Literary Terms

genre refers to a category or type of literature based on its content, style, or form (i.e., novel, short story, poem, play)

prose the ordinary form of written language; sentences and paragraphs; not poetry

narrative any speaking or writing that tells a story

narrator the person telling the story

fiction a literary work of the imagination; may be based on truth, but not entirely true

historical fiction an imaginary work relating to specific period in the past (history) (i.e., Gone with the Wind, Cold Mountain, The Red Badge of Courage)

realistic fiction an imaginary work attempting to represent real life

science fiction an imaginary work dealing with the impact of real or imagined science on the individual or society; generally deals with the future, but may deal with past or present as well; science fiction relies on hypothesized scientific advancements and raises questions about humanity (i.e., Star Wars, Back to the Future, ET, Jurassic Park, and Men in Black)

short story a brief fictional prose narrative that may be read in one sitting

fantasy highly imaginative writing that contains elements not found in real life; characters included humanized

animals, good and evil stereotypes, eccentrics, heroes and heroines with magical powers, or extraterrestrial

beings; plots may reflect a heroic battle for the common good or adventures of real characters in an enhanced

setting (i.e., The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)

novel a lengthy fictional work (i.e., The Old Man and the Sea and To Kill a Mockingbird)

mystery a literary work that deals with the unexplained, unknown, or unsolved

myth a traditional story that attempts to explain a natural phenomenon or to justify a certain practice or belief in a specific society; main characters include gods, goddesses, and heroes

legends a story passed down by word of mouth from one generation to another; generally regarded as fact (historically accurate), but not necessarily verifiable; stories are usually associated with wars and victories

fables brief stories told to teach lessons; characters are usually animals (i.e., “The Lion and the Mouse,” “ The

Tortoise and the Hare,” and “The Fox and the Crow”)

parables brief stories told to teach lessons; characters are usually people (i.e., “The Prodigal Son” and “The Good

Samaritan”)

satire a form of literature intended to ridicule or make fun of a human vice or weakness, often with the intent of correcting or changing the weakness

parody a form of literature intended to mock or imitate a particular literary work or its style; a comic effect is intended through the parody

nonfiction factual (true) prose writing, such as biographies, autobiographies, essays, and newspapers

essay prose writing generally limited to one topic which expresses an individual's point of view/beliefs

descriptive essay seeks to convey an impression about a person, place, or object; may use numerous examples of imagery to provide description

expository essay gives information, discusses ideas, or explains a process

persuasive essay tries to convince the reader to do something or to accept the writer's point of view

narrative essay relates a true story

biography the story of a person's life written by another person

autobiography you write your own life's story; the account of a person's life is written by that person (i.e., I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings)

editorial a newspaper or magazine article that gives the opinions of the editor(s) or publisher(s) or reader(s)

commentary a systematic series of explanations or interpretations

drama a form of literature known as plays; refers to a literary work which is meant to be performed before an audience, not simply read

tragedy a literary work in which the hero is destroyed by some character flaw and/or by forces beyond his or her control (i.e., Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar)

comedy a literary work which begins with a conflict that is resolved by the end of the play; usually ends with a birth, wedding, or some type of celebration (i.e., A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

poetry a special kind of writing in which language, imagery, and sound combine for an emotional effect; divided into lines and stanza; not prose

epic a long narrative poem that traces the adventures of a hero; also shows the active role gods/goddesses took in human lives (i.e., Iliad, Odyssey, Gilgamesh, and Beowulf)

narrative poetry poetry that tells a story; contains the same elements as a short story, such as character, setting, plot, theme

lyric poetry poetry that is usually short and musical that expresses the emotions or thoughts of a single speaker

dramatic poetry poetry that involves the techniques of drama; may be one character speaking throughout or divided into more than one speaking part

didactic poetry poetry that attempts to give advice or teach a lesson; often thought of as preachy poetry

sonnet a lyric poem of fourteen lines

ballad a narrative poem that was originally intended to be sung; content usually deals with heroic deeds, love, tragedy, and feuds

haiku Japanese poem of three line; first and third lines have only five syllables whereas the second lines has seven syllables; subject is usually about nature

limerick a humorous, rhyming, five-line poem with a specific meter and rhyme scheme (aabba)

There was a young lady named BrightWhose speed was far faster than light.She went out one dayIn a relative way,And returned on the previous night.

setting the time and place in which a story, play, or novel occurs

character any person, animal, or object in a story, play, or novel

protagonist the main character of a work who may win the reader's sympathy; the character the passage concentrates on

antagonist any person or force that opposes or works against the main character; opponent, enemy, adversary

tragic hero the main character in a tragedy who suffers a catastrophe or downfall because of an inner struggle or forces beyond his control, such as fate (i.e., Romeo, Othello, Julius Caesar, MacBeth, Hamlet)

tragic flaw a fatal weakness that brings about the downfall of the main character

epic hero the main character in an epic who goes on a journey or quest; a hero is usually morally, physically, and intellectually superior than the average person and has the favor of the gods (i.e., Odysseus)

villain a wicked character who opposes the hero (i.e., Cat Woman, Mr. Freeze, the Joker, Lex Luther)

stereotype character a predictable character type; a pattern or form that does not change; a character who lacks individuality and fits a mold of that particular kind of person (i.e., absent-minded professor, dumb blonde, dumb hillbilly, nagging wife).

foil character a character who is contrasted by another character to emphasize their differences; opposite character types (i.e., Tybalt is a troublemaker but Benvolio is a peacemaker).

static character a character whose personality does not change in the course of the story

dynamic character a character whose personality undergoes a change in the course of the story

characterization the method of creating or developing a character’s personality

direct characterization the author directly states a character’s trait (i.e., Stephen is an extremely honest person)

indirect characterization the author reveals a character's traits/personality through the character's word or actions or appearance or through what other characters say or think about that character (i.e., Although Stephen never has any extra money, you could ask him to hold on to your wallet during gym class)

plot sequence of events in a story; the order in which things occur

exposition often referred to as the introduction of the story because this is the point in a story's plot development where the reader becomes aware (is exposed to) the characters, settings, and situations

narrative hook catches the reader's attention by introducing the story's conflict

rising action adds complications of details to the story to advance the plot

climax the turning point of the story; the point of greatest emotional involvement in the story; the point where the conflict is resolved regardless of where it is done so successfully or not

falling action the result of the climax

resolution the final outcome of the entire story

conflict the struggle between two opposing forces; the center of the plot

internal conflict a struggle within a character's heart or mind--the character may struggle to reach a decision, to make a moral choice, or to attain a personal goal

external conflict occurs when a character struggles with an outside force, such as another person, nature, fate, or society

theme the main or underlying idea, which is usually expressed as a general statement about life; to identify the theme ask yourself "What lesson should I learn?' or "What advice is the character trying to give me?"

stated theme main idea is announced in the story

implied theme main idea is gradually revealed in the story; no where does reader see main idea actually stated in the story; instead the reader must ask himself/herself "What lesson is the story trying to teach? What advice is a character trying to give?"

tone the attitude the writer takes towards his subject or audience

mood the emotional quality of the work; the atmosphere of the story; the feeling the author is trying to create through the choice of setting, imagery, descriptions, or details

style the author's choice and arrangement of words or genres

point of view the relationship of the storyteller to the story; the angle or perspective from which a story is seen or told

first-person a character in the story tells the story; character uses the first-person personal pronoun "I" to refer to himself

second-person narrator speaks directly to the audience; used in speech or letters-to-the editor; uses the second-person personal pronoun "you" to refer to audience

limited-third the narrator tells the story from the viewpoint of only one character, speaking of the character as "he" or "she" (third-person personal pronouns)

omniscient the narrator acts as an all-knowing narrator who can tell the reader what any character thinks or feels; an outsider, not a character, tells the story

literal language uses words in their ordinary senses; what is said is what is meant

figurative language a literary device used to create a special effect or feeling by making some type of interesting or creative comparison; it is NOT meant to be taken literally.

simile a comparison between two unlike things using the words "like" or "as" to make the comparison (i.e., With a cold Mr. Aldridge sounds like a frog croaking!)

metaphor an indirect comparison between two unlike things not using the words "like"or "as" (i.e., The girl's jewel-green eyes sparkled with happiness.)

hyperbole an exaggeration or overstatement to prove a point (i.e., I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!)

personification giving an animal or object human characteristics (i.e., Dawn spread out her fingertips of rose.)

apostrophe talking to an animal, object, or person (absent or dead) as if it/he/she could hear, understand, and respond (i.e, Take the bait, fish)

alliteration the repetition of initial consonant sounds (i.e., Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.)

assonance the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds (i.e., weak and weary; stuffed crust)

consonance the repetition of similar consonant sounds not limited to the beginning of words (i.e., "…and high school girls with clear skin)

onomatopoeia words imitate sounds (i.e., buzz, roar, hiss, snap, crackle, pop)

extended metaphor an elaborate or lengthy comparison; several comparison are being made without using the words "like" or "as"

epic simile an elaborate comparison; may use "just so" or "so" rather than "like" or "as" to complete the comparison; usually relates to nature

"Think of a catch that fishermen haul in to a half-moon bayin a fine-meshed net from the whitecaps of the sea:how all are poured out on the sand, in throes for the salt sea,twitching their cold lives away in Helios' fiery air;so lay the suitors heaped on one another."

allusion a reference in literature to a familiar person, place, event, or object; a reference to something outside of the work, usually Biblical, mythical, or historical (i.e., I want to visit the Big Apple. Have you ever been to New York? Did you know that Helen of Troy was the "face that launched a thousand ships"?)

dialogue conversation between characters

dialect variation of language; the form of language spoken by people in a particular region or group; the way people talk

imagery words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses--sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell--to create a picture in the reader's mind so he can imagine the scene

symbol person, place, event, or object which stands for or represents something else (i.e., the colors in the flag, a green, red, or yellow traffic light, a cross; $ to represent money)

suspense a growing feeling of excitement or anxiety that makes the reader wonder what will happen next

foreshadowing clues or hints to the future to prepare the reader for up-coming plot developments (i.e., scary music in murder scene, dark clouds and thunder before it storms)

flashback a break in the time sequence when a character returns to an earlier time by remembering the past

irony a contrast between what is and what appears to be

dramatic irony the audience or reader sees a character's mistakes or misunderstandings, but the character does

not (i.e., Romeo doesn't know that Juliet only appears to be dead because she has drunk a sleeping potion; therefore, he commits suicide.); contrast of knowing

irony of situation a contrast of expectations; you expect one thing to happen but the opposite happens instead; if a story has a surprise ending, it uses situational irony (i.e., You don't expect children from feuding families to fall in love at first sight and marry within 24 hours, but Romeo and Juliet do exactly that.)

verbal irony a contrast of words; you say one thing but mean something else (i.e., Jill is wearing checkered pants and a stripped blouse and bunny slippers when Joe says to her, "Hello, Miss America!)

connotation any idea suggested by or associated with a word (i.e., difference you perceive in the words "fragrance" and "odor")

denotation the basic or literal meaning of a word; the dictionary meaning of a word, not suggested or hidden meanings

archetype the original pattern or model of something; a recurring and familiar pattern in literature, like a journey or a wise old man

anecdote short summary of a funny event

rhetorical question a question asked only for effect, not because an answer is expected (i.e., Who wouldn't be happy on a beautiful day like this?)

epithet a descriptive word or phrase used in place of a person's name (i.e., Helios, the sun god; Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers)

stage directions instructions for staging or performing a play; usually written in italics or enclosed within brackets

prologue the opening lines (usually 14 lines) of a drama that give background information and/or foreshadow events

acts large divisional units in a play

scenes smaller divisional units in a play; way acts are divided

analogy a comparison between two or more things that are similar in some way but otherwise unalikemonologue a talk, reading, or drama presented by one person; in a play a monologue is heard by the other

character whom the speaker knows are listening (i.e., when a late-night talk show host comes out and talks to the audience; the prince's speech at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet)

soliloquy speech delivered by a character when he/she is alone (or believes himself/herself alone) on the stage; purpose of a soliloquy is to reveal a character's thought or feelings to the audience

aside a comment that one character makes that may or may not be heard by other characters on the stage who are also within hearing range; you should see the word "aside" in stage directions when this technique is used in a play

pun a play on words; a joke; one word may have two meanings or two words may sound alike but have entirely different meanings (i.e., sole = bottom of a shoe and soul = a person's spiritual being; grave = burial place and grave = serious)

paradox a statement that seems to be contradictory but proves to be true (i.e., I cried with laughter; it is so late that we may call it early)

oxymoron a pair of contradictory words used for their poetic effect (pretty ugly, probably not, jumbo

shrimp, feather of lead)

speaker the imaginary voice assumed by the poet; the speaker and the poet are not the same person

rhyme similarity or likeness of sound existing between two or more words; same sound

rhythm the ordered or free occurrence of sound in poetry; a pattern or beat created through the arrangement of words

rhyme scheme regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem

internal rhyme occurs when the rhyming words appear within the same line of poetry

end rhyme rhyming words appear at the ends of two or more lines of poetry

stanza a group of lines forming one unit in a poem; comparable to a paragraph in prose

refrain to repeat a word, line, phrase or entire stanza to emphasize something important

couplet two consecutive lines of poetry of equal length that usually rhyme ("Parting is such sweet sorrow/That I shall say good night till it be morrow")

quatrain a stanza of four lines

epic question reveals the theme of the epic; usually found at the beginning of the first episode

episode the way epics are divided; one part of a series, but may be read and understood on its own

invocation to the muse a prayer to the goddess of poetry for help or inspiration in telling the epic; should be at the beginning of the epic and made by the poet

in medias res a Latin term meaning in the middle of things; part of an epics structure

cliché an over-used expression (kicked the bucket; down to brass tacks; at the drop of a hat)