ENGLISH 12 LITERARY TERMS
A
Active voice
Indicates the subject is acting rather than being acted upon (e.g. “Jack threw the
ball.”). See also Passive voice.
Allegory
A text in which properties attributed to events, characters, or places really refer to
the hidden subject they symbolize (e.g. a fable, Animal Farm).
Alliteration
The repetition of initial consonant sounds in words (e.g. “rough and ready”).
Allusion
A reference in art to a familiar person, place, thing, or event. Allusions to Biblical
figures and to figures from classical mythology are common in Western literature.
Using an allusion allows the writer to easily convey a whole range of associated
meanings.
Analogy
A means of conveying meaning by showing the correspondence or partial similarity
between varying concepts or ideas. E.g. Bed is to sleep as desk is to schoolwork.
Antagonist
In a story, the adversary, enemy, contender, or competitor to the protagonist.
Anti-climax
A decline viewed in disappointing contrast with a previous rise (e.g. “Losing the
election was the anticlimax of his brilliant political career.”)
Antithesis
A direct contrast to an original proposition or idea (e.g. “His theory is the exact
opposite of mine.”).
Apostrophe
An address to an absent or imaginary person who cannot respond to the speaker.
Argumentative essay
Writing intended to convince by establishing truth. Most argumentation begins
with a statement of an idea or opinion, which is then supported with logical
evidence. Another technique of argumentation is the anticipation and rebuttal of
opposing views. See Persuasion, Persuasive writing.
Anecdotal evidence
Information passed along by word-of-mouth but not documented scientifically (a
personal tale); a short account of an entertaining or interesting incident. It may be
unreliable.
Archaic language
Language no longer in use; old-fashioned language.
Aside
Brief words spoken by an actor to the audience; he/she is not heard by the other
characters. It is similar to a monologue or soliloquy, but it is shorter.
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming within phrases or sentences.
With alliteration and consonance, assonance serves as one of the building blocks of
verse.
Atmosphere
The emotional environment or surrounding influence of a setting (e.g. "There was
an atmosphere of excitement in the room.").
Audience
The author’s reading public; individuals to which one’s work is being directed.
Autobiography
A written account of a person’s whole life authored by himself or herself
B
Ballad
A poem in rhyming quatrains that tells a story. Ballads are a form of folk
culture and often include refrains and dialogue. See Ballad stanza, Refrain.
Ballad stanza
A quatrain with four stresses in the first and third lines and three stresses in the
second and fourth; the rhyme scheme is abcb.
Bias
Partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation.
Biography
A written account of a person’s life authored by another person.
Blank verse
Unrhymed lines in the same meter; in English it is most commonly in iambic
pentameter.
C
Cacophony
Loud, harsh, or strident noise; loud, confusing, disagreeable sounds.
Caricature
A representation of a person that is exaggerated for comic effect.
Case study
Detailed analysis of a person or group from a social or psychological or medical
point of view.
Catastrophe
An event resulting in great loss and misfortune (e.g. earthquake, bombing).
Cause and effect
A method of paragraph or essay development in which a writer analyzes the
reasons for (and/or the consequences of) an action, event or decision. A cause is
that upon which the existence of another thing depends.
Character
A person who takes part in the action of a story, novel, or a play. Sometimes
characters are animals or imaginary creatures, such as beings from another planet.
Characterization
The method a writer uses to develop characters. There are four basic methods of
revealing character: (a) through a character’s physical appearance; (b) through
his/her own speech, thoughts, feelings, or actions; (c) through the speech, thoughts,
feelings, or actions of other characters; and (d) through direct comments by the
narrator about the character.-
Character foil
A foil is a character that contrasts with another character, usually the protagonist,
and thus highlights various facets of the main character.
Chorus
Any utterance produced simultaneously by a group.
Chronological order
A sequence of events arranged in the order in which they occurred.
Cliché
Platitude: a trite or obvious remark; an overused statement.
Climactic order
The organization of ideas from one extreme to another: for example, from least
important to most important.
Climax
The high point , or turning point, in a story—usually the most intense point near
the end of a story.
Colloquialism
A colloquial word or phrase; a common spoken expression, often regional and
informal.
Colloquial Language
See Colloquialism.
Comedy
Light and humorous drama with a happy ending.
Comic relief
The inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise
serious work, often to relieve tension.
Compare
Actively pointing out similarities between two things, texts, ideas, etcetera.
Conflict
In narration, the struggle between the opposing forces that moves the plot forward.
Conflict can be internal (occurring within a character), or external (occurring
between characters, or between a character and an abstraction such as nature or
fate).
Connotation
The attitudes and feelings associated with a word. These associations can be
negative or positive and have an important influence on style and meaning.
Consonance
1) The repetition of consonant sounds at the ends of words (e.g. “Life's but a
walking shadow, a poor player / That struts and frets . . .” Macbeth 5.5. 24-5).
2) The repetition of consonant sounds before and after differing vowels, such as
“flip-flop”.
Contrast
Actively pointing out differences.
Couplet
A pair of rhyming lines of verse, usually with the same meter.
D
Denotation
The literal or dictionary definition of a word.
Denouement
The final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work.
Descriptive essay
An essay which describes a person, place, or thing in such vivid detail that the
reader can easily form a precise mental picture of the subject.
Dialect
A particular variety of language spoken in one place by a distinct group of people. A
dialect reflects the colloquialisms, grammatical constructions, distinctive
vocabulary, and pronunciations that are typical of a region. At times writers use
dialect to establish or emphasize settings as well as to develop characters.
Dialogue
Conversation between two or more people that advances the action, is consistent
with the character of the speakers, and gives relief from passages essentially
descriptive or expository.
Diary
A daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations.
Diction
An author’s choice of words based on their correctness, clarity, or effectiveness.
Didactic (adj)
Didacticism an artistic philosophy that emphasizes instructional and informative
qualities in literature and other types of art. Didactic art should not primarily
"entertain" or pursue the subjective goals of the artist; rather, its main goal is to
teach.
Dilemma
State of uncertainty or perplexity, especially requiring a choice between equally
unfavorable options.
Direct Presentation A method of presentation in which the writer explicitly describes a character,
situation, or event.
Dissonance
The deliberate avoidance of assonance; also, disagreement: a conflict of people's
opinions or actions or characters.
Drama
Play: a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage; an episode
that is turbulent or highly emotional; the literary genre of works intended for the
theater.
Dramatic irony
Irony that occurs when the meaning of a situation is understood by the audience
but not by the characters in a play.
Dramatic monologue A speech given addressed a single person to a silent auditor; it usually expresses
the speaker’s feelings, actions, and motives in a critical situation.
Dramatic form
A medium for the expression of dramatic meaning. Some dramatic forms are
improvisation, tableau, story theatre, and dance drama.
Dynamic character A character who undergoes an important, internal change because of the action in
the plot.
E
Editorial
An article stating opinions or giving perspectives, published in a periodical text
such as a magazine or newspaper.
Elegy
A mournful poem; a lament for the dead.
Emotional appeal
When a writer appeals to readers’ emotions (often through pathos) to excite and
involve them in the argument.
Epic
A long narrative that tells of the deeds and adventures of a hero or heroine.
Epilogue
A short speech (often in verse) addressed directly to the audience by an actor at the
end of a play, or a short passage added at the end of a literary work. An epilogue
may tell what eventually happened to the main characters.
Epiphany
A divine manifestation; a sudden realization of an important truth (e.g. “I had an
epiphany at the school play: I was meant to be an actor!”
Epigram
A brief, clever, and usually memorable statement (e.g. “I can resist anything except
temptation.” (Oscar Wilde)).
Epitaph
A short text honouring a dead person, often inscribed upon his or her tombstone.
Euphemism
An inoffensive or indirect expression that is substituted for one that is considered
offensive or too harsh. E.g. “Your grandmother passed away,” = “Your grandmother
died.”
Euphony
Literally, “pleasant sounds”; agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds.
Expert testimony
A witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to
have knowledge in a particular subject. Also known as an “argument from
authority”.
Exposition
Writing that is intended to make clear or to explain something using one or more of
the following methods: identification, definition, classification, illustration,
comparison, and analysis. In a play or a novel, exposition is that portion that helps
the reader to understand the background or situation in which the work is set.
Expository essay
See Exposition
Extended metaphor A metaphor that is continued over multiple sentences or throughout a whole poem.
External conflict
Dispute between the protagonist and another character or nature.
F
Fable
A short, simple story that teaches a lesson. A fable usually includes animals that talk
and act like people.
Falling action
In the plot of a story, the action that occurs after the climax. During the falling
action, conflicts are resolved and mysteries are solved.
Fantasy
Fiction with a large amount of imagination in it; it often involves magic and
invented worlds or languages.
Farce
A comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable situations.
Figurative language
Language that communicates ideas beyond the ordinary or literal meaning of the
words.
First Person
(Point of View) The narrator may be an observer or a participant, and tells the story
by using "I".
Flashback
A scene in a story or novel that returns the reader to a time earlier than the main
action.
Flat character
A one-dimensional character who has only a few, easily defined traits. Most minor
characters are flat. N.b.: Flat is not the same as static.
Foil
See Character Foil.
Foreshadowing
A writer’s use of hints or clues to indicate events that will occur in a story.
Foreshadowing creates suspense, and at the same time prepares the reader for
what is to come.
Form
A categorization of written structures such as poetry or prose, fiction or nonfiction,
essay, or news article.
Formal essay
A presentation or written piece that strictly adheres to rules, conventions, and
ceremony, and is free of colloquial expressions.
Formal language
Language f-ree from colloquialism, contractions, and idioms; it strictly follows the
rules and conventions of English.
Frame story
A structure of narrative wherein the main action occurs within the “frame” of a
different story (e.g. Characters sitting around a fireplace tell a story, and most or all
of the narrative concerns the stories told by the characters. The film Inception uses
multiple frame stories).
Free verse
Poetry without rhyme or fixed metrical pattern.
G
Genre
A category of literature. The main literary genres are fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and
drama.
Graphic text
Visual representations that support understanding of text.
H
Hero
A mythological or legendary figure, often of divine descent, who is endowed with
great strength or ability. The word is often broadly applied to the principle male or
female character in a literary or dramatic work.
Historical reference An allusion to historical beliefs, events, or legends.
Hyperbole
An intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect.
I
Iambic Pentameter A metrical line of five feet or units, each made up of an unstressed then a stressed
syllable (e.g. “I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.” Macbeth II.1.44)
Idiom
A phrase or expression that means something different from what the words
actually say. An idiom is usually understandable to a particular group of people (e.g.
“It was all over my head” = “I didn’t understand it”).
Image/Imagery
Words and phrases that create vivid sensory experiences for the reader. Most
images are visual, but imagery may also appeal to the senses of smell, hearing,
taste, or touch.
Indeterminate ending Conclusion that does not “tie up all the loose ends”; parts of the story or conflict
remain unresolved; the reader is left with questions about motive, plot, character,
etcetera.
Indirect presentation The writer presents the character in action, allowing the reader to draw his or her
own conclusions about the personality of that character.
Informal essay
A casual discussion, verbal exchange, note, or memorandum that may adhere less
strictly to rules and conventions (e.g. a short note to a friend); also, nonfiction
writing in narrative or non-narrative form that is intended to inform.
Informal language
Language which may include idioms, contractions, and colloquialisms; it does not
have to follow the strict conventions of grammar.
Interior monologue Internal monologue, also known as inner voice, internal speech, or stream of
consciousness is thinking in words. It also refers to the semi-constant internal
monologue one has with oneself at a conscious or semi-conscious level.
Internal conflict
Occurs when the protagonist struggles within himself or herself. The protagonist is
pulled by two courses of action or by differing emotions, which frequently leads to
a dynamic change in the character.
Internal rhyme
In poetry, internal rhyme, or middle rhyme, is rhyme which occurs within a single
line of verse.
Irony
Implied discrepancy between what is said and what is meant. There are three
kinds: verbal (author says one thing and means something else); dramatic
(audience perceives something that a character does not know); and situational
(discrepancy between the expected result and actual results).
J
Jargon
Language used in a certain profession or by a particular group of people. Jargon is
usually technical or abbreviated and difficult for people not in the profession to
understand.
Juxtaposition
A placing in nearness or contiguity, or side by side, often done in order to
compare/contrast two words, phrases, or ideas.
L
Legend
A traditional story sometimes popularly regarded as historical but
unauthenticated; a myth.
Limited omniscient Third-person point of view in which the narrator’s insights are limited to the
minds of only a few of the characters, or only one character.
Literal language
A fact or idea stated directly. When a writer intends something to be understood
exactly as it is written, he or she is using literal language.
Lyric
A short poem with one speaker which expresses personal thoughts or feelings.
M
Melodrama
An extravagant comedy in which action is more important than characterization; a
melodrama often contains stock characters, cliché scenes, and overblown
emotions.
Metaphor
A figure of speech that states or suggests that one thing is the same as another (e.g.
