Literary Terms Handout

Literary Terms

Allegory – A story in which a second meaning is to be read beneath the surface

Alliteration – the repetition of one or more initial consonants in a group of words or lines in a poem

Allusion - A reference to a person, place, or event meant to create an effect or enhance the meaning of an idea

Ambiguity – A vagueness of meaning; a conscious lack of clarity meant to evoke multiple meanings and interpretation

Analogy – A comparison that points out similarities between two dissimilar things

Antagonist - A character or force in a work of literature that, by opposing the protagonist, produces tension or conflict

Antithesis – A rhetorical opposition or contrast of ideas by means of a grammatical arrangement of words, clauses, or sentences

Apostrophe – A locution (word, phrase or expression) that addresses a person or personified thing not present.

Archetype - An abstract or ideal conception of a type; a perfectly typical example; an original model or form

Assonance – The repetition of two or more vowel sounds in a group of words or lines of a poem

Cacophony – Grating, inharmonious sounds

Connotation – The suggested or implied meaning of a word or phrase; Contrast with denotation

Denotation – The dictionary definition of a word: Contrast with connotation

Diction - The choice of words in oral and written discourse

Euphemism – A mild or less negative usage for a harsh or blunt term; pass away is a euphemism for die

Expository essay - The expository essay is a genre of essay that investigates an idea, evaluates evidence, expounds on (gives detail on) the idea, and sets forth an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. This can be accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the analysis of cause and effect, etc.

Figurative language – In contrast to literal language, figurative language implies meanings. Figures of speech include metaphors, similes, and personification, among many others.

First-person narrative – A narrative told by a character involved in the story, using first-person pronouns such as I and we

Foreshadowing – Providing hints of things to come in a story or play

Genre – A term used to describe literary forms, such as novel, play and essay

Hyperbole – Overstatement; gross exaggeration for rhetorical effect

Imagery – The mental pictures created by a piece of writing

Irony – A mode of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated, often implying ridicule or light sarcasm; a state of affairs or events that is the reverse of what might have been expected

Metaphor – A figure of speech that compares unlike objects without using like or as

Mood – The emotional tone in a work of literature

Motif – A phrase, idea or event that through repetition serves to unify or convey a theme in a work of literature

Narrative – A form of verse or prose that tells a story

Omniscient narrator - A narrator with unlimited awareness, understanding, and insight of characters, setting, background, and all other elements of the story

Onomatopoeia – The use of words whose sounds suggest their meaning

Oxymoron – A term consisting of contradictory elements juxtaposed to create a paradoxical effect

Paradox – A statement that seems self-contradictory but is nevertheless true

Paraphrase – A restatement of a text or passages, usually in a simpler, more concise form

Personification – A figure of speech in which a non-human entity, such as an object or animal, is given human characteristics

Plot – The interrelationship among the events in a story; the plot line is the pattern of events, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution

Point of view – The relation in which a narrator or speaker stands to the story or subject matter of a poem. A story told in the first person has an internal point of view; an observer uses an external point of view

Protagonist – The main character in a work of literature

Rhetoric – The language of a work and its style; words, often highly emotional, used to convince or sway the audience

Rhetorical stance – Language the conveys a speaker’s attitude or opinion with regard to a particular subject

Satire – A literary style used to poke fun at, attack or ridicule an idea, vice, or foible, often for the purpose of inducing change

Setting – The total environment for the action in a novel or play. It includes time, place, historical milieu, and social, political, and even spiritual circumstances.

Simile – A figurative comparison using the words like or as

Stream of consciousness – A style of writing in which the author tries to reproduce the random flow of thoughts in the human mind

Style – The manner in which an author uses and arranges words, shapes ideas, forms sentences, and creates a structure to convey ideas

Subtext – The implied meaning that underlies the main meaning of a work of literature

Symbolism – The use of one object to evoke ideas and associations not literally part of the original object

Syntax – The organization of language into meaningful structure; every sentence has a particular syntax, or pattern of words

Theme – The main idea or meaning; often an abstract idea upon which a work of literature is built

Tone – The author’s attitude toward the subject being written about. The tone is the characteristic emotion that pervades a work or part of a work – the spirit or quality that is the work’s emotional essence

Voice – The real or assumed personality used by a writer or speaker.