Literary Terms

Mr. Ginsberg (United States of America)
The language of literature
19 words 1173 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. plot
    the story that is told, as in a novel, play, movie, etc.
    There are great characters, a fantastic setting, and a plot that’s interesting but never quite fully formed. Forbes (Aug 16, 2013)
  2. characterization
    the act of describing essential features
    U.S. officials have rejected characterizations of Snowden as a whistleblower, while defending the NSA’s surveillance programs as critical to protecting national security interests.
  3. conflict
    opposition in a work of fiction between characters or forces
    There was a further brief but bitter armed conflict after Islamic militants infiltrated Indian-administered Kashmir in 1999.
  4. theme
    a unifying idea that is a recurrent element in literary work
    Advisers say Obama sees his message as building on the themes of Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders a half-century ago.
  5. allusion
    passing reference or indirect mention
    A little audience participation is also thrown in, as are some historical and literary allusions.
  6. climax
    the decisive moment in a novel or play
    Every match is treated by the commentators as an uninterrupted sequence of ecstatic climaxes.
  7. resolution
    something settled
    It also focuses on getting to a quick, fair resolution.
  8. protagonist
    the principal character in a work of fiction
    Kipling's protagonist certainly notices all the bad behaviour revealed in Austen's novels.
  9. antagonist
    someone who offers opposition
    Men may be adversaries, antagonists, or opponents to each other in certain respects, and yet have no feelings of general animosity. Webster, Noah
  10. exposition
    an account that sets forth the intent of a story
    Amid all the swift but thorough recapping and exposition, two minor subplots played out.
  11. internal
    located inward
    The Uruguayan, 45, was sacked in June following an internal investigation and disciplinary hearing. BBC (Aug 4, 2013)
  12. external
    coming from the outside
    "Hearing loss from noise used to be from external sources such as loud industry and the military," he said.
  13. setting
    the context and environment in which something is situated
    On Thursday, the performance took place in the more idyllic setting of Battery Park, beneath the plane trees, stopping some tourists in their tracks.
  14. symbol
    something visible that represents something invisible
    Mr. Clark kept the gun in his White House office as a symbol of American strength.
  15. static
    showing little if any change
    Some moments, however, need more than a static image to come to life. Forbes (Jun 21, 2013)
  16. dynamic
    expressing action rather than a state of being
    “I’m pretty dynamic with the ball in my hands,” he said. Seattle Times (Aug 3, 2013)
  17. foreshadowing
    the act of providing vague advance indications
    Her suffering, and the foreshadowing of tragedy, made less impact.
  18. flashback
    a transition in a story to an earlier event or scene
    Each episode spends at least a little time in that decidedly dystopian future, fleshing out its characters’ back stories via flash forwards instead of flashbacks. Scientific American (Aug 7, 2013)
  19. tone
    a pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words
    He spoke before Friday’s game in an earnest tone.
Created on Thu Jan 03 10:41:22 EST 2013 (updated Mon Aug 25 20:48:08 EDT 2014)

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