Handbook of Literary Terms

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Handbook of Literary Terms
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Handbook of Literary Terms
AllegoryA narrative in which the characters and
settings stand for abstract ideas or moral
qualities. In addition to the literal meaning of
the story, an allegory contains a symbolic, or
allegorical, meaning.
AlliterationRepetition of the same or very
similar consonant sounds usually at the
beginnings of words that are close together in a
poem. Example
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Handbook of Literary Terms
AllusionReference to a statement, a person, a
place, or an event from literature, history,
religion, mythology, politics, sports, science,
or pop culture.
AmbiguityAn element of uncertainty in a text, in
which something can be interpreted in a number of
different ways.
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Handbook of Literary Terms
AnalogyComparison made between two things to
show how they are alike in some respects.
AnecdoteVery, very brief story, usually told to
make a point.
AsideWords that are spoken by a character in a
play to the audience or to another character but
that are not supposed to be overheard by the
others onstage.
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AssonanceRepetition of similar vowel sounds that
are followed by different consonant sounds,
especially in words that are close together in a
poem.
AuthorThe writer of a literary work.
AutobiographyAn account of the writers own life.
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BalladSong that tells a story. Ballads usually
tell sensational stories of tragedy or adventure.
Types of ballads
BiographyAn account of a persons life, written
or told by another person.
Blank VersePoetry written in unrhymed iambic
pentameter.
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CharacterPerson in a story, poem, or play. The
process of revealing the personality of a
character in a story is called characterization. D
irect and indirect characterization Static vs.
dynamic character Flat vs. round
character Motivation
ClimaxMoment of great emotional intensity or
suspense in a plot.
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ComedyIn general, a story that ends happily.
More about comedy
Comic ReliefComic scene or event that breaks up
a serious play or narrative.
ConflictStruggle or clash between opposing
characters or opposing forces. External and
internal conflict
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ConnotationAll the meanings, associations, or
emotions that have come to be attached to some
words, in addition to their literal dictionary
definitions, or denotations.
CoupletTwo consecutive lines of poetry that
rhyme.
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DescriptionType of writing intended to create a
mood or emotion or to re-create a person, a
place, a thing, an event, or an experience.
Description works by creating images that appeal
to the senses of sight, smell, taste, hearing, or
touch.
DialectWay of speaking that is characteristic of
a particular region or a particular group of
people. More about dialect
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Handbook of Literary Terms
DialogueThe conversation between characters in a
story or play.
DictionA writers or speakers choice of words.
Diction is an essential element of a writers
style, the overall way in which a writer uses
language.
DramaStory that is written to be acted for an
audience. Elements of a dramatic plot
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Dramatic MonologueA poem in which a speaker
addresses one or more silent listeners, often
reflecting on a specific problem or situation.
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EpicLong story told in elevated language
(usually poetry), which relates to the great
deeds of a larger-than-life hero who embodies the
values of a particular society.
EpithetAdjective or descriptive phrase that is
regularly used to characterize a person, place,
or thing. We speak of Honest Abe, for example,
and America the Beautiful.
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EssayShort piece of nonfiction prose that
examines a single subject from a limited point of
view. Personal essay Formal essay
ExpositionType of writing that explains, gives
information, defines, or clarifies an idea.
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FableVery brief story in prose or verse that
teaches a moral, or a practical lesson about how
to get along in life.
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• Figure of SpeechWord or phrase that describes
  one thing in terms of another and is not meant to
  be understood on a literal level. Most figures of
  speech, or figurative language, involve some sort
  of imaginative comparison between seemingly
  unlike things. The most common figures of speech
  are
• Simile
• Metaphor
• Personification

