Literary Terms

Front

The struggle between opposing forces

Back

Conflict: A central element in a story that creates tension and drives the plot.

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

Front

Includes simile, metaphor, personification, etc.

Back

Figurative Language: A type of language that uses figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive, and impactful.

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.6

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

Front

The event which puts the protagonist into conflict

Back

Inciting Incident: The moment in a story that sets the main conflict into motion.

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

Front

People or animals who are in the story

Back

Characters: The individuals that take part in the action of a literary work.

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

Front

Language specific to a region or social group

Back

Dialect: A particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.7.2D

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

Front

A recurring theme or character type in literature

Back

Archetype: A typical example of a person or thing in literature that represents universal patterns of human nature.

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.6

CCSS.L.8.6

CCSS.L.9-10.6

CCSS.W.8.2D

CCSS.W.9-10.2D

Front

The main character in a story

Back

Protagonist: The leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other narrative.

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

Front

The opposing force in a story

Back

Antagonist: A character or a group of characters which stands in opposition to the protagonist.

Tags

CCSS.L.11-12.4C

CCSS.L.6.4C

CCSS.L.7.4C

CCSS.L.8.4C

CCSS.L.9-10.4C

Front

A comparison using 'like' or 'as'

Back

Simile: A figure of speech that directly compares two different things.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D

Front

A direct comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as'

Back

Metaphor: A figure of speech that implies a comparison between two unlike things.

Tags

CCSS.L.4.5A

CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.11-12.2D