30 Literary Terms Every Writer Should Know

Allegory

Definition: Device of using character and/or elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. Author may intend characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. Usually deals with a moral truth or generalization about human existence.

Related Words:

Symbol – An object, character, figure, or color that is used to represent an abstract idea or concept.

Fable – A short prose or verse narrative that illustrate a moral, which often is stated explicitly at the end. Frequently, the characters in a fable are animals that embody different human character traits.

Moral – The lesson a reader infers from a story, poem, or other piece of literature.

Extended Metaphor – Metaphor developed at great length, appearing frequently throughout a piece.

Examples:

Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.

Moby Dick is an allegory for America in an imperialistic mode.

“Literary Terms.” StudyGuide.org. 2009. Web. 27 Dec. 2011.

Aphorism

Definition: Terse statement that expresses a general truth or moral principle.

Related Words:

Adage – A saying or proverb embodying a piece of common wisdom based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language.

Epigraph – Aphorism or some other short question at the beginning of a literary work that suggests its theme.

Moral – The lesson a reader infers from a story, poem, or other piece of literature.

Cliché – An overused or trite expression.

Examples:

“Lost time is never found again.”

– Benjamin Franklin

“Some praise at morning what they blame at night.”

– Alexander Pope

Nellen, Ted. “APHORISM.” Cyber English. Web. 27 Dec. 2011.

Apostrophe

Definition: Figure of speech that directly addresses an absent person, an object, or an abstraction.

Related Words:

Stream of Consciousness – Refers to an attempt on the part of an author to reproduce the unembellished flow of thoughts in the human mind with its feelings, judgments, associations, and memories.

Personification – Figure of speech that endows animals, concepts, or inanimate objects with human attributes.

Examples:

“O books who alone are liberal and free, who give to all who ask of you and enfranchise all who serve you faithfully!”

– Richard de Bury

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!”

–Luke 13:34 (NASB)

Harris, Robert A. “A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices, Page 6.” VirtualSalt. 26 Jan. 2010. Web.

27 Dec. 2011.

Epigraph

Definition: Aphorism or some other short question at the beginning of a literary work that suggests its theme.

Related Words:

Aphorism – Terse statement that expresses a general truth or moral principle

Moral – The lesson a reader infers from a story, poem, or other piece of literature.

Examples:

“History begins only at the point where things go wrong; history is born only with trouble, with perplexity, with regret.”

–epigraph to Evening Is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan, 2009

“Life imitates art.”

–epigraph to The British Museum Is Falling Down by David Lodge, 1965

Nordquist, Richard. “Epigraph.” About.com Grammar & Composition. About.com. Web. 27

Dec. 2011.

Metonymy

Definition: Greek meaning “changed label.” Figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

Related Words:

Synecdoche – A form of metonymy in which a part of an entity is used to refer to the whole.

Metaphor – A figure of speech that compares two different things by speaking of one in terms of the other.

Semantics – Branch of linguistics that studies meaning and development of words and their relationship.

Figure of speech – Imaginative comparisons used for tone, purpose, and effect.

Trope – A category of figurative language that extends the literal meanings of words by inviting a comparison to other words, things, or ideas.

Examples:

“His blood be on us and on our children.”

–Matt. 27:25

“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread…”

–Genesis 3:19

Harris, Robert A. “A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices, Page 5.” VirtualSalt. 5 Jan. 2010. Web.

27 Dec. 2011.

Syllogism

Definition: Deductive system of formal logic that presents a major and minor premise which lead to a logical conclusion.

Related Words:

Exposition – Explaining and analyzing information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.

Argumentation – Writing to prove validity of an idea or point of view.

Logos – Appeal based on logic or reason.

Examples:

Dr. House: Words have set meanings for a reason. If you see an animal like Bill and you try to play fetch, Bill’s going to eat you, because Bill’s a bear.

Little Girl: Bill has fur, four legs, and a collar. He’s a dog.

Dr. House: You see, that’s what’s called a faulty syllogism; just because you call Bill a dog doesn’t mean that he is . . . a dog.

–Merry Little Christmas, House, M.D.

“[Andrew] Marvell’s ‘To His Coy Mistress’ . . . involves a tripartite rhetorical experience which is argued like a classical syllogism: (1) if we had world enough and time, your coyness would be tolerable; (2) we do not have sufficient world or time; (3) therefore, we must love at a faster rate than gentility or modesty permit.”

–Paul Fussell, Poetic Meter and Poetic Form

Nordquist, Richard. “Syllogism.” About.com Grammar & Composition. About.com. Web. 27

Dec. 2011.

Aposiopesis

Definition: Rhetorical device in which the speaker suddenly breaks off in the middle of a sentence leaving the sentence unfinished.

Related Words:

Anacoluthon – A syntactic interruption or deviation: that is, an abrupt change in a sentence from one construction to another that is grammatically inconsistent with the first.

Epanorthosis – A figure of speech in which a speaker corrects or comments on something he or she has just said.

Paralipsis – The technique of drawing attention to something by claiming not to mention it.

Examples:

“I will have such revenges on you both

That all the world shall-I will do things-

What they are yet, I know not; but they shall be

The terrors of the earth!”

–William Shakespeare, King Lear

“I won’t sleep in the same bed with a woman who thinks I’m lazy! I’m going right downstairs, unfold the couch, unroll the sleeping ba–uh, goodnight.”

–Homer Simpson in The Simpsons

Nordquist, Richard. “Aposiopesis.” About.com Grammar & Composition. About.com. Web. 27

Dec. 2011.

Cacophony

Definition: The use of inharmonious sounds in close conjunction to create an effect.

Related Words:

Euphony – The use of pleasant, harmonious words to create an effect.

Alliteration – Repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words.

Assonance – The similarity of two or more vowel sounds, especially in words close together.

Consonance – The similarity of two or more consonant sounds, especially in words close together.

Examples:

“‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.”

–Lewis Carrol, Jabberwocky

“My stick fingers click with a snicker

And, chuckling, they knuckle the keys;

Light footed, my steel feelers flicker

And pluck from these keys melodies.”

–John Updike, New Yorker, 1954

“Cacophony.” Types of Poetry. Web. 27 Dec. 2011.

Nellen, Ted. “CACOPHONY.” Cyber English. Web. 27 Dec. 2011.

< http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/cacophony.html>.

Chiasmus

Definition: Figure of speech by which the order of the terms in the first of two parallel clauses is reversed in the second.

Related Words:

Parallelism – Grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, sentence, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

Zeugma – A figure of speech by which one word refers to two others in the same sentence. It may be achieved by a verb or preposition with two objects, or a verb with two subjects.

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

Examples:

“Polished in courts and hardened in the field, Renowned for conquest, and in council skilled.”

–Joseph Addison

“If you come to them, they are not asleep; if you ask and inquire of them, they do not withdraw themselves; they do not chide if you make mistakes; they do not laugh at you if you are ignorant.”

–Richard de Bury

Harris, Robert A. “A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices, Page 2.” VirtualSalt. 5 Jan. 2010. Web.

27 Dec. 2011.

Epithet

Definition: An adjective or adjectival phrase used to define a characteristic, quality, or attribute of some person or thing.

Related Words:

Connotation – Non-literal, associative meanings of a word.

Imagery – Sensory details used to describe, arouse emotion, or repeat abstractions.

Description – Writing intended to re-create, invent, or visually present a person, place, or event.

Examples:

“At length I heard a ragged noise and mirth of thieves and murderers…”

–George Herbert

“Blind mouths! that scarce themselves know how to hold.”

–John Milton

Harris, Robert A. “A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices, Page 6.” VirtualSalt. 26 Jan. 2010. Web.

27 Dec. 2011.

Paralipsis

Definition: The technique of drawing attention to something by claiming not to mention it.

Related Words:

Aposiopesis – Rhetorical device in which the speaker suddenly breaks off in the middle of a sentence leaving the sentence unfinished.

Periphrasis – An elaborate and roundabout manner of speech that uses more words than necessary.

Circumlocution – The roundabout manner of referring to something at length rather than naming it briefly and directly.

Examples:

“I will not even mention the fact that you betrayed us in the Roman people by aiding Catiline.”

–Cicero, The Catiline Orations, 63 BC

“Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it [Caesar's will]; It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you. You are not wood, you are not stones, but men; And, being men, bearing the will of Caesar, It will inflame you, it will make you mad. ‘Tis good you know not that you are his heirs; For, if you should, O, what would come of it!”

–Mark Antony in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Zimmer, John. “Rhetorical Devices: Paralipsis.” Manner of Speaking. 15 Aug. 2011. Web. 31 Dec. 2011.

Periphrasis

Definition: An elaborate and roundabout manner of speech that uses more words than necessary.

Related Words:

Paralipsis – The technique of drawing attention to something by claiming not to mention it.

Circumlocution – The roundabout manner of referring to something at length rather than naming it briefly and directly.

Aposiopesis – Rhetorical device in which the speaker suddenly breaks off in the middle of a sentence leaving the sentence unfinished.

Examples:

“In the New York Herald Tribune a beaver was almost incognito as ‘the furry, paddle-tailed mammal.’”

“The Denver Post elongated ‘mustache’ into ‘under-nose hair crops.’”

Nordquist, Richard. “Periphrasis (rhetoric).” About.com Grammar & Composition. About.com. Web. 31

Dec. 2011.

Synaesthesia

Definition: The use of one kind of sensory experience to describe another.

Related Words:

Metaphor – A figure of speech that compares two different things by speaking of one in terms of the other.

Trope – A category of figurative language that extends the literal meanings of words by inviting a comparison to other words, things, or ideas.

Examples:

“I am hearing the shape of the rain
Take the shape of the tent and believe it…”

–James Dickey, opening lines of “The Mountain Tent”

“I catch the sound and it takes me into the cold.”

–Emily Raboteau, The Professor’s Daughter. Henry Holt, 2005

Nordquist, Richard. “Synesthesia.” About.com Grammar & Composition. About.com. Web. 31 Dec.

2011.

Synecdoche

Definition: A form of metonymy in which a part of an entity is used to refer to the whole.

Related Words:

Metonymy – Greek meaning “changed label.” Figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.

Metaphor – A figure of speech that compares two different things by speaking of one in terms of the other.

Trope – A category of figurative language that extends the literal meanings of words by inviting a comparison to other words, things, or ideas.

Examples:

“The sputtering economy could make the difference if you’re trying to get a deal on a new set of wheels.”

–Al Vaughters, WIVB.com, Nov. 21, 2008

“At midnight I went on deck, and to my mate’s great surprise put the ship round on the other tack. His terrible whiskers flitted round me in silent criticism.”

–Joseph Conrad, The Secret Sharer

Nordquist, Richard. “Synecdoche.” About.com Grammar & Composition. About.com. Web. 31

Dec. 2011.

Zeugma

Definition: A figure of speech by which one word refers to two others in the same sentence. It may be achieved by a verb or preposition with two objects, or a verb with two subjects.

Related Words:

Chiasmus – Figure of speech by which the order of the terms in the first of two parallel clauses is reversed in the second.

Parallelism – Grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, sentence, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

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

Examples:

“Pride oppresseth humility; hatred love; cruelty compassion.”

–Peacham

“O books who alone are liberal and free, who give to all who ask of you and enfranchise all who serve you faithfully!”

–Richard de Bury

Harris, Robert A. “A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices, Page 2.” VirtualSalt. 5 Jan. 2010. Web.

31 Dec. 2011.

Deus ex machina

Definition: A term used for any improbable or unexpected contrivance by which an author resolves the complications of the plot in a play or novel, and which has not been convincingly prepared for in the preceding action.

Related Words:

Situational Irony – A situation that is the opposite of what the reader expects.

Nonsequitur – A statement or idea that fails to follow logically from the one before.

Examples:

Gilbert and Sullivan, in general: As part of the satirical nature of their plays, the tensions would often be resolved with rather ludicrous examples of deus ex machina. The most famous is probably in The Pirates of Penzance, when (spoiler alert) it turns out that the titular pirates are not actually pirates, but instead bored nobles who are just out to have some fun.

Life of Brian (movie): Brian is being chased by Roman soldiers and runs up a staircase in a tower, only to fall off to a certain death when the stairs end, except for the intervention of an alien spaceship which catches him in midair, only to crash after a few maneuvers, allowing Brian to escape the Romans for a while.

“Deus Ex Machina.” RationalWiki. Wikipedia Foundation, 28 Feb. 2011. Web. 31 Dec. 2011.

In medias res

Definition: The technique of starting a narrative in the middle of the action.

