The most obvious feature of the minor arcana is its division into four suits. In the Rider-Waite, the suit names are:

Wands
Cups
Swords
Pentacles
Other tarot decks may use different names, but these are the most common.

In the tarot, each suit has its own unique focus:

Wands: Element of Fire -- Passion, action, confidence, creativity, aggression, excitement, brightness
Cups: Element of Water -- Emotions, moods, spirituality, compassion, connection, fluidity, inner experiences
Swords: Element of Air -- Mind, intellect, reason, ego-states, disharmony, tension, lightning strikes
Pentacles: Element of Earth -- Material matters, practicality, money, nature, survival, security, groundedness

In most readings, you will see a balance of suits. If one suit predominates, you know that suit's style is important in some way. Many swords can show a stressful situation. Extra cups can point out a moody atmosphere.

The 16 court cards are a subgroup within the tarot deck. Each one represents a personality type that reflects the card's suit and rank. The easiest way to remember court card personalities is to imagine the cards of each suit as members of a stereotypical family:

King: Represents the Father -- Focused upon action, outer events
Queen: Represents the Mother -- Focused upon being, inner states
Knight: Represents the Teenager -- Focused upon excess, extremes
Page: Represents the Child -- Focused upon play, enjoyment

In readings, a court card usually represents someone who is demonstrating a certain personality style. This could be you or another person. People often find court cards difficult to interpret because of this ambiguity. When is a court card you, and when someone else? Usually the circumstances and other cards give you clues. It's also helpful to remember in tarot work that the line between inner and outer is blurred. A court card can represent a quality in you and in another person at the same time. You draw to yourself certain personality types and see in others reflections of yourself.