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Handbook of Literary Terms
FlashbackScene in a movie, play, short story,
novel, or narrative poem that interrupts the
present action of the plot to flash backward and
tell what happened at an earlier time.
Flash-ForwardScene in a movie, play, short
story, novel, or narrative poem that interrupts
the present action of the plot to shift into the
future.
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FoilCharacter who is used as a contrast to
another character.
Folk TaleStory that has no known author and was
originally passed on from one generation to
another by word of mouth.
ForeshadowingThe use of clues to hint at events
that will occur later in a plot.
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Free VersePoetry that does not have a regular
meter or rhyme scheme.
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GenreThe category that a work of literature is
classified under. Five major genres in literature
are nonfiction, fiction, poetry, drama, and myth.
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HaikuJapanese verse form consisting of three
lines and, usually, seventeen syllables (five in
the first line, seven in the second, and five in
the third).
HyperboleFigure of speech that uses exaggeration
to express strong emotion or to create a comic
effect. Hyperbole is also called overstatement.
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Handbook of Literary Terms
Iambic PentameterLine of poetry that contains
five iambs. Iambic pentameter is by far the most
common verse line in English poetry. Example
IdiomExpression peculiar to a particular
language that means something different from the
literal meaning of each word. Its raining cats
and dogs is an idiom of American English.
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ImageryLanguage that appeals to the senses. Most
images are visual, but images can also appeal to
the senses of hearing, touch, taste, or smell or
even to several senses at once. Example
InversionReversal of the normal word order of a
sentence.
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IronyContrast between expectation and
realitybetween what is said and what is really
meant, between what is expected to happen and
what really does happen, or between what appears
to be true and what is really true. Verbal
irony Situational irony Dramatic irony
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Lyric PoetryPoetry that does not tell a story
but is aimed only at expressing a speakers
emotions or thoughts.
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MetaphorFigure of speech that makes a comparison
between two unlike things, in which one thing
becomes another thing without the use of the word
like, as, than, or resembles. Implied
metaphor Extended metaphor Dead metaphor Mixed
metaphor
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MeterGenerally regular pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables in poetry.
MoodA storys atmosphere or the feeling it
evokes. Mood is often created by a storys
setting.
MythTraditional story that is rooted in a
particular culture, is basically religious, and
usually serves to explain a belief, a ritual, or
a mysterious natural phenomenon.
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NarrationType of writing or speaking that tells
about a series of related events.
NarratorThe voice telling a story.
NonfictionProse writing that deals with real
people, things, events, and places. Forms of
nonfiction
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NovelFictional prose narrative usually
consisting of more than fifty thousand words. In
general, the novel uses the same basic literary
elements as the story story but develops them
more fully. Plot Character Setting Theme Point of
view
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OnomatopoeiaUse of a word whose sound imitates
or suggests its meaning. Crack, pop, fizz, zoom,
and chirp are examples of onomatopoeia.
Onomatopoeia is an important element in the music
of poetry. Example
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ParadoxStatement or situation that seems to be a
contradiction but reveals a truth.
ParallelismRepetition of words, phrases, or
sentences that have the same grammatical
structure or that state a similar idea.
Parallelism, or parallel structure, helps make
lines rhythmic and memorable and heightens their
emotional effect. Example
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PersonaMask or voice assumed by a writer.
PersonificationKind of metaphor in which a
nonhuman thing or quality is talked about as if
it were human. Example
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PlotSeries of related events that make up a
story or drama. Plot is what happens in a short
story, novel, or play. Elements of plot Plot
diagram
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PoetryType of rhythmic, compressed language that
uses figures of speech and imagery to appeal to
the readers emotions and imagination.
Rhyme Meter Free verse Lyric poem Narrative poem
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• Point of ViewVantage point from which a writer
  tells a story. In broad terms there are three
  possible points of view
• Omniscient
• First person
• Third person limited

ProtagonistMain character in fiction or drama.
The character or force that blocks the
protagonist is the antagonist.
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PunPlay on the multiple meanings of a word or on
two words that sound alike but have different
meanings.
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RefrainRepeated word, phrase, line, or group of
lines.
RhymeRepetition of accented vowel sounds, and
all sounds following them, in words close
together in a poem. Example Types of rhyme Rhyme
scheme
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RhythmMusical quality in language produced by
repetition. Meter
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SatireType of writing that ridicules somethinga
person, a group of people, humanity at large, an
attitude or failing, a social institutionin
order to reveal a weakness.
Scene DesignSets, lights, costumes, and props,
which bring a play to life onstage.
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SettingThe time and place of a story or play.
Short StoryShort, concentrated fictional prose
narrative. Plot in a short story
SimileFigure of speech that makes a comparison
between two unlike things, using a word such as
like, as, resembles, or than.
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SoliloquyLong speech in which a character who is
onstage alone expresses his or her thoughts aloud.
SonnetFourteen-line lyric poem that is usually
written in iambic pentameter and that has one of
several rhyme schemes.
SpeakerVoice that is talking to us in a poem.
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StanzaGroup of consecutive lines in a poem that
form a single unit.
StyleThe particular way in which a writer uses
language. Style is created mainly through diction
(word choice), use of figurative language, and
sentence patterns.
SuspenseUncertainty or anxiety the reader feels
about what is going to happen next in a story.
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SymbolPerson, place, thing, or event that stands
for itself and for something beyond itself as
well. Examples
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Tall TaleExaggerated, far-fetched story that is
obviously untrue but is told as though it should
be believed.
ThemeCentral idea of a work of literature. More
about theme
ToneAttitude a writer takes toward a subject, a
character, or the audience. Tone is conveyed
through the writers choice of words and details.
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TragedyPlay that depicts serious and important
events in which the main character comes to an
unhappy end.
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VoiceThe writers or speakers distinctive use
of language in a text. Voice is created by a
writers tone and choice of words.
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Alliteration gt Example
Open here I flung the shutter, when with many
a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately
Raven of the saintly days of yore. from The
Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
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Ballad gt Types of Ballads

• Types of ballads include
• folk ballads, which are composed by unknown
  singers and are passed on for generations before
  being written down.
• literary ballads, which are composed by known
  individuals and are written in imitation of the
  old folk ballads.

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Blank Verse gt Iambic Pentameter
Iambic pentameter refers to a line of poetry that
contains five iambs. An iamb is a metrical foot,
or unit of measure, consisting of an unstressed
syllable followed by a stressed syllable (? ).
The word pentameter comes from the Greek penta
(five) and meter (measure).
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Character gt Direct and Indirect Characterization

• A writer may tell us about a character through
• direct characterization, or telling us directly
  what the characters personality is like (cruel,
  kind, brave, and so on).
• indirect characterization, or providing evidence
  from which we must judge for ourselves what a
  character is like.

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Character gt Static vs. Dynamic Character

• Characters can be classified as static or
  dynamic.
• A static character is one who does not change
  much in the course of the story.
• A dynamic character changes as a result of the
  storys events.

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Character gt Flat vs. Round Character

• Characters can be classified as flat or round.
• A flat character has only one or two traits, and
  these can be described in a few words. Such a
  character has no depth, like a piece of
  cardboard.
• A round character, like a real person, has many
  different character traits, which sometimes
  contradict one another.

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Character gt Motivation
The fears, conflicts, or needs that drive a
character are called motivation. A character can
be motivated by many factors, such as vengeance,
fear, greed, love, and even boredom.
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Comedy gt More About Comedy
The hero or heroine of a comedy is usually an
ordinary character who overcomes a series of
obstacles that block what he or she wants. Many
comedies have a boy-meets-girl plot, in which
young lovers must face obstacles to their
marrying. In structure and characterization, a
comedy is the opposite of a tragedy.
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Conflict gt External and Internal Conflict

• In an external conflict a character struggles
  against an outside force another character,
  society as a whole, or something in nature.
• An internal conflict takes place entirely within
  a characters own mind. An internal conflict is a
  struggle between opposing needs, desires, or
  emotions.

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Dialect gt More About Dialect
Dialects may have a distinct vocabulary,
pronunciation system, and grammar. In a sense, we
all speak dialects but one dialect usually
becomes dominant in a country or culture and
becomes accepted as the standard way of speaking.
In the United States, for example, the formal
language is known as standard English.
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Drama gt Elements of a Dramatic Plot

• The elements of a dramatic plot are
• exposition Introduction of the characters and
  their conflict.
• complications Difficulties that arise as the
  characters try to resolve the conflict.
• climax Most suspenseful or emotionally intense
  moment.
• resolution Final part of the story.

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Essay gt Personal Essay
A personal essay (sometimes called an informal
essay) generally reveals a great deal about the
writers personality and tastes. Its tone is
often conversational, sometimes even humorous.
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Essay gt Formal Essay
The formal essay is usually serious, objective,
and impersonal in tone. Its purpose is to inform
readers about some topic of interest or to
persuade them to accept the writers views. The
statements in a formal essay are supported by
facts and logic.
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Figure of Speech gt Simile
A simile is a comparison between two unlike
things, using a word such as like, as, than, or
resembles.
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Figure of Speech gt Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a
comparison between two unlike things, in which
one thing becomes another thing without the use
of the word like, as, than, or resembles.
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Figure of Speech gt Personification
Personification is a figure of speech in which a
nonhuman thing or quality is talked about as if
it were human.
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Iambic Pentameter gt Example
But soft! What light through yonder window
breaks? from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by
William Shakespeare
? ? ? ?
?
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Iambic Pentameter gt Iamb
An iamb is a metrical foot, or unit of measure,
consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by
a stressed syllable (? ).
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Imagery gt Example
Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach Three
fields to cross till a farm appears A tap at the
pane, the quick sharp scratch And the blue spurt
of a lighted match . . . from Meeting at Night
by Robert Browning
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Irony gt Verbal Irony
Verbal irony occurs when a writer or speaker says
one thing but really means something completely
different. If you call a clumsy basketball player
the new Michael Jordan, you are using verbal
irony.
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Irony gt Situational Irony
Situational irony occurs when there is a contrast
between what would seem appropriate and what
really happens or when there is a contradiction
between what we expect to happen and what really
does take place.
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Irony gt Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony occurs when the audience or the
reader knows something important that a character
in a play or story does not know.
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Metaphor gt Figure of Speech
A figure of speech is a word or phrase that
describes one thing in terms of another and is
not meant to be understood on a literal level.
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Metaphor gt Implied Metaphor
An implied metaphor does not tell us directly
that something is something else. Instead, it
uses words that suggest the nature of the
comparison. The phrase bursts into bloom
implies that the feeling of love is like a
budding flower.
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Metaphor gt Extended Metaphor
An extended metaphor is a metaphor that is
extended, or developed, through several lines of
writing or even through an entire poem.
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Metaphor gt Dead Metaphor
A dead metaphor is a metaphor that has been used
so often that we no longer realize it is a figure
of speechwe simply skip over the metaphorical
connection it makes. Examples of dead metaphors
are the roof of the mouth, the eye of the storm,
the heart of the matter, and the arm of the chair.
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Metaphor gt Mixed Metaphor
A mixed metaphor is the inconsistent mixture of
two or more metaphors. Mixed metaphors are a
common problem in bad writing, and they are often
unintentionally funny. You are using a mixed
metaphor if you say, Put it on the back burner
and let it germinate or Lets set sail and get
this show on the road.
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Nonfiction gt Forms of Nonfiction

• Forms of nonfiction include
• autobiography An account of the writers own
  life.
• biography An account of a persons life written
  or told by another person.
• essay A short piece of prose that examines a
  single subject.

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Novel gt Plot
Plot is the series of related events that make up
a story or drama. Plot is what happens in a short
story, novel, or play.
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Novel gt Character
A character is a person or an animal who takes
part in the action of a story, poem, or play.
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Novel gt Setting
Setting is the time and place of a story or play.
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Novel gt Theme
Theme is the central idea of a story or play.
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Novel gt Point of View
Point of view is the vantage point from which a
writer tells a story.
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Onomatopoeia gt Example
And in the hush of waters was the sound Of
pebbles, rolling round Forever rolling, with a
hollow sound And bubbling seaweeds, as the
waters go, Swish to and fro Their long tentacles
of slimy gray. . . . from The Shell by James
Stephens
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Parallelism gt Example
It was the best of times, it was the worst of
times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age
of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it
was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season
of Light, it was the season of Darkness. . .
. from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
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Personification gt Example
Darkness settles on roofs and walls, But the sea,
the sea in the darkness calls The little waves,
with their soft, white hands, Efface the
footprints in the sands, And the tide rises,
the tide falls from The Tide Rises, the Tide
Falls by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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Plot gt Elements of Plot

• Exposition The storys basic situation.
• Conflict The main problem of the story.
• Main events (including complications)
• Climax Moment of great suspense or emotional
  intensity.
• Resolution or denouement The end of the story
  when we know the outcome of the characters
  struggles.

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Plot gt Plot Diagram
The main events of a storys plot can be charted
in a diagram like the one below.