Related Words:

Stream of Consciousness – Refers to an attempt on the part of an author to reproduce the unembellished flow of thoughts in the human mind with its feelings, judgments, associations, and memories.

Narration – A mode of non-fictions writing that develops an idea or makes a point by telling a story or anecdote.

Examples:

To Kill a Mockingbird starts with the sentence: “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.” That happens at the end of the book. The idea seems to be that it comes up in a conversation the adult Scout is having, and the book is her explaining the events that lead up to it.

Forrest Gump is an interesting example. The film starts, not in the middle of action per se, but in the middle of the story chronologically. The main character proceeds to tell his life story, narrating a series of flashbacks, until his story catches up with the present.

“In Medias Res.” TV Tropes. Wikipedia Foundation. Web. 31 Dec. 2011.

Melodrama

Definition: The use of sentimentality, gushing emotion, or sensational action or plot twists to provoke audience or reader response.

Related Words:

Pathos – The quality in a work of literature that evokes high emotion, most commonly sorrow, pity, or compassion.

Mood – The emotional response that a piece of literature stimulates in the reader.

Atmosphere – The emotional mood created by the entirety of a literature work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described.

Empathy – A feeling of association or identification with an object; experiencing its sensations and responding with similar feelings.

Examples:

Twilight. When you think about it, there aren’t that many obstacles keeping Edward and Bella apart. They just like to think that there are.

The Wizard of Oz. Everyone puts intense effort in showing their emotions (worried, happy, frightened, angry…).

“Melodrama.” TV Tropes. Wikipedia Foundation. Web. 31 Dec. 2011.

Archetype

Definition: A theme, motif, symbol, or stock character that holds a familiar and fixed place in a culture’s consciousness.

Related Words:

Emblem – A concrete object that represents something abstract.

Symbol – An object, character, figure, or color that is used to represent an abstract idea or concept.

Examples:

The star-crossed lovers – This is the young couple joined by love but unexpectedly parted by fate. Example: Romeo and Juliet from William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”

Water – Water is a symbol of life, cleansing, and rebirth. It is a strong life force, and is often depicted as a living, reasoning force. Example: Edna learns to swim in Kate Chopin’s “The Awakening”

“Understanding Literary Archetypes.” Essortment. Web. 31 Dec. 2011.

Burlesque

Definition: A humorous imitation of a serious work of literature. The humor often arises from the incongruity between the limitation and the work being imitated.

Related Words:

Parody – A humorous and often satirical imitation of the style or particular work of another author.

Satire – A work that aims to ridicule the shortcomings of individuals, institutions, or society, often to make a political point.

Examples:

Henry Fielding, Tom Thumb the Great (1730) – burlesques heroic drama by trivializing it.

Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock (1711-14) – burlesques the eighteenth century upper crust social mores by treating them with the machinery of epic poetry.

Harris, Robert. “A Glossary of Literary Terms.” VirtualSalt. 5 Feb. 2010. Web. 31 Dec. 2011.

Dirge

Definition: A short poetic expression of grief. A dirge differs from an elegy in that it often is embedded within a larger work, is less structured, and is meant to be sung.

Related Words:

Elegy – Song or poem of mourning or lamentation.

Tone – The writer’s attitude toward the subject or sometimes the audience.

Mood – The emotional response that a piece of literature stimulates in the reader.

Examples:

Ariel’s song for Ferdinand’s dead father in Shakespeare’s The Tempest (I, ii)

Cornelia’s song over Marcello in Webster’s The White Devil (V, iv)

“Basic Glossary of Literary Terms D.” FortuneCity. Web. 01 Jan. 2012.

Fable

Definition: A short prose or verse narrative that illustrates a moral, which often is stated explicitly at the end. Frequently, the characters in a fable are animals that embody different human character traits.

Related Words:

Personification – Figure of speech that endows animal, concept, or inanimate objects with human attributes.

Allegory – Device of using character and/or elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. Author may intend characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. Usually deals with a moral truth or generalization about human existence.

Moral – The lesson a reader infers from a story, poem, or other piece of literature.

Examples:

“The Dog and the Shadow” –Aesop

“The Wolf and the Mastiff” –Aesop

DiYanni, Robert. “Glossary of Fiction Terms.” McGraw-Hill Online Learning Center. McGraw-Hill.

Web. 02 Jan. 2012.

hill.com/sites/0072405228/student_view0/fiction_glossary.html>.

