Literary Terms

Many people (including me) get confused between Tone and Mood:

• TONE is the author’s attitude towards the writing (his characters, the situation) and the readers. A work of writing can have more than one tone. An example of tone could be both serious and humorous. Tone is set by the setting, choice of vocabulary and other details. WORDS TO DEFINE TONE: Amused, Humorous, Pessimistic, Angry, Informal, Playful, Cheerful, Ironic, Pompous, Horror, Light, Sad, Clear, Matter-of-fact, Serious, Formal, Resigned, Suspicious, Gloomy, Optimistic, Witty.
• MOOD is the general atmosphere created by the author’s words. It is the feeling the reader gets from reading those words. It may be the same, or it may change from situation to situation. WORDS TO DEFINE MOOD: Fanciful, Melancholy, Frightening, Mysterious, Frustrating, Romantic, Gloomy, Sentimental, Happy, Sorrowful, Joyful, Suspenseful.

And as it is always good to remember things, here is a list of literary terms everyone should know:

1. allegory: story or poem in which the characters, setting, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities. Can be read for a literal meaning and on a second, symbolic meaning.

2. alliteration: repetition of the same sound in a sequence of words, usually at the beginning of a word.

3. allusion: a brief reference to a person,place, thing, event, or idea in history or literature

4. climax: The point in the plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest. After this point, nothing can remain the same; greatest turning point in the story.

5. connotation: Associations and implications that go beyond the written word

6. denotation: dictionary definition of a word

7. flashback: scene that interrupts the normal chronological flow of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time

8. foreshadowing: use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in the story, often used to build suspense or tension in a story

9. gothic: use of primitive, medieval, or mysterious elements in literature. Gothic writing often features dark and gloomy places and horrifying, supernatural events

10. hero: a character whose actions are inspiring or noble. Tragic heroes are noble and inspiring but have a fault or make a mistake which leads to their downfall.

11. hyperbole: exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true.

12. lyric poem: a melodic poem which describe an object or emotion.

13. metaphor: a lterary device in which a direct comparison is made between two things essentially unlike

14. narrative poem: a narrative poem tells a story in verse.

15. onomatopoeia: use of words that imitate sounds.

16. personification: a literary device in which human attributes are given to a non-human such as an animal, object, or concept

17. plot: sequence of events in a story, usually involves characters and a conflict

18. point of view: the perspective or vantage point from which a story or poem is told. Three common points of view include: first-person, omniscient, and third person limited.

19. setting: the time and place of the story or poem’s action, it helps to create the mood of the story

20. simile: a literary device in which a direct comparison is made between two things essentially unlike using the words “like” or “as.”

21. soliloquy: A long speech made by a character who is onstage alone and who reveals his/her private thoughts and feelings to the audience.

22. stanza: a group of lines in a poem that are considered to be a unit. They function like paragraphs do in prose writing.

23. symbol: something that means more than what it is; an object, person, situation, or action that in addition to its literal meaning suggests other meanings as well.

24. theme: an insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work

25. thesis: the organizing thought of an entire essay or piece of writing and which contains a subject and an opinion

26. understatement/litote: literary device that says less than intended. Opposite of hyperbole. Usually has an ironic effect, and sometimes may be used for comic purposes.
So next time you see any of these terms you should already know them, if not, check for their definition here.
And remember, when writing something, it is always good to use some devices like the ones used above to make the text more eye-catching.