Climax
Event
Event
Event
Event
Resolution
Exposition
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Poetry gt Figures of Speech and Imagery

• A figure of speech is a word or phrase that
  describes one thing in terms of another and is
  not meant to be understood on a literal level.
• Imagery is language that appeals to the senses.

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Poetry gt Rhyme
Rhyme is the repetition of accented vowel sounds
and all sounds following them in words close
together in a poem.
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Poetry gt Meter
Meter is a regular pattern of stressed and
unstressed syllables in poetry.
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Poetry gt Free Verse
Free verse is poetry that does not have a regular
meter or rhyme scheme.
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Poetry gt Lyric Poem
A lyric poem is a poem that does not tell a story
but is aimed only at expressing a speakers
emotions or thoughts.
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Poetry gt Narrative Poem

• A narrative poem is a poem that tells a story.
  Two popular narrative forms are
• epic A long story told in elevated language
  which relates the great deeds of a
  larger-than-life hero.
• ballad A story told in the form of a song.

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Point of View gt Omniscient
In the omniscient, or all-knowing, point of view,
the narrator knows everything about the
characters and their problems. This all-knowing
narrator can tell about the characters past,
present, and future. This kind of narrator can
even tell what the characters are thinking or
what is happening in other places. In the
omniscient point of view, the narrator is not in
the story.
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Point of View gt First Person
In the first-person point of view, one of the
characters is telling the story, using the
pronoun I. We get to know this narrator very
well, but we can know only what this character
knows and can observe only what this character
observes. When a story is told from the
first-person point of view, readers often must
ask if the narrator is reliable.
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Point of View gt Third Person Limited
In the third-person-limited point of view, the
narrator, who plays no part in the story, zooms
in on the thoughts and feelings of just one
character. With this point of view, we observe
the action through the eyes and with the feelings
of this one character.
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Rhyme gt Example
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high
oer vales and hills, When all at once I saw a
crowd, A host, of golden daffodils from I
Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth
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Rhyme gt Types of Rhyme

• Types of rhyme in poetry include
• end rhymes Rhymes at the ends of lines.
• internal rhymes Rhymes within lines.
• approximate rhymes (or half rhymes, off rhymes,
  or slant rhymes) Words that have some sound in
  common but do not rhyme exactly.

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Rhyme gt Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of end rhymes (rhymes at the ends of
lines) in a poem is called its rhyme scheme. The
rhyme scheme of a stanza or a poem is indicated
by the use of a different letter of the alphabet
for each new rhyme for example, aabbcc.
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Rhythm gt Meter
The most obvious kind of rhythm is produced by
meter, the regular repetition of stressed and
unstressed syllables found in some poetry.
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Scene Design gt Sets
Sets are the furnishings and scenery that suggest
the time and place of the action of a play.
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Scene Design gt Props
Props (short for properties) are all the objects
that the actors in a play use onstage, such as
books, telephones, or suitcases.
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Short Story gt Plot in a Short Story

• Short stories are usually built on a plot that
  consists of these bare bones
• Exposition Introduction of the characters and
  their conflict.
• Complications Difficulties that arise as the
  characters try to resolve the conflict.
• Climax Most suspenseful moment.
• Resolution Final part of the story.

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Simile gt Figure of Speech
A figure of speech is a word or phrase that
describes one thing in terms of another and is
not meant to be understood on a literal level.
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Style gt Figurative Language
Figurative language is the use of words or
phrases that describe one thing in terms of
another and are not meant to be understood on a
literal level.
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Symbol gt Examples
An example of a symbol is a scale, which has a
real existence as an instrument for measuring
weights but also is used as a public symbol of
justice. One of the great symbols in literature
is Herman Melvilles great white whale, used as a
symbol of the mystery of evil in the novel
Moby-Dick.
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Theme gt More About Theme
A theme is not the same as a subject. Rather, it
is the idea that the writer wishes to reveal
about the subject. For example, while the subject
of a story might be love, the theme might be
Love is more powerful than hatred. Some themes
are so commonly found in the literature of all
cultures that they are called universal themes.
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Voice gt Tone
Tone is the attitude that a writer takes toward a
subject, a character, or the audience. Tone is
conveyed through the writers choice of words and
details.