Literary Terms Definitions Master List

Literary Terms Definitions Master List

1. 
   Fiction—Literature in which situations and characters are invented by the writer
   
2. 
   Nonfiction—Prose writing about real people, places, and events; presents information considered true
   
3. 
   Genre—A category or type of literature characterized by a particular form or style
   
4. 
   Plot—The sequence of events in a literary work
   
5. 
   Exposition—The introduction of the characters, setting, or the situation at the beginning of the story
   
6. 
   Rising Action—The part of the plot that complications to the conflict and increases reader interest
   
7. 
   Climax—The point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or suspense, in the plot of a narrative
   
8. 
   Falling Action—In a play or story, the action that typically follows the climax and reveals its results
   
9. 
   Resolution—The part of the plot that concludes the falling action by revealing or suggesting the outcome of the conflict. THE END.
   
10. 
    Setting—The time and place in which the events of a story, novel, or play occur
    
11. 
    Mood/Atmosphere—The feeling or emotional quality of a literary work
    
12.