Elements of Literature

Notes
 Points of View
1st Person: the narrator is a
character in the story; I

3rd Person: all knowing; the narrator

is not a character in the story but
views the event through the eyes of
more than one character.
 Plot

the sequence of events (what

happened first, second, etc.)

Beginning Middle End

 Characters

the people, or sometimes animals,

that takes part in the events of
the story
 Setting
the time and place of the action in a
literary work

[The time includes the past, present, and future, as well as the
year, season, and time of day.]

[The place may be a specific country, region, community, building,

or home.]
 Theme

the central message, concern, or

purpose of the work, moral of the
story

** very rarely stated directly in the story

** it is NOT a summary of the storys plot
 Fiction

prose writing that tells about

imaginary characters and events

** Fiction = Fake
 Conflict
a struggle between opposing forces
One of the most important elements because it causes action
There are 2 categories of conflict: EXTERNAL and INTERNAL

1. External Conflict: one in which the

character struggles against some
outside force
ex. man vs. man, man vs. nature, man vs. society
 Conflict
2. Internal Conflict: one that takes
place in the mind of a character; the
character struggle to make a decision,
take an action, or overcome a feeling

ex. man vs. society, man vs. self

 Protagonist
the main character in a story

Antagonist
any force in a story that is in conflict
with the protagonist
 5 parts of a plot
diagram:
(1) Exposition: reader meets the characters
and finds out the setting
(2) Rising Action: most of the story takes
place here; this includes the conflicts
(3) Climax: the high point of the story
(4) Falling Action: action after the climax
(5) Denouement: final resolution of the
conflict; conclusion
 5 parts of a plot
diagram:

CLIMAX
RISING FALLING
ACTION ACTION
EXPOSITION
DENOUEMENT
(Resolution)
Literary Devices/Elements

Inference: an educated guess

based on evidence.
(p.80)

Foreshadowing: the use of clues to

hint at events that will happen later
in the story (p. 192)
Symbolism: A person, place or
object that suggests a deeper
meaning than its literal meaning.
ex. a rose is a symbol for love and beauty, heart = love
Mood: The overall emotion created
by a work of literature
[Joyous (happy), Hopeless (sad), Sentimental, Ambitious]

Irony: A twist of fate, contradiction

between what is expected and what
really happens
Imagery: Language that appeals to
the senses, a word or phrase that
appeals to one or more of the five
senses. It is used to describe how
something looks, sounds, feels,
tastes, and smells (sight, sound,
smell, touch, taste)
Characterization: The way a writer
reveals the personality of a
character (i.e. looks, dresses,
speaks, thoughts, behavior)
Tone: The attitude a writer takes
towards an audience, subject, or a
character (i.e. light, humorous,
serious, etc.)
Figures of Speech Notes

Simile: a comparison of 2 things

using like or as
ex. Pretty as a picture; face like an angel

Metaphor: a comparison of 2
things not using like or as
ex. Youre an angel. She was a fox.
 Personification: giving
human characteristics to an
inanimate object
ex. Disney characters; cartoon strips

Hyperbole: extreme
exaggeration not meant to
be believed
ex. so hungry I could eat a horse; raining cats and dogs
 Alliteration: repetition of
the same consonant sound or
group of sounds
ex. sailed on a silver ship; Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled
peppers;
* tongue twisters

Onomatopoeia: words that

imitate the natural sound
they are referring to
Zoom

ex. buzz, hiss, clang, whisper, zoom, meow, slurp, Zoom