English Terms - General Literary Terms - 09/25/25

Allegory

a narrative in which characters, events, or settings symbolize deeper moral, spiritual, or political meaning

Allusion

an indirect reference to a person, place, event, or other literary work

Ambiguity

the presence of two or more possible meanings in a text or statement

Apostrophe

a figure of speech addressing someone absent or something inanimate as though it could respond

Archetype

a universal symbol, character, or motif that recurs across literature and culture

Connotation

the ideas or feelings evoked by a word beyond its literal meaning

Denotation

the literal or dictionary meaning of a word

Diction

the choice and use of words and style in writing or speech

Didactic

intended to teach, particularly moral instruction

Epigram

a brief, witty, often paradoxical statement

Euphemism

a mild or indirect expression substituted for one considered harsh or blunt

Genre

a category or type of literature characterized by style, form, or content

Grotesque

characterized by distortions, exaggerations, or the bizarre to elicit discomfort or fascination

Hyperbole

deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect

Imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the senses

Irony

a contrast between expectation and reality

Dramatic Irony

when the audience knows something that characters do not

Situational Irony

when events turn out oppositely to what is expected

Verbal irony

when what is said is opposite to what is meant

Metaphor

a comparison stating one thing is another

Metonymy

substituting a related term for the thing meant (e.g. “the crown” for “the king”)

Motif

a recurring element (image, theme, symbol) in a work

Narrative point of view

The perspective from which a story is told, such as first-person, third-person limited, or omniscient.

Narrator

The character or voice that tells the story to the audience.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms appear together (e.g., "deafening silence").

Parable

A short, simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

Paradox

A statement that seems self-contradictory or illogical but may contain an underlying truth.

Parody

A humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature, music, or art.

Personification

A literary device where human qualities are given to animals, objects, or abstract ideas.

Poetry

A form of literary expression that uses rhythm, meter, imagery, and other techniques to evoke emotions and ideas.

Rhetorical Device

A technique used in writing or speaking to persuade, emphasize, or make an idea more memorable.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked for effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.

Sarcasm

A form of verbal irony in which someone says the opposite of what they mean, often to mock or criticize.

Satire

A literary work or technique that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or expose flaws in society, individuals, or institutions.

Setting

The time and place in which the events of a story occur.

Simile

A figure of speech comparing two different things using "like" or "as."

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the natural sound of a thing (e.g., "buzz," "crash," "meow").

Stream of Consciousness

A narrative technique that presents a character's thoughts and feelings as they occur, often in an unstructured or chaotic flow.

Style

The distinctive way a writer uses language, including word choice, sentence structure, and literary devices.

Symbolism

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities beyond their literal meaning.

Synecdoche

A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole, or the whole for a part (e.g., "all hands on deck").

Theme

The central idea, message, or underlying meaning in a literary work.

Tone

The author’s attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice and style.