“His heart was a stone.”). Unlike a simile, a metaphor does not contain the words
like or as.
Metre
In poetry, the regular recurrence of a rhythmic pattern.
Monologue
An extended, uninterrupted speech or poem by a single person. The person may be
speaking his or her thoughts aloud or directly addressing other persons, e.g. an
audience, a character, or a reader.
Mood
A characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling; the emotional
atmosphere of a work of literature.
Mystery
Something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained; a story about a
crime (usually murder) presented as a novel or play or movie.
Prologue
An introduction to a play.
Myth
Traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people.
N
Narrative/narration Writing that relates an event or a series of events; a story. Narration can be
imaginary, as in a short story or novel; or factual, as in a newspaper account or a
work of history.
Narrator
The person or voice telling the story outside of the action; the narrator can be a
character or an external voice.
O
Objective point of viewUndistorted by emotion or personal bias; based on observable phenomena (if you
write from an objective point of view you write from an unbiased perspective).
Octave
Rhythmic group of eight lines of verse.
Ode
Lyric poem addressed to a particular person, place, or thing with complex stanza
forms.
Omniscient point of view Literally “all-knowing”: infinitely wise. Omniscient point of view allows the
reader to see the thoughts, feelings, and situations of any character.
Onomatopoeia
The use of a word whose sound suggests its meaning (e.g. “bang”, “crash”).
Oxymoron
A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.
E.g. “ burning cold”, “hateful love”.
P
Paradox
A statement that seems self-contradictory but in reality expresses a possible truth
(e.g. “Sometimes, the more you study the less you learn.”).
Parallelism
In grammar, parallelism is a balance of two or more similar words, phrases, or
clauses. Using parallelism in sentence construction improves writing style and
readability. Parallelism may also be known as parallel structure or parallel
construction.
Parody
Imitates or mocks another work or type of literature. Like caricature in art, parody
in literature mimics a subject or a style. Its purpose may be to ridicule, to broaden
understanding of, or to add insight to the original work.
Passive voice
Indicates that the subject is being acted upon (e.g. “The ball was thrown by
Jack.”). See also Active voice.
Pastoral
A literary work idealizing the rural life, especially the life of shepherds.
Pathos
A quality that arouses emotions, especially pity or sorrow; also, a rhetorical
technique that aims to move the emotions of the audience.
Personal essay
Essay about some event in the writer's life, written in the first person.
Personification
A form of metaphor in which language relating to human action, motivation, and
emotion is used to refer to non-human agents or objects, or abstract concepts (e.g.
“The weather is smiling on us today.”; “Love is blind.”).
Persuasive essay
Writing intended to convince the reader that a position is valid or that the reader
should take a specific action. Differs from exposition in that it does more than
explain; it takes a stand and endeavors to persuade the reader to take the same
position or to take action.
Plot
The action or sequence of events in a story. Plot is usually a series of related
incidents that builds and grows as the story develops.
Point of view
The vantage point from which a story is told. In the first person or narrative point
of view, the story is told by one of the characters. In the third person or omniscient
point of view, someone outside the story tells the story.
Pro and con argument Gives reasons in favour (pro) and against (con)a viewpoint or position.
Propaganda
Methods of conveying information selectively to produce an opinion or action
favorable to the source of the information.
Protagonist
The main character or hero of a story. See Hero/Heroine.
Proverb
A condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience
that is taken as true by many people (e.g. “A chain is no stronger than its weakest
link.”).
Purpose
An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions (e.g.
"His intent was to provide a new translation.").
Pun
A pun is a phrase that deliberately exploits confusion between similarsounding words for humorous or rhetorical effect (e.g. “Atheism is a nonprophet institution.”— prophet/profit).
Q
Quatrain
A stanza of four lines.
Question and answer
A method of structuring an essay whereby ideas are presented through
raising questions or concerns and then responding to them.
R
Refrain
The line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry.
Repetition
The repeated use of the same word or word pattern as a rhetorical device.
Research
Scholarly or scientific investigation. Research involves finding different sources of
information, extracting relevant information, and synthesizing and presenting
one’s findings to support a thesis or to inform.
Resolution
The part of the story's plot line in which the problem of the story is resolved or
worked out.
Rhetorical Question A figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect
without the expectation of a reply.
Rhyme
Correspondence of terminal sounds of words or of lines of verse.
