Literary terms directory
Literary Elements
Literary elements are foundational parts of a work, such as plot, setting, conflict, mood, and theme.
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- ConflictLiterary ElementConflict is a meaningful struggle between incompatible aims, pressures, values, or forces. It can occur within a character or between characters and their social, natural, or material circumstances.
- MoodLiterary ElementMood is the emotional atmosphere a passage or work encourages readers to experience. Setting, imagery, pacing, sound, and tone can contribute to a mood such as unease, celebration, calm, or grief.
- PlotLiterary ElementPlot is the organized pattern of actions and events in a narrative, including the causal, temporal, and thematic connections among them. It is not merely everything that happens or a required formula of conflict and resolution.
- SettingLiterary ElementSetting comprises the time, place, social conditions, and material environment in which a narrative unfolds. It can constrain action, shape character expectations, and contribute to atmosphere and meaning.
- ThemeLiterary ElementA theme is a significant idea, question, or pattern of meaning developed across a work. A theme is more than a one-word subject, and readers should support a thematic interpretation with evidence rather than assume a single authorial message.