Literary Terms
By. Taylor Reiten
Ballad
• A Ballad is a songlike poem that tells a
story, often one dealing with adventure
and romance.
• There is Ballad in “Summer” by Walter
Dean Myers which is found on page 927.
Denotation
• The denotation of a word is its dictionary
meaning, independent of other
associations that the word may have.
• There is Denotation in the “Arthur Ashe
Remembered” by John McPhee on page
683.
Essay
• An essay is a short nonfiction work about
a particular subject.
• There is an essay in “A Celebration of
Grandfathers” by Rudolfo Anaya on page
662.
Hyperbole
• A hyperbole is a deliberate exaggeration
or overstatement.
• There is hyperbole in Mark Twain’s “ The
Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras
County.”
Meter
• The meter of a poem is its rhythmical
pattern.
• “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” has meter
by William Wordsworth on page 896.
Myth
• A myth is a fictional tale that explains the
actions of gods or the causes of natural
phenomena.
• “The Odyssey” is a Myth. It is written by
poet Homer and is on page 980.
Poetry
• Poetry is one of the three major types of
literature, the others being prose and
drama.
• “Memory” is a poem by Margaret Walker.
It is on page 915.
Soliloquy
• A soliloquy is a long speech expressing
the thoughts of a character alone on
stage.
• Romeo and Juliet have Soliloquy, its
written by William Shakespeare and is
found on page 861.
Visual Essay
• A visual essay is an exploration of a topic
that conveys its ideas through visual
elements as well as language.
• “Single Room, Earth View” by Sally Ride
has visual essay on page 637.