Name: ______7TH GRADE LITERARY TERMS

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 1. Foreshadowing: the use of clues or hints to suggest events that will happen later in the story—used to build suspense in the reader. 2. Symbolism: When a person, place, thing, or event has meaning in itself and stands for something beyond itself as well (Example: The bald eagle is a symbol for the United States.) 3. Idiom: An expression strange to a particular language that cannot be understood just by knowing the meanings of the words in the expression (Example: “hold your tongue” means “do not speak”) 4. Analogy: A comparison of the similar aspects of two different things (Example: fingers : hands :: toes : feet; or fingers are to hands as toes are to feet.) 5. Tone: The attitude a writer takes toward his or her subjects, characters, and audience (Examples: humorous, passionate, sincere, sarcastic, etc.) 6. Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things in which one thing is said to be another; do NOT use “like” or “as” (Example: Life’s journey is a bicycle ride.) 7. Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using “like” or “as” (Example: The children coming in from recess were as loud as a herd of elephants.) 8. Theme: The general idea, moral, or lesson about life in a work of literature 9. Personification: A figure of speech in which an object or animal is spoken of as if it has human characteristics (Example: The tree branches waved at the people walking by them.) 10. Exaggeration: Overstating something usually for the purpose of creating a comic effect (Example: I was so hungry I ate the whole refrigerator.) 11. Imagery: The use of language to create vivid pictures in the reader’s mind; typically the vivid language appeals to the five senses (Example: The gurgling sound of my brother slurping was obnoxious beyond belief.)

POINT OF VIEW: 12. Point of View (POV): the perspective from which the story is told 13. 1st Person POV: when one of the characters (using the personal [pronoun “I”) tells the story; the reader only knows what this person knows and observes, and since all of the reader’s information comes from this person, the information may be unreliable or biased. 14. 3rd Person Limited POV: When the narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of only one character; the reader only knows what this person is thinking and feeling. 15. 3rd Person Omniscient (all knowing) POV:When the narrator knows everything about all the characters and their problems; the narrator can tell the past, present, and futures of the characters, and the narrator does not take part in the story’s action.

CHARACTER: 16. Protagonist: The main character in a work of literature that is involved in the story’s central or main conflict 17. Antagonist: the character in a work of literature who opposes the protagonist 18. Character Motivation: Forces such as love, fear or jealousy that drive a character to behave in a particular way 19. Indirect Characterization: When information about a character is revealed by words of a character, descriptions of a character’s looks and clothing, or actions of a character 20. Direct Characterization: When the writer directly tells the reader that the character is amusing, brave, lonesome, etc.

PLOT: 21. Setting: The time and place of a piece of literature—usually described in the exposition 22. Plot: The series of related events that make a story—consists of an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution 23. Exposition: The part of the plot that gives information about the characters and the setting 24. Rising Action: Series of events that lead to the climax—often the conflicts and struggles of the protagonist 25. Internal Conflict: Conflict that occurs within a character’s own mind—a struggle between opposing needs, desires, or emotions 26. External Conflict: Occurs when a character struggles with an outside force such as another character, society, or natural force 27. Climax: The point in the story that creates the greatest suspense or interest 28. Falling Action: The part of the plot that follows the climax—conflicts start to be resolved 29. Resolution: The conclusion of a piece of literature, typically where events and conflicts are brought to closure and solved in some way

IRONY: 30. Irony: A contrast between expectation and reality 31. Situational Irony: Occurs when what happens is very different than what readers expected would happen in a story 32. Verbal Irony: Involves a contrast between what is said or written and what is really meant 33. Dramatic Irony: When the audience or reader knows something a character does not know

GENRE: 34. Genre: a category in which a work of literature is classified 35. Fiction: prose writing that tells an imaginary story. 36. Nonfiction: writing that tells about real people, places, and events; writing that conveys factual information. 37. Novel: a long work of fiction 38. Short Story: a work of fiction that centers on a single idea and can be read in one sitting 39. Poetry: a type of literature in which words are carefully chosen and arranged to create certain effects 40. Drama: a form of literature meant to be performed by actors in front of an audience