Literary Terms and Concepts Overview

abstract language

Language that describes ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things.

absurdist drama

A genre of drama that emphasizes the absurdity of human existence.

accentual meter

A metrical system that counts only the stressed syllables in a line.

accentual-syllabic meter

A metrical system that combines both the number of stressed and unstressed syllables.

adjectives

Words that describe or modify nouns.

allegories

Narratives that convey a deeper moral or political meaning through symbolic figures and actions.

alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words.

allusions

Indirect references to other works, events, or figures.

anagnorisis

A moment of critical discovery or recognition in a narrative.

analogy

A comparison between two different things that highlights some form of similarity.

anapestic foot

A metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.

anapestic trimeter

A line of poetry consisting of three anapestic feet.

anaphora

The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

ancient Greek drama

Theatrical performances originating in ancient Greece, often involving tragedy and comedy.

antagonist

A character or force that opposes the protagonist.

anthology citations

References to works compiled in a collection of writings.

antihero

A central character who lacks conventional heroic attributes.

antinovels

Novels that subvert traditional narrative techniques and structures.

antithesis

A rhetorical device that contrasts opposing ideas in a balanced manner.

aphorisms

Concise statements that express a general truth or principle.

apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a speaker addresses an absent person or a personified object.

appositive

A noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it.

asides

Remarks made by a character intended to be heard by the audience but not by other characters.

assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.

atmosphere

The emotional tone or mood of a literary work.

author information

Details about the author, including background and other works.

ballad meter

A form of verse typically consisting of quatrains with alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter.

bibliographic information

Details about the sources used in a work, including authorship, title, and publication.

Bildungsroman

A coming-of-age story that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist.

blank verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter.

blocking of asides

The physical positioning of characters on stage during asides.

caesuras

Pauses within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation.

catalectic foot (catalexis)

A metrical foot that is incomplete, often lacking a syllable.

catharsis in tragedy

The emotional release experienced by the audience through the unfolding of tragic events.

characterization

The process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.

chiasmus

A rhetorical device in which words or concepts are repeated in reverse order.

classical tragedy

A form of drama that deals with serious themes and often ends in disaster for the protagonist.

closed couplets

Two rhymed lines of poetry that form a complete thought.

closed form of poetry

Poetry that follows a specific structure or pattern.

closet drama

A play written to be read rather than performed.

colloquial language

Informal language used in everyday conversation.

comedy

A genre of literature that aims to entertain and amuse, often with a happy ending.

common meter

A poetic form consisting of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter.

complete predicate

The part of a sentence that tells what the subject does or is.

complete subject

The part of a sentence that includes the noun and any modifiers.

complex sentences

Sentences that contain one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.

compound sentences

Sentences that contain two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

conceit, metaphysical

An extended metaphor that makes a surprising connection between two seemingly unrelated things.

concrete language

Language that describes specific, observable things rather than abstract ideas.

conjunctions, coordinating

Words that connect clauses or sentences of equal importance.

consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words in a phrase.

coordinated clauses

Clauses that are connected by coordinating conjunctions.

coordinating conjunctions

Conjunctions that join words, phrases, or independent clauses of equal rank.

coordination

The grammatical connection of words or phrases of equal importance.

cosmic irony

The idea that fate or destiny is indifferent to human desires.

couplets

Two consecutive lines of poetry that usually rhyme.

cumulative sentence

A sentence that begins with a main clause and adds subordinate elements.

curtal sonnet

A shortened form of a sonnet that consists of 10.5 lines.

dactylic feet

Metrical feet consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables.

dactylic tetrameter

A line of poetry consisting of four dactylic feet.

dependent clause

A clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.

detail selection and order

The process of choosing and arranging details in a narrative.

dialogue

The spoken exchanges between characters in a literary work.

diction

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

dimeter

A line of verse consisting of two metrical feet.

direct discourse

The reporting of speech using the exact words spoken.

direct object

The noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb.

direct satire

A form of satire that openly criticizes its subject.

doggerel tragedy

A trivial or poorly constructed tragedy.

domestic tragedy

A tragedy that focuses on the lives of ordinary people.

double rhyme

A rhyme involving two syllables.

drama

A genre of literature intended for performance.

dramatic irony

A situation in which the audience knows more than the characters.

dramatic monologue

A poem in which a single speaker addresses a silent listener.

dramatic poetry

Poetry that is written for performance.

eighteenth-century drama

Theatrical works produced during the 1700s.

Elizabethan drama

The body of drama written during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

email, in order of works cited

A format for listing sources in an email correspondence.

endnotes, MLA style

Notes placed at the end of a document that provide additional information or citations.

end rhyme

The rhyme that occurs at the end of lines of poetry.

end-stopped lines

Lines of poetry that end with a punctuation mark.

English medieval drama

Theatrical works produced during the medieval period in England.

English (Shakespearean) sonnets

A form of poetry consisting of 14 lines with a specific rhyme scheme.

enjambments

The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line.

epic poetry (epics)

Long narrative poems that recount the deeds of heroic figures.

epigrams

Brief, witty poems or statements.

epiphany

A moment of sudden revelation or insight.

epistolary novels

Novels written in the form of letters.

equivoque

A play on words that exploits multiple meanings.

essay, understatement

A rhetorical device that intentionally makes a situation seem less important than it is.

exposition

The introduction of background information in a story.

extended metaphors

Metaphors that are developed over several lines or throughout a work.

eye rhyme

A rhyme based on spelling rather than sound.

fallacy, pathetic

A logical fallacy that appeals to emotion rather than reason.

falling meters

Metrical patterns that begin with a stressed syllable and end with unstressed syllables.

farce

A comedic genre characterized by exaggerated and improbable situations.

feet, metrical

The basic unit of measurement in poetry, consisting of a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables.

feminine ending

A line of verse that ends with an unstressed syllable.

fictional narrator

A narrator who is not a real person but created for the story.

figurative language

Language that uses figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive, and impactful.