Major Literary Terms

allegory

A device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning.

alliteration

The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (e.g., "she sells sea shells").

allusion

A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art.

ambiguity

The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage.

analogy

A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them.

antecedent

The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.

aphorism

A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or moral principle.

apostrophe

A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love.

atmosphere

The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author's choice of objects that are described.

clause

A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.

colloquial

The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.

conceit

A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects.

connotation

The nonliteral, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning.

denotation

The strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.

diction

Referring to style, refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.

didactic

From the Greek, literally means "teaching."

euphemism

From the Greek for "good speech," a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept.

extended metaphor

A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.

figurative language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

genre

The major category into which a literary work fits (e.g., prose, poetry, and drama).

homily

Literally "sermon", or any serious talk, speech, or lecture providing moral or spiritual advice.

hyperbole

A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.

imagery

The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions.

invective

An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.

irony

The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant.

metaphor

A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity.

metonymy

From the Greek "changed label", the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it (e.g., "the White House" for the President).

mood

The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.

narrative

The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events.

onomatopoeia

Natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words (e.g., buzz, hiss).

oxymoron

From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox.

paradox

A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity.

parallelism

The grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

pedantic

An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish.

personification

A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions.

point of view

The perspective from which a story is told (first person, third person omniscient, or third person limited omniscient).

predicate adjective

An adjective, group of adjectives, or adjective clause that follows a linking verb.

prose

Genre including fiction, nonfiction, written in ordinary language.

repetition

The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language.

rhetoric

From the Greek for "orator," the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.

sarcasm

Involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something.

satire

A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.

semantics

The branch of linguistics which studies the meaning of words and their relation to one another.

style

An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices.

syllogism

From the Greek for "reckoning together," a deductive system of formal logic presenting two premises leading to a sound conclusion.

symbol (symbolism)

Anything that represents or stands for something else.

syntax

The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.

theme

The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life.

thesis

In expository writing, this directly expresses the author's opinion or proposition.

tone

Describes the author's attitude toward his material, the audience, or both.

transition

A word or phrase that links different ideas.

understatement

The ironic minimalizing of fact, presenting something as less significant than it is.

wit

Intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights.