Literary Terms and Concepts

key idea

• the most important point or message in a text

• a minor detail in a text

• a summary of the text

• an unrelated concept

props

• objects used by characters in a play to help tell the story

• items used for decoration in a theater

• costumes worn by actors during a performance

• the script of the play itself

act

• a big section of a play, like a chapter in a book

• a type of musical performance

• a legal document

• a character in a story

scenes

• smaller parts inside an act (of a play)

• the main characters in a play

• the setting of a play

• the dialogue spoken by actors

resolution

• the end of the story where the problems get solved

• the introduction of the main characters

• the climax of the story where tension peaks

• the setting where the story takes place

event

• a minor detail in a story

• something important that happens in a story

• a character's background

• a setting in a story

opinion

• what someone thinks or feels; it can't be proven true

• a fact that can be verified with evidence

• a statement that is universally accepted

• an assumption based on personal beliefs

memoir

• a fictional story about someone else's life

• a true story someone writes about their own life

• a collection of poems

• a historical account of events

character

• a person, being, or animal in a story

• a type of plot twist

• a setting in a narrative

• a literary device used for symbolism

fable

• a type of poem

• a short story that teaches a lesson or moral

• a historical account

• a scientific theory