Rhyme Scheme
In poetry, the pattern in which rhyme sounds occur in a stanza. Rhyme schemes,
for the purpose of analysis, are usually presented by the assignment of the same
letter of the alphabet to each similar sound in the stanza. The pattern of a
Spenserian stanza is ababbcbcc.
Rhythm
The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry. Poets use
rhythm to bring out the musical quality of language, to emphasize ideas, to create
mood, to unify a work, or to heighten emotional response
Rising action
The events in a story that move the plot forward. Rising action involves conflicts
and complications, and builds toward the climax of the story. See Conflict, Climax,
Exposition, Falling action
Round character
A complex literary character with fully developed and dynamic traits; a character
who is complex and multi-dimensional.
S
Sarcasm
A kind of verbal irony intended to convey insults or scorn (e.g. calling a fat
person “Miss Slim”).
Satire
A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or
wit. Unlike sarcasm, satire aims at the improvement rather than the demolition of
its subject.
Sestet
A stanza of six lines, usually occurring in the second part of a sonnet.
Setting
The time, location and circumstances in which a story takes place.
Simile
A comparison of two unlike things in which a word of comparison (often like or as)
is used (e.g. “She stood in front of the altar, shaking like a freshly caught
trout.”(Maya Angelou)).
Slang
Informal language consisting of words and expressions that are not considered
appropriate for formal occasions; slang is often vulgar (crude).
Soliloquy
In a play, an extended, uninterrupted speech by a single person spoken alone on the
stage. No other characters can “hear” the soliloquy, but by means of a soliloquy the
audience gains insight into the speaker’s true thoughts or feelings.
Sonnet
A verse form consisting of 14 lines in iambic pentameter with a fixed rhyme
scheme.
Speaker
Someone who expresses in language; not to be confused with the poet or author.
Stanza
A fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem.
Stream of Consciousness Literary genre that reveals a character's thoughts and feeling as they develop by
means of a long monologue.
Statistical evidence Credible evidence which includes numbers, statistics, demographic analyses,
etcetera, supporting a thesis.
Static character
A character that remains unchanged throughout a work.
Stereotype
A stereotype is a simplified and/or standardized conception or image with specific
meaning, often held in common by people about another group.
Stock character
A stock character is one which relies heavily on cultural types or names for his or
her personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics.
Story within a story
See frame story.
Style
A way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is
characteristic of a particular person, group of people, or period (e.g. "All the
reporters were expected to adopt the style of the newspaper.”).
Stylistic technique
A method used by a writer to create a particular style; stylistic technique can
include habitual use of specific literary devices, words, sounds, or phrases.
Subjective
Subjective (language tone etc.): taking place within the mind and modified by
individual bias.
Surprise Ending
A piece of writing ending with an event that is both the climax and resolution of a
story. An unexpected ending.
Suspense
Excited anticipation of an approaching climax (e.g. "The play kept the
audience in suspense.”).
Symbol
Something visible that by association or convention represents something
else that is invisible.
Symbolism
The use of symbols in a literary or artistic work.
T
Theme
A central idea or abstract concept that is made concrete through
representation in person, action, and image. Theme is not simply a subject or
an activity, “vice” for instance, but a proposition, such as “Vice seems more
interesting than virtue but turns out to be destructive.” Sometimes the theme
is directly stated in the work, and sometimes it is given indirectly. There may
be more than one theme in a given work.
Thesis
An attitude or position taken by a writer or speaker with the purpose of proving or
supporting it.
Thesis Statement
The sentence(s) in your text that contain(s) the focus of your essay and tells your
reader what the essay is going to be about.
Third Person
(Point of View) In literature, a non-participating narrator who provides the reader
with all the emotions and ideas of one central character.
Tone
The attitude of an author towards his or her subject matter and office; not to be
confused with mood, tone can be formal, informal, intimate, solemn, somber,
playful, serious, ironic, condescending, etcetera.
Tragedy
An event resulting in great loss and misfortune. In literature, tragedy is a genre
in which a central character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow as a
result of a character flaw.
U
Understatement
A statement that is restrained in ironic contrast to what might have been said (e.g.
When it is pouring rain, someone says, “It’s just a little drizzle.”).
V
Voice
The distinctive style or manner of expression of an author or of a character in a
book. Voice is created through word choice, tone, style, and habitual literary
practices of the writer.
W
Wit
That quality of speech or writing which consists in the apt association of
thought and expression, calculated to surprise and delight by its
unexpectedness; the utterance of brilliant or sparkling things in an amusing
way.