The Language of Literary Analysis
VERBS
These verbs will be especially effective when the subject is the author or a character. They are excellent replacements for “be” verbs
and instrumental in the formulation of thesis and theme statements. Careful use of these verbs can result in precise identification of an
author’s purpose. Follow your teacher’s directions to categorize the verbs as transitive, intransitive, positive, negative, or neutral.
VERBS FOR LITERARY ANALYSIS
accentuates
affects
analyzes
assumes
bases
chooses
compels
conducts
contests
defines
delineates
deviates
discovers
distinguishes
elicits
enumerates
experiences
fantasizes
generalizes
holds
imagines
infers
inundates
lampoons
manipulates
observes
patronizes
ponders
presumes
provides
recalls
reflects
represents
seems
states
supports
understands
accepts
alleviates
approaches
attacks
believes
chronicles
completes
conforms
contrasts
defies
despises
differentiates
discusses
distorts
emphasizes
envisions
explains
focuses
guides
honors
impels
inspires
justifies
lists
minimizes
opposes
performs
portrays
produces
qualifies
recites
refers
results
sees
strives
suppresses
vacillates
achieves
allows
argues
attempts
challenges
claims
concerns
confronts
contributes
demonstrates
details
differs
displays
downplays
encounters
evokes
expresses
forces
heightens
identifies
implies
intends
juxtaposes
maintains
moralizes
organizes
permits
postulates
projects
questions
recollects
regards
reveals
selects
suggests
symbolizes
values
adopts
alludes
ascertains
attributes
changes
comments
concludes
considers
conveys
depicts
determines
directs
disputes
dramatizes
enhances
excludes
extends
foreshadows
highlights
illustrates
includes
interprets
lambasts
makes
muses
overstates
personifies
prepares
promotes
rationalizes
records
regrets
ridicules
specifies
summarizes
sympathizes
verifies
advocates
alters
assesses
avoids
characterizes
compares
condescends
contends
convinces
describes
develops
disappoints
disrupts
elevates
enriches
expands
extrapolates
functions
hints
illuminates
indicates
interrupts
laments
manages
notes
outlines
persuades
presents
proposes
reasons
recounts
rejects
satirizes
speculates
supplies
traces
certifies
demonstrates
endorses
exposes
ratifies
typifies
confirms
denotes
establishes
intimates
relates
upholds
VERBS TO USE INSTEAD OF EXEMPLIFIES
appears
connotes
depicts
evinces
manifests
shows
validates
asserts
corroborates
discloses
exhibits
points to
substantiates
attests to
defines
elucidates
expounds
proves
suggests
ADJECTIVES FOR USE IN LITERARY/RHETORICAL DISCUSSION
DESCRIBING THE AUTHOR
cultured
sensible
perceptive
idealistic
sophisticated
liberal
realistic
opinionated
narrow-minded
intellectual
rational
visionary
spiritual
original
progressive
romantic
intolerant
sentimental
erudite
philosophic
prophetic
orthodox
whimsical
radical
shallow
hypocritical
skeptical
well-read
analytical
optimistic
unorthodox
humorous
reactionary
superficial
fanatical
cynical
sagacious
imaginative
broad-minded
sympathetic
conservative
unprejudiced
bigoted
provincial
intelligible
succinct
syllogistic
plain
forceful
natural
artistic
pompous
verbose
abrupt
vulgar
pragmatic
fanciful
controversial
commonplace
explicit
condensed
allusive
simple
eloquent
restrained
bombastic
grandiose
pedantic
labored
formal
naturalistic
authentic
mystical
heretical
precise
pithy
metaphorical
homespun
sonorous
smooth
extravagant
obscure
ponderous
awkward
artificial
impressionistic
plausible
improbable
neutral
plain
cultured
