Literary Terms Study Guide
PLOT – A plot is series of events related to a central conflict or struggle. A plot usually
involves the introduction of a conflict, its development, and its eventual resolution. The
following terms are used to describe the parts of a plot.
*The exposition or introduction sets the tone or mood, introduces the characters and the
setting, and provides necessary background information.
*The inciting force introduces the central conflict.
*The conflict is a struggle between two people or things in a literary work.
*The rising action involves the series of events that result from the conflict and build to
the climax.
*The falling action is a setback in a series of events.
*The climax is the high point of interest or suspense in the plot.
*The crisis or turning point, often the same event as the climax, is the point in the plot
where something happens to decide the future course of events and the eventual working
out of the conflict.
*The resolution is the point at which the central conflict is ended or resolved.
*The denouement is any material that follows the resolution and that ties up the loose
ends.
(NOTE- Some plots do not contain all these parts.)
PARADOX – A paradox is an apparent contradiction
POINT OF VIEW - Point of view is the vantage point from which a story is told.
CHARACTER - A character is a person or animal who takes part in the action of a
literary work.
Cliché - A cliché is an overused expression such as cute as a button courage of a lion.
Most clichés begin as vivid, colorful expressions but become uninteresting because of
overuse.
NARRATOR – A narrator is a person or character who tells a story.
MOOD – Mood or atmosphere is the emotion created in the reader by a piece of writing.
METAPHOR – A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken or
written about as if it were another. The figure of speech invites the reader to make a
comparison between two things.
MOTIVE - A motive is a reason for acting in a certain way.
HYPEBOLE – A hyperbole is an exaggeration used for effect.
INFERENCE – Inference is a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and
reasoning.
IRONY – Irony is the difference between appearance and reality. It is also an event that
contradicts the expectations of the characters, the reader, or the audience.
SETTING – The setting of a literary work is the time and place in which it happens.
SIMILE – A simile is a comparison using like or as.
THEME – A theme is a central idea in a literary work.
TONE – Tone is a writer’s attitude toward the subject.
PERSONIFICATION – Giving a human trait to a non-living thing
ALLITERATION – A series of words which begin with the same sound.
ONOMATOPOEIA – A written sound such as clang, swoosh, sizzle.
OXYMORON – Opposites such as cold heart, pretty ugly, good failure