edges. • “Oh, and there’s a thrilling shot of one of the kids being sick on a small fishing boat off the coast of Florida and we are hovering over him offering him salami and mayonnaise sandwiches. That one really breaks us up.”—Erma Bombeck • Juliet is actually not dead, but asleep with the help of a strong potion. Romeo sees her lying in the tomb and kills himself because he believes her to be dead.

13. Irony—your turn! • Verbal Irony--implying a different meaning than what is directly stated • Situational Irony-- the opposite of what is expected happens • Dramatic Irony-- audience knows something that one or more of the characters does not

14. Allusion • Reference to a statement, person, place, event, or thing that is known from literature, history, religion, myth, politics, sports, science, or the arts • Examples: "Christy didn't like to spend money. She was no Scrooge, but she seldom purchased anything except the bare necessities".

15. Allusion • Ex: The students were sure that their teacher had drunk from the river Styx because of her complete inattention to their pranks. • Your example—think of a recent example you’ve heard or seen in which someone references a well-known work

16. Oxymoron • Figure of speech which seems to be self contradictory, but is actually true; a compressed paradox • Ex: Romeo describes love using several oxymorons, such as “cold fire,” “feather of lead” and “sick health” • Ex: She had a terrible beauty. There was a deafening silence. • Create your own oxymoron using this same adjective-noun form.

17. Paradox • A statement that appears to be contradictory, but actually expresses a truth • Ex: “Less is more” • “Truth must dazzle gradually/Or every man be blind” -Emily Dickinson • “Success is counted sweetest/By those who ne’er succeed” -Emily Dickinson • “It is in giving that we receive” -Francis of Assisi

18. Point of View • The identity of the narrative voice; the person or entity through whom the reader experiences the story. • First-person is narrated by a character in the story or a direct observer). • Second person style which addresses the reader as you, hoping to make you identify with the character • Third-person Omniscient knows all about all the characters and is only limited by what she may want to tell you. • Third-person Limited describes a narrator who knows everything but only follows the point of view of one particular character.

19. Point of View Which point of view are each of the following? 1. Mary's uncertainty cut like a knife in my gut. 2. Mary's uncertainty cut like a knife in John's gut. 3. You know how uncertainty can cut like a knife? 4. Mary’s uncertainty cut like a knife in John’s gut, froze her mother in shock and made the entire room stand still. Create your own example of third person omniscient, giving one of your characters ant bites.

20. Characters • Protagonist: the central character in the conflict • Antagonist: the force in conflict with the protagonist Characterization • A writer reveals what a character is like and how the character changes throughout the story. • Two primary methods of characterization: • Direct- writer tells what the character is like • Indirect- writer shows what a character is like by describing what the character looks like, by telling what the character says and does, and by what other characters say about and do in response to the character.

21. Factors in Analyzing Characters • Physical appearance of character • Personality • Background/personal history • Motivation • Relationships • Conflict • Does character change?

22. Theme • Meaning – The general idea about life that is revealed in the text. • A theme of a love story might be: love can conquer any obstacle. • A theme of a story about suffering might be: hard work pays off. • What is a theme from the last movie that you watched?

23. Universal Themes • Meaning – Themes that can be found in stories in any culture, place or period. • A central message, concern, or insight into life expressed through a literary work • Can be expressed by one or two sentence statement about human beings or about life • May be stated directly or implied • Interpretation uncovers the theme • Example • Be kind to others if you want them to be kind to you.

24. Plot Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of a story. It shows arrangement of events and actions within a story.

25. Plot Components Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads

26. Conflict • Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.

27. Character vs. Character Conflict • This type of conflict finds the main character in conflict with another character, human or not human.

28. Character vs. Nature Conflict • This type of conflict finds the main character in conflict with the forces of nature, which serve as the antagonist.

29. Character vs. Society Conflict • This type of conflict has the main character in conflict with a larger group: a community, society, culture, etc.

30. Character vs. Self Conflict • Also called Internal Conflict • In this type of conflict, the main character experiences some kind of inner conflict.

31. TONE TONE is simply the author’s attitude toward the subject. You can recognize the tone/attitude by the language/word choices the author uses. His language will reveal his perspective/opinion (that is, whether it is positive/negative) about the subject. Tone must be inferred through the use of descriptive words. An author’s tone directly impacts the mood created in the story!

32. Hyperbole • Figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion or create a comic effect • Ex: The limousine was as long as the Titanic. • Julie wears so much make-up she has to use a sandblaster to get it off at night.

33. TONE Identifying the TONE is all about knowing the definitions of many descriptive vocabulary words. Without this large vocabulary, it’s difficult to describe outside of “good” and “bad.”

34. Bitter Serious Witty Playful Tender Sympathetic Haunting Mysterious Suspenseful Tasteful/distasteful Nonchalant Angry Attached/Detached Innocent Poignant Compassionate Humorous Gore-y TONESo, let’s TONE our brain muscles with descriptive vocabulary exercises!!

35. MOOD MOOD is the overall feelings or emotions that are created IN THE READER. The “power of the pen” can move mountains. Authors “move” their readers’ moods through their choice of words and level of detail.

36. MOOD EXAMPLE After New Year's the time came to put all the decorations away and settle in for the long, cold winter. The house seemed to sigh as we boxed up its finery. The tree was dry and brittle, and now waited forlornly by the side of the road to be picked up. Mood: Dreary, depressed. How do we know? "cold, sigh, brittle, forlornly"

37. Cheerful Relieved Gloomy Bleak Uncertain Bittersweet Relaxed Lazy Hopeless Tense Furious Disappointed Dreamy, foggy Content Satisfied Angry Motivated Inspired Confident Eerie MOOD WORDS