picturesque
slang
trite
vulgar
ordinary
old-fashioned
precise
simple
literal
sensuous
idiomatic
obscure
jargon
scholarly
exact
homespun
figurative
literary
neologistic
pedantic
emotional
insipid
balanced
compound-complex
telegraphic
epigrammatic
jerky
unadorned
terse
lyrical
ornate
staccato
interrupted
declarative
antithetic
emphatic
cacophonic
jumbled
laconic
elegant
elaborate
abrupt
simple
interrogative
inverted
incoherent
monotonous
chaotic
mellifluous
solid
flowery
sprawling
DESCRIBING STYLE/CONTENT
lucid
exact
piquant
poetic
pure
fluent
polished
rhetorical
vague
ungraceful
unpolished
utilitarian
subjective
credible
absurd
graphic
concise
aphoristic
prosaic
vigorous
glib
classical
turgid
diffuse
harsh
crude
humanistic
melodramatic
recondite
trivial
DESCRIBING DICTION
high or formal
concrete
esoteric
connotative
provincial
inexact
bombastic
obtuse
proper
low or informal
abstract
learned
symbolic
colloquial
euphemistic
grotesque
moralistic
pretentious
DESCRIBING SYNTAX
loose
compound
imperative
euphonic
rambling
spare
obfuscating
musical
thudding
erudite
periodic
complex
exclamatory
rhythmical
tortuous
austere
journalistic
lilting
dry
grating
DESCRIBING ORGANIZATION/STRUCTURE/POINT OF VIEW
spatial
step-by-step
contemplative
omniscient
chronological
objective
reflective
limited
flashback
subjective
clinical
flash forward
nostalgic
impersonal
in media res
reminiscent
dramatic
DESCRIBING IMAGERY ( Substitute these precise adjectives for less precise ones such as vivid, colorful, and powerful.)
bucolic
pastoral
kinetic
kinesthetic
auditory
religious
of death, decay, decomposition
gustatory
sensual
animal
olfactory
sacred
war/military
tactile
sexual
chaotic
DESCRIBING CHARACTERS (Great substitutions for pretty and ugly!)
Physical Qualities
manly
strapping
fair
graceful
ravishing
adept
lively
sickly
effeminate
unkempt
graceless
repellent
loathsome
virile
stalwart
comely*
elegant
dapper
skillful
spirited
frail
unwomanly
slovenly
bizarre
repugnant
robust
muscular
handsome
shapely
immaculate
agile
vivacious
decrepit
hideous
awkward
grotesque
repulsive
hardy
brawny
dainty
attractive
adroit
nimble
weak
emaciated
homely
clumsy
incongruous
odious
sturdy
lovely
delicate
winsome
dexterous
active
feeble
cadaverous
course
ungainly
ghastly
invidious
Mental Qualities (Great substitutions for smart and stupid!)
educated
erudite*
scholarly
intellectual
precocious*
capable
apt*
rational
reasonable
prudent*
observant
clever
subtle*
cunning*
crafty*
unschooled*
unlettered*
ignorant
irrational
puerile*
foolish
simple
thick-skulled*
idiotic
deranged*
demented*
articulate*
wise
competent
sensible
ingenious*
wily*
illiterate*
fatuous*
imbecilic*
eloquent*
astute*
gifted
shrewd*
inventive
unintelligent
inane*
vacuous*
witless*
Moral Qualities (Great substitutions for good and bad!)
idealistic*
innocent
virtuous*
guileless*
upright*
exemplary
undefiled*
temperate*
abstentious*
puritanical*
truthful
honorable
decent
respectable
wicked
notorious*
vicious
incorrigible*
immoral*
unprincipled*
reprobate*
ribald*
vulgar*
intemperate*
deceitful
dishonest
unscrupulous*
vile*
foul*
recalcitrant*
faultless
chaste*
austere*
trustworthy
corrupt*
dissembling*
depraved*
sensual*
dishonorable*
philandering*
righteous*
pure
ascetic*
straightforward*
degenerate*
infamous*
indecent*
dissolute*
base*
opportunistic*
devout*
angelic
impious*
carnal*
unregenerate*
faithful
skeptical*
irreverent*
godless
altruistic*
Spiritual Qualities (More great substitutions for good and bad!)