Discourse

Definition: A post-structuralist term for the wider social and intellectual context in which communication takes place. The implication is that the meaning of works is as dependent on their surrounding context as it is on the content of the works themselves.

Related Words:

Essay – A form of nonfictional discussion or argument. Essays are flexible in form, although they usually are short prose works; there are also examples of book length essays and verse essays.

Rhetoric – Principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.

Examples:

“‘You get off early or what?’

‘I took off early.’

‘Anything the matter?’

‘In a way of speaking,’ he said and wiped his lips.

‘Not cut back?’

‘No, no. They got plenty work. I just–’

‘Hm?’

‘Sethe, you won’t like what I’m ’bout to say.’”

–Toni Morrison, Beloved

“Baby Suggs kissed her on the mouth and refused to let her see the children. They were asleep she said and Sethe was too ugly-looking to wake them in the night. She took the newborn and handed it to a young woman in a bonnet.”

–Toni Morrison, Beloved

“Direct Discourse.” The International Society for the Study of Narrative. Georgetown University, 25 Mar.

2010. Web. 02 Jan. 2012.

Explication

Definition: A close reading of a text that identifies and explains the figurative language and forms found within the work.

Related Words:

Essay – A form of nonfictional discussion or argument. Essays are flexible in form, although they usually are short prose works; there are also examples of book length essays and verse essays.

Exposition – Explaining and analyzing information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion.

Examples:

Stanislaw Lem’s “De Impossibilitate Vitae and De Impossibilitate Prognoscendi“

Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”

Baker, Lyman A. “Explication vs. Analysis.” Kansas State University, 1999. Web. 02 Jan. 2012.

Adage

Definition: A saying or proverb embodying a piece of common wisdom based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language.

Related Words:

Cliché – An overused or trite expression.

Aphorism – Terse statement that expresses a general truth or moral principle.

Examples:

“Fish and visitors smell in three days.”

–Benjamin Franklin

“A barber learns to shave by shaving fools.”

–J. Ray, English Proverbs (1670)

Cummings, Michael J. “Literary Terms.” Cummings Study Guides. Web. 02 Jan. 2012.

Anachronism

Definition: The incorporation of an event, scene, or person who does not correspond with the time period portrayed in the work.

Related Words:

Situational Irony – A situation that is the opposite of what the reader expects.

Malapropism – A confused, comically inaccurate use of a long word or words.

Examples:

The clock in Julius Caesar

Billiards in Antony and Cleopatra

“Basic Glossary of Literary Terms A.” FortuneCity. Web. 02 Jan. 2012.

Antithesis

Definition: The rhetorical opposition or contrast of words, clauses, or sentences.

Related Words:

Parallelism – Grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, sentence, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.

Juxtaposition – Placing two themes, characters, phrases, words, or situations together for comparison, contrast, or rhetoric.

Examples:

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

–Pope

“That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

–Neil Armstrong

Harris, Robert A. “A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices, Page 2.” VirtualSalt. 5 Jan. 2010. Web.

02 Jan. 2012. 

Epigram

Definition: An ingenious, witty, thoughtful, provocative statement.

Related Words:

Wit – A form of wordplay that displays cleverness or ingenuity with language. Often, but not always, wit displays humor.

Maxim – A saying or proverb expressing common wisdom or truth.

Adage – A saying or proverb embodying a piece of common wisdom based on experience and often couched in metaphorical language.

Examples:

“In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

–Albert Camus

“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”

–Eleanor Roosevelt

Burch, Michael R. “The Best Epigrams from Literature, Poetry, Philosophy, Politics, Science, Sports and

Religion.” The HyperTexts. Web. 02 Jan. 2012.

Hamartia

Definition: Aristotle’s term for the protagonist’s tragic flaw or tragic error of judgment.

Related Words:

Hubris – Aristotle’s term for the pride of the tragic hero that leads him to ignore or overlook warnings of impending disaster or to break moral laws.

Catharsis – A cleansing of the spirit of the spectator at a tragedy through experiencing the emotion of pity and terror.

Examples:

For the character of Macbeth, the same ambition that makes him so admired is the trait that also allows Lady Macbeth to lure him to murder and treason.

What ennobles Brutus is his unstinting love of the Roman Republic, but this same patriotism causes him to kill his