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the definition of plot in literature is the sequence of events that made up a storyline.

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Exposition is a literary device used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters, or other elements of a work to the audience or readers.

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The rising action of a story is the section of the plot leading up to the climax, in which the tension stemming from the story's central conflict grows

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The climax of a plot is the story's central turning point the moment of peak tension or conflict which all the preceding plot developments have been leading up to.

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Falling action is the point in a narrative plot that follows the climax. In the falling action, a story’s main conflict is resolved.

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Resolution is the conclusion of a story’s plot and is a part of a complete conclusion to a story.

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Setting is the time and place of the story.

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The antagonist is the primary opponent of the protagonist

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a conflict is a literary device characterized by a struggle between two opposing forces.

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internal conflict occurs when a character in literature experiences tension within themselves.

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Internal Conflict in Literature: Overview & Examples | What is Internal Conflict? - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Read about the definition of internal conflict in literature. Learn more about internal conflict in a story and its relation to external conflict.

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An external conflict is defined by a character’s struggle with an external force.

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conflict involves stories where characters are against each other.

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First person vs. Second person vs. Third person - Rebekah Bergman

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a conflict authors often use to explore society and culture.

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Man vs. Society Conflict: Definition & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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The man versus society conflict is evident in literature when a character clashes with societal rules and decides to act out against them. Learn...

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an external struggle positioning the character against an animal or a force of nature

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the struggle between a fictional character and some kind of man made invention

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Technology is NOT neutral | Intro to the Ethics of Technology

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the central idea explored in the story

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is a Theme in Literature?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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is a writer’s purposeful choice of words

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Diction: Explanation, Effects, Example | AP Lang Rhetorical Strategies

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the arrangement of words to form a sentence.

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the implied meaning of a word which is separate from the dictionary definition.

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Denotation and connotation literary devices, explained with examples.

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is the speaker’s attitude toward a subject.

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mood is the atmosphere of the narrative

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a book, film, story, or poem in which the readers learn about the past.

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is a Flashback?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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is imparting an indication of something to come

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Foreshadowing | Definition & Examples of Foreshadowing

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component of literary style in both prose and poetry

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What Is Parallelism?": Oregon State Guide to Grammar

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the way in which a story is narrated.

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Point of view (POV) is what the character or narrator telling the story can see (his or her perspective). The author chooses "who" is to tell the story by determining the point of view. Depending on who the narrator is, he/she will be standing at one point and seeing the action. This viewpoint will give the narrator a partial or whole view of events as they happen. Many stories have the protagonist telling the story, while in others, the narrator may be another character or an outside viewer, a narrator who is not in the story at all. The narrator should not be confused with the author, who is the writer of the story and whose opinions may not be those written into the narrative.

II. Examples of Point of View

Sandra Cisneros wrote a story called "Eleven." The point of view is the perspective of 11-year-old Rachel. The story takes place at school during her birthday and is about her humiliation of receiving an old sweater. Throughout the story, she speaks in the first-person point of view, sharing her thoughts as events unfold.

"Only today I wish I didn't have only eleven years rattling inside me like pennies in a tin Band-Aid box. Today I wish I was one hundred and two instead of eleven because if I was one hundred and two I'd have known what to say when Mrs. Price put the red sweater on my desk" (Cisneros).

A fun activity is to rewrite the story from each character's point of view. What is the teacher thinking as she tries to get rid of this ugly red sweater in her classroom? Maybe it reminds her of her demanding mother! How does the sweater feel being tossed and pushed around, unwanted and unloved? Maybe some sweet old lady had knitted it with love for a granddaughter who now has rejected it. Why does Sylvia say it belongs to Rachel? Is she jealous of Rachel for some reason? Each character will have a slightly different story from his or her perspective.

III. Types of Point of View

First person: The example above with little Rachel is told in the first-person point of view, meaning that we are seeing events through the eyes of the character telling the story.

Second person: In second person, the narrator is speaking to YOU. This isn't very common in fiction, unless the narrator is trying to talk to the reader personally. We see second-person point of view mostly in poems, speeches, instructional writing, and persuasive articles.

Third person: With third-person point of view, the narrator is describing what's seen, but as a spectator. If the narrator is a character in the story, then we are reading what he or she observes as the story unfolds. This narrator has three possible perspectives.

Limited - In limited third-person, the narrator sees only what's in front of him/her, a spectator of events as they unfold and unable to read any other character's mind.

Omniscient - An omniscient narrator sees all, much as an all knowing god of some kind. He or she sees what each character is doing and can see into each character's mind. This is common with an external character, who is standing above, watching the action below (think of a person with a crystal ball, peering in).

Limited Omniscient - The limited omniscient third-person narrator can only see into one character's mind. He/she might see other events happening, but only knows the reasons of one character's actions in the story.

IV. The Importance of Point of View

Point of view is important in a story because it helps the reader understand characters' feelings and actions. Each character will have his or her own perspective, so whoever is telling the story will impact the reader's opinion of other characters and events.

As in the example above with Rachel and the red sweater, each point of view could be an entirely different story. Perhaps Rachel had embarrassed Sylvia horribly one day, so the sympathy we feel for Rachel in her perspective may change to sympathy for Sylvia if the point of view was switched.

Additionally, reading the story from a character in the story versus an external character changes the amount of information a reader has as the story unfolds. With an omniscient third-person, we can see everything before other characters do, which gives us forewarning about other events. With a limited third-person, we are not allowed to see other events until the narrator does so. This may leave us with more surprises as we read.

V. Examples of Point of View in Pop Culture

A very popular (and very old!) game is Mario Brothers. A gamer took the game and made a video of it in first-person point of view. It's almost a dizzying experience to see Mario catch coins and jump around from his viewpoint.

