LITERARY TERMS AND VOCABULARY
 Motif - A recurring element, such as a type of incident, a device, an image,
or reference, which appears frequently in a work of literature.
 Symbol - a word, place, character, or object that means something beyond
what it is on a literal level and represents another, more general idea. Note,
however, that symbols function perfectly well in isolation from other
symbols. Allegory, however, does not work that way; allegory requires
symbols working in conjunction with each other.
 Allegory - involves using many interconnected symbols in such as way
that in nearly every element of the narrative has a meaning beyond the
literal level, i.e., everything in the narrative is a symbol that relates to other
symbols within the story. The allegorical story, poem, or play can be read
either literally or as a symbolic statement about a political, spiritual, or
psychological truth.
 Mood – The prevailing feeling or emotional state of a literary work. Most
pieces of literature have a prevailing mood, but shifts in this prevailing
mood may function as a counterpoint, provide comic relief, or echo the
changing events in the plot. The term mood is often used synonymously
with atmosphere and ambiance. Students and critics who wish to discuss
mood in their essays should be able to point to specific diction, description,
setting, and characterization to illustrate what sets the mood.
 Affluent (adj.) – flowing in abundance;
having a generally sufficient and increasing
supply of possessions or wealth (page 4)
 Garrulous (adj.) – pointlessly or annoyingly
talkative; given to rambling (page 10)
 Veracity (n.) – something true or accurate
(page 12)
 Obstinate (adj.) – adhering to an opinion,
purpose, or course in spite of reason,
arguments, or persuasion (page 13)
 Trepidation (n.) – uncertain agitation,
apprehension, or fear (page 43)
 Austere (adj.) – stern and forbidding in
appearance or manner; somber or grave
(page 61)
 Morose (adj.) – having a sullen and gloomy
disposition(page 61)
 Guileless (adj.) – innocent; naïve (page 78)
 Harried (adj.) – harassed or beset by
disturbing problems (page 91)
 Lucrative (adj.) – producing wealth;
profitable (page 111)
 Ire (n.) - intense and usually openly
displayed anger (page 125)
 Acrid (adj.) – sharp and harsh’ unpleasantly
pungent in taste or odor; irritating, deeply
bitter (page 132)
 Queried (v.) – to question (page 147)
 Amiable (adj.) - being friendly, sociable, and
congenial (page 150)
 Ominous (adj.) – foreboding or
foreshadowing evil; inauspicious (page 155)
 Palliative (adj.) – something that reduces or
abates the violence of a disease (page 156)
 Reticence (n.) – the quality or state of being
reserved, silent, or restrained (page 157)
 Incessant (adj.) – unceasing; continuing without
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interruption (page 195)
Pragmatic (adj.) – relating to matters of fact or practical
affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or artistic
matters; practical as opposed to idealistic (page 201)
Proverbial (adj.) – resembling something that has
become a popular proverb, adage, byword, or maxim (page
212)
Ruminate (v.) – to go over in the mind carefully and
repeatedly; to contemplate or ponder (page 231)
Arduous (adj.) – hard to accomplish or achieve (page 233)
 Epiphany (n.) – an intuitive grasp of reality
through something usually simple or striking
(page 282)
 Impunity (n.) – exemption or freedom from
punishment, harm, or loss (page 301)
 Irrevocably (adv.) – not possible to revoke;
unalterable (page 320)
 Squalid (adj.) – marked by filthiness and
degradation from neglect or poverty (page 329)