religious
reverent
pious*
regenerate*
holy
saintly
agnostic*
atheistic*
irreligious*
profane*
sacrilegious*
materialistic
diabolic*
fiendlike*
blasphemous*
charitable
Social Qualities (Terrific substitutions for nice and mean!)
civil*
amicable*
contentious*
tactful*
courteous
cooperative
hospitable*
gracious*
amiable*
convivial*
jovial*
jolly
anti-social*
acrimonious*
quarrelsome
discourteous
impudent*
impolite
ill-mannered
unrefined
rustic*
brusque*
churlish*
fawning*
grumpy
fractious*
crusty*
waspish*
taciturn*
reticent*
unpolished*
genial*
cordial*
urbane*
antagonistic*
insolent*
provincial*
obsequious*
peevish*
gregarious*
sullen*
affable*
congenial*
suave*
misanthropic*
ill-bred
boorish*
sniveling*
petulant*
garrulous*
NOUNS FOR USE IN LITERARY/RHETORICAL DISCUSSION
ANALYZING CHARACTERS
foil*
confidante*
nemesis*
doppelganger*
adversary*
protagonist*
narrator (unknown, reliable, naïve)
antagonist*
ANALYZING STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION/POINT OF VIEW
foreshadowing
epiphany*
analogy*
extended metaphor*
parallel structure
comparison/contrast
transition
sequence
juxtaposition*
anecdote*
frame story*
arrangement
categorization
placement
person (first, second, third)*
perspective (chronological, geographic, emotional, political)*
shifts
definition
classification
ANALYZING SYNTAX
repetition
subject*
phrase*
modifier*
conjunction*
appositive*
comma
abstract noun*
parenthetical expression
hyphen*
catalogue*
parallelism
anaphora*
predicate*
object*
clause*
infinitive*
dependent clause*
independent clause*
interjection*
deliberate fragment*
semicolon*
colon*
pronoun*
proper noun*
concrete noun*
dialogue*
footnote
capitalization for effect
dash*
active voice*
compound nouns/adjectives
asyndeton*
direct object*
participle*
subordinate clause*
appositive*
rhetorical question*
common noun*
apostrophe*
inversion*
passive voice*
polysyndeton*
indirect object*
gerund*
preposition*
emphatic
noun*
collective noun*
chiasmus*
antecedent*
tense
autobiography*
speech
critique*
diatribe*
editorial*
elegy*
monologue*
verse
memoir*
treatise*
personal narrative
polemic*
tirade*
parody*
portrayal
biography
abstract*
journey
commentary*
review
allegory*
archetype*
consonance*
masculine rhyme*
repetition*
meter*
rhyme*
slant rhyme* incremental
IDENTIFYING GENRE/PURPOSE
novel
letter
précis*
travelogue
farce*
assessment
apology
fable*
novella*
sermon
synopsis
essay*
conceit*
eulogy*
soliloquy*
argument
IDENTIFYING SOUND DEVICES
alliteration*
end rhyme*
rhyme*
assonance*
feminine rhyme*
THEME VOCABULARY
Brendan Kenny’s List of Abstract Ideas for Forming Theme Statements:
alienation
ambition
chance/fate/luck
cruelty/violence
despair/discontent*/
disillusionment*
heaven/paradise/Utopia* home
courage/cowardice
loneliness/solitude*
social status (class*)
the supernatural
children
law/justice
dreams/fantasies
duty
persistence*/perseverance*
game/contests/sports
escape
free will/will power
prophecy
revenge/retribution*
scapegoat/victim
appearance v. reality
loyalty/disloyalty
domination/suppression
illusion*/innocence
defeat/failure
time/eternity
custom/tradition
exile*
faith/loss of faith
prejudice
falsity/pretence
betrayal
bureaucracy
journey (literal or psychological)
heart v. reason
instinct
initiation*
identity
memory/the past
music/dance
war
women/feminism
materialism
mob psychology
education
guilt
family/parenthood
patriotism
ritual/ceremony
poverty
repentance*
greed