Arcades have had games with a first-person POV for years. You sit in the console to drive the car in a race, or use the pistol and fire at targets. Racing games are probably the easiest to play as a first-person. With most games, you control the character in a game, but almost from a second-person POV. You can see your character as you control it within the game space just as another character would.

VI. Examples of Point of View in Literature

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney has been cracking kids up since 2007, as the protagonist, Greg Heffley, details his experiences in his trusty journal; he claims it's NOT a diary. He even supplies stick drawings with bubble speech to illustrate special, usually devastating or hilarious, occurrences. Written in the first-person POV, we follow him through his days with his friends and family. Greg's dry sense of reality as he tells his sad tales leaves us giggling sympathetically - you can't help but feel sorry for him, and many kids can relate to his frustrations. There are nine books as of 2015, each one focusing on specific conflicts Greg must overcome as he makes his way through middle school and attempts to fit in with his family.

"First of all, let me get something straight: This is a Journal, not a diary. I know what it says on the cover, but when Mom went out to buy this thing I specifically told her to get one that didn't say "diary" on it.

Great. All I need is for some jerk to catch me carrying this book around and get the wrong idea" (Kinney 1).
http://www.funbrain.com/journal/Journal.html?ThisJournalDay=1&ThisPage=2

The book is so popular, that it was also made into a movie.

VII. Related Terms

Narrator: The narrator is the person who tells the story. There are different types of narrators, such as internal and external. Each narrator will have his or her own perspective or point of view as the story is told.

Viewpoint: Viewpoint is the perspective at which something is seen. If three people see an accident, each person will have his or her own version of what happened depending on where the person was at the time it happened.

VIII. Conclusion

Point of view is an important part of all writing. It makes stories interesting, gives research its serious tone, poems and persuasive works their personal tone, and allows readers to easily follow all writing. Keeping in mind the different types of POV and when to use them will make your writing stronger.

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Point of View: Definitions and Examples | Literary Terms

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Point of view (POV) is what the character or narrator telling the story can see (his or her perspective). The author chooses "who" is to tell the story by determining the point of view. Depending on who the narrator is, he/she will be standing at one point and seeing the action.

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style in which the narrator tells a story about him or herself.

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First Person Narrative: Examples | What is First Person Narrative? - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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What is first person narrative? Read a first person narrator definition and see first person narrative examples, along with the benefits and...

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style in which the narrator tells a story about you

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Second Person Point of View: Definition & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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Second person point of view is a literary narration technique in which the narrator speaks directly to the audience or another character in the...

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style in which the narrator tells a story about a variety of characters.

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Point of View (P.O.V.): Third Person Omniscient, Limited-Omniscient, and Objective

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point of view in writing that uses a narrator with access to only one character's perspective

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Point of View (P.O.V.): Third Person Omniscient, Limited-Omniscient, and Objective

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specific narrative technique and point of view

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Point of View (P.O.V.): Third Person Omniscient, Limited-Omniscient, and Objective

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A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is a Simile?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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A metaphor is a literary device that figuratively compares and equates two things that are not alike

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Personification occurs when a thing or abstraction is represented as a person

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Personification?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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a literary device used to draw emphasis through extreme exaggeration

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Hyperbole?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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Symbolism is a literary device that refers to the use of symbols in a literary work

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A contradiction of terms pairing two words together that are contradictory

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0:00 / 1:00•Watch full video

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Oxymoron - Figure of Speech | Definition with Examples

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A euphemism is a type of figurative language that lessens an uncomfortable topic

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Euphemism - How To Use Euphemism - Examples of Euphemism -  Euphemism Figure of Speech

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are typically indirect or implied meaning readers must make the connection themselves

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Allusion | Definition & Examples of Allusion in Literature

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is the repetition of similar or identical vowel sounds in neighboring words

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GCSE English Language and Literature Exam:  Alliteration, Sibilance, Consonance and Assonance

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is a useful sound device found in many types of literature but mostly in poetry

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GCSE English Language and Literature Exam:  Alliteration, Sibilance, Consonance and Assonance

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an expression that has been overused to the extent that it loses its original meaning or novelty

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The term idiom refers to a set expression or a phrase comprising two or more words

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What are idioms? 🤔 | Idioms in English | Learn with examples

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A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words

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What is a Pun? Definition with Examples | Figures of Speech

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a situation in which there is a contrast between expectation and reality.

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Irony?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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a contradiction between what is said and what is meant

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What is verbal irony? - Christopher Warner

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is a device in storytelling that is deployed when one’s expectations of what will happen are overshadowed by what actually occurs

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
"What is Irony?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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is when the audience or reader knows something that the characters don’t.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
"What is Irony?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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refers to the art of using language well particularly in terms of written and spoken discourse.

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Emphases care about the writer’s or lecturer’s

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is a quality of an experience in life, or a work of art, that stirs up emotions of pity, sympathy, and sorrow.

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is a Greek word meaning “logic.” Logos is a literary device that can be defined as a statement, sentence, or argument used to convince or persuade

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Characterization broadly refers to the description development of characters.

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is a type of literary device used to tell conclusive details about a character to the reader with little or no ambiguity.

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Direct & Indirect Characterization - Instructional Video

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shows things that reveal the personality of a character. There.

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A static character is one who shows little to no change in their personality, perspective, or outlook from the start of the story to the end.

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Like a round character, a dynamic character also undergoes changes throughout the narrative, due to conflicts he encounters on his journey.

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Character Archetypes in Movies Ep1: How to Write a DYNAMIC Leader [Character Traits & Development]

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A flat character is a type of character in fiction that does not change too much from the start of the narrative to its end.

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
"What is a Flat Character vs a Round Character?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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A round character in a novel, play, or story is a complex personality. Like real people, they have depth in feelings and passions.

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
"What is a Flat Character vs a Round Character?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers