English Literary terms

Poetry

A form of literary art that uses the aesthetic qualities of language, including phonetics, meter, and symbolism.

Drama

A genre of literature intended for performance, typically involving dialogue and action.

Prose

Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.

Characterization

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

Narrative

A spoken or written account of connected events; a story.

Epic

A long narrative poem, often detailing the deeds of heroic figures.

Rhyme

The correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, especially when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry.

Rhythm

A strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.

Narrative Poetry

A form of poetry that tells a story and includes a plot, characters, and a setting.

Dramatic Poetry

A type of poetry that is written in verse and is meant to be spoken or performed.

Rhyme Scheme

The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem.

Invocation

A call for assistance or support, often used in poetry to invoke a muse or deity.

Meter

The rhythmic structure of verses, determined by the number and arrangement of syllables.

Stanza

A grouped set of lines within a poem, often set apart by a space.

Theme

The central topic, subject, or message within a narrative or literary work.

Setting

The time and place in which the story takes place.

Tone

The attitude of the writer toward a subject or an audience, conveyed through word choice and style.

Exposition

The introduction of background information within a story.

Mood

The emotional atmosphere of a work, created by the author's word choices and style.

Allusion

An indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates mental images.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Personification

Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things without using 'like' or 'as.'

Simile

A figure of speech that compares two different things using 'like' or 'as.'

Alliteration

The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.

Anticlimax

A disappointing end to an exciting or impressive series of events.

Onomatopoeia

The formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named.

Point of view

The perspective from which a story is narrated.

Climax

The most intense, exciting, or important point of a story.