Glossary of Literary Terms



Glossary of

100 Literary Terms

1. Allegory- a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions

2. Alliteration- the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words

3. Allusion- a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize

4. Ambiguity – Occurs when a word, phrase, situation, or event can be interpreted in more than one way; both interpretations must be supportable from the text.

5. Analogy- a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

6. Anecdote- a brief narrative (story) that focuses on a particular incident or event

7. Antagonist- a main character of a plot who is in opposition or conflict with the protagonist.  This person usually complicates the conflict and plot.

8. Archetype- a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response

9. Aside- when a character is on stage with other characters, making side line comments that those on stage do not appear to hear or react to.

10. Assonance – repetition of vowel sounds in the middle of words (NOT RHYME)

11. Autobiography- a NONFICTION story written by an author about themselves

12. Character (tragic) flaw- a habit, personality trait or practice that causes a character problems in his/her life again and again and again.

13. Characterization - the introduction and development of the personalities of the individuals in a piece of literature.

14. Cliché- an expression that has been overused to the extent that is freshness has worn off

15. Climax- the point of highest interest in a literary work

16. Conflict- a problem, issue or challenge that must be solved.  This is the driving force for all the action and events in the plot. Conflict may be either internal or external.

17. Connotation- the implied or associative meaning of a word

18. Couplet – two consecutive lines with words at the end that rhyme

19. Denotation- the literal meaning of a word (dictionary definition)

20. Dialect- a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region

21. Dialogue- conversation between two or more people

22. Diction- the word choices made by a writer

23. Didactic- having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing (This is often a words used to describe tone.)

24. Direct characterization – when the narrator or a character in the story tells us what we need to know about a character

25. Drama- the formal name for a play

26. Dramatic irony- when the audience or the reader knows details or information that the characters within the story or drama don't know

27. Dynamic character - an individual who changes from what they have learned or experienced during the events of the story. 

28. Elegy- a formal poem presenting a mediation on death or another solemn theme

29. Epic- a long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation

30. Epigraph- a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a character or other section of a work

31. Epithet- A characterizing word or phrase firmly associated with a person or thing and often used in place of the actual name or title, such as “man's best friend” for “dog”.

32. Exposition – the part of the plot that introduces the setting, characters, conflict, etc.

33. External conflict- a struggle or problem coming from outside a character. (person vs. person OR person vs. nature OR person vs. society)

34. Fable- a brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters

35. Fiction- stories that include (1) characters, (2) settings and/or (3) events that have been created in the imagination of the writer.  If any of these three are invented, the entire story is deemed fiction.

36. Figurative language- language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.)

37. Flashback- the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

38. Flat character- a character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story

39. Foil - A character who contrasts with another character in order to highlight various features of the characters' personalities, throwing these characteristics into focus.

40. Foreshadowing- hints or clues that give subtle hints or clues about what may happen later in the plot.  This can be achieved through symbolism, dialogue, imagery or other literary devices.

41. Frame tale- a story within a story. An example is Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, in which the primary tales are told within the “frame story” of the pilgrimage to Canterbury.

42. Genre- a major category or type of literature

43. Hubris- excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

44. Hyperbole- intentional exaggeration to create an effect

45. Idiom- an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression. EX: “It’s raining cats and dogs.”

46. Imagery- the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses

47. Indirect characterization – when we find out about characters indirectly through thoughts, comments, or actions of the characters

48. Inference- a conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence

49. Internal conflict- a struggle or problem within a character.  (person vs. self)

50. Irony- the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs

51. Legend- a narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements

52. Limited narrator- a narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts information to what is seen, heard, thought, or felt by that one character

53. Lyric poem – a poem written to express feelings or emotions. Most poems fall into this category.

54. Memoir- a nonfiction story about certain moments or parts of an author's life about themselves

55. Metaphor- a direct comparison of two different things

56. Meter- the rhythm or syllable pattern in lines of poetry. The beat of the words. 

57. Minor character- a character who has few lines or is in limited scenes but who is still important to the plot events

58. Monologue: one character speaking to self or directly to the audience

59. Mood- The emotional quality the reader experiences from the words, images and descriptions created by the writer.

60. Motif- a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works

61. Motivation- a character’s incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a character to act

62. Myth- a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events

63. Narrative- a story or narrated account

64. Narrative poem – a poem that tells a story

65. Narrator- the one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient

66. Nonfiction- stories that include characters, settings AND events that are based on fact.  All three must be accurate and true for a piece to be considered nonfiction.

67. Omniscient narrator- a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters

68. Onomatopoeia- a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds

69. Oxymoron- an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

70. Parable- a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson

71. Paradox- an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

72. Parody- a humorous imitation of a serious work

73. Personification- giving non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics

74. Plot- the sequence or order of events

75. Point of view- the position from which the story is told. 

1st person- the voice is that of a character who is part of the story

3rd person- the voice is that of a narrator who is watching the story

76. Prose – non-poetry, most writing falls into this category (short stories, novels, nonfiction, etc.)

77. Protagonist- A main character of the plot who is usually considered the hero or positive individual

78. Pun- a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings EX: In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio uses the following pun: “Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man.” (Grave means serious/sad as well as dead.)

79. Resolution- the part of the story's plot line in which the problem of the story is resolved or worked out. This occurs after the falling action and is typically where the story ends.

80. Rhyme scheme- a set pattern of rhyming words found at the ends of lines of poetry.  The rhyme scheme is indicated by assigning capital letters to pinpoint the pattern.

81. Round character – a character that, like a real person, has many different character traits that sometimes contradict each other.

82. Satire: ridicule intended to expose truth

83. Setting- the location, time period, season, holiday during which the events of a plot take place

84. Simile- the comparison of two or more related objects or events using the words "like' or "as" in the phrasing.

85. Situational irony - a mismatch between what the reader thinks may happen and how the event or story actually is resolved; a surprise ending with a real twist.

86. Soliloquy- when a character is ALONE (solo) on stage, speaking aloud their thoughts or emotions.  Soliloquies often reveal motivation and/or foreshadowing.

87. Sonnet – a 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme.

88. Speaker – the “narrator” of a poem; in poetry, we use the term “speaker” instead of “narrator”

89. Stanza – the division of a poem similar to a “paragraph” in a work of prose

90. Static character – a character that does not change through the course of a story

91. Suspense- a building or rising sense of concern or interest in what will happen in a plot.

92. Symbol- an object that is used to represent something else

93. Symbolism- the use of objects, animals (especially birds), colors, etc. that have a greater or universal meaning beyond their simple existence.  The symbols can offer information and even create foreshadowing if the reader understands or notes their meaning.

94. Theme- the message, advice or warning about life and/or relationships the author shares through their characters' experiences.  This message is often inferred; it is more than just a simple "moral to the story".

95. Thesis- the primary position taken by a writer or speaker

96. Tone- the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience

97. Tragedy- a work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin or destruction.

98. Turning point- the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs

99. Unreliable narrator – a narrator (often first person) who cannot be trusted or lacks believability for some reason

100. Verbal irony- a type of dialogue in which what is being said has a hidden or secondary meaning to what is meant.  This can be a device used to achieve foreshadowing.

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