Literary Terms for Prose | Tallman’s Top Twenty-Two
Allegory—is a form of extended metaphor, in which objects, persons, and actions in a narrative, are
equated with the meanings that lie outside the narrative itself. (Lord of the Flies is an allegory.)
Allusion—is a brief reference to a person, event, or place, real or fictitious, or to a work of art. Casual
reference to a famous historical or literary figure or event. An allusion may be drawn from history,
geography, literature, or religion.
Characterization—is the method used by a writer to develop a character. The method includes (1) showing
the character's appearance, (2) displaying the character's actions, (3) revealing the character's thoughts,
(4) letting the character speak, and (5) getting the reactions of others.
Conflict—is the struggle found in fiction. Conflict/Plot may be internal or external and is best seen in
(1) Man in conflict with another Man: (2) Man in conflict in Nature; (3) Man in conflict with self.
Conflict may be found in a particular scene or moment, not just in the overall work.
Diction—is a writer’s choice of words, phrases, sentence structures, and figurative language, which
combine to help create meaning. Diction can be elevated, formal, informal, complex, lofty, idiomatic,
etc.
Foreshadowing—is the use of hints or clues to suggest what will happen later in literature. This can be
obvious in thrillers and horror movies, but it can also be quite subtle—sometimes symbolic, for
example—in literature. Someone blows out a candle in Act 1, a death follows in Act 2.
Imagery—is language that evokes one or all of the five senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching.
Irony—is an implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. It is the basis for most humor,
most suspense, and most truths about life. Three kinds of irony:
1. verbal irony is when an author or character says one thing, and means the opposite.
2. dramatic irony is when an audience perceives something that a character in the literature does not
know; the character believes the situation is the opposite of what it is.
3. irony of situation is a discrepancy between the expected result and actual results, when something
turns out the opposite of what the character—or the reader—expects.
Metaphor—is the comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be" and not using like or as, as in a
simile. Humans are presumably the only creatures who can create metaphors. The setting sun, or leaves
falling from the trees as winter approaches, can be metaphors for death, for example. A metaphor can
exist in a single sentence, an in a scene, and in an overall work. (See: allegory)
Motif—is a recurrent thematic element in an artistic or literary work, a dominant theme or central idea.
Mood—is the emotional attitude taken towards the subject of a literary work. Similar to tone, it can even
sometimes be used interchangeably—but be careful, specific, and subtle when referring to tone and
mood. The tone can be dark, while the author may be ironic, turning everything on its head. Another
term that relates to this is voice.
Paradox—is a device that reveals a kind of truth which at first seems contradictory. In prose, paradox can
be in a situation as well as in words.
Plot—is the sequence of events in a work. Sometimes it’s so straightforward as to be not worth talking
about. Sometimes, authors play around with plots and timelines in interesting ways.
Point of View—is the “eyes” through which a story or prose piece is told. First-person and third-person are
the most common types, but sometimes it’s third-person omniscient or objective, sometimes the third
person still stays in one character’s “view” (third-person limited). Sometimes the point of view shifts
in the course of a passage. Can you imagine what the rare (in fiction) second-person point of view
would be?
Satire—is a literary tone used to ridicule or make fun of human vice or weakness, often with the intent of
correcting, or changing, the subject of the satiric attack. When something is satirical, it mocks or makes
fun of a person, situation, or point of view. It’s not exactly the same as a parody, which is an imitation
that makes fun of something or someone. Something can be a gentle satire, or a biting satire.
Setting—is the time and place in which a work is set. The setting of Things Fall Apart is colonial Nigeria.
Simile—is the comparison of two unlike things using like or as. Related to metaphor. From The House on
Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros: “Out front there are twenty-one steps, all lopsided and jutting like
crooked teeth.”
Stream of Consciousness—is a type of prose writing that tries to represent the unbroken flow of thought
and awareness of the mind. Conscious, half-conscious, unconscious thoughts, all the sensory input, one
thing can lead naturally to another or jump from one idea to another, in the way a character’s mind actually
would process all the sensory input of a scene or moment.
Symbol—is an object (or action!) that means something more than its literal meaning; it represents or stands
for some idea larger than itself.
Theme—is the main idea in a literary work. It can be stated in a word, or more. A theme of Romeo and
Juliet is love. Another theme is the relationship of children to their parents. Another is the
consequences of blind hatred on a community and individuals in the community.
Tone—is the attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character. There are many words that can be used
describe a work’s tone! Expand your vocabulary of adjectives related to tone: serious, humorous,
sarcastic, ironic, satirical, tongue-in-cheek, solemn, objective. Tone is similar to mood, and sometimes
the two can even be used interchangeably. Yet another word that creeps in here is voice.
Voice—is the dominating ethos, spirit, or tone of a literary work. The voice in a literary work is not always
identifiable with the actual views of the author.
Credit to:
The students who maintain CyberEnglish (and Ted Nellen, their teacher)—Their list of literary terms and
devices can be found at <http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/index.html>.
Cuddon, J.A. A Dictionary of Literary Terms. London: Penguin Books. 1979.
Talib, Ismail. “A Brief List of Some Key Terms in Literature.” 2007. National University of Singapore.
<http://courses.nus.edu.sg/COURSE/ELLIBST/lsl01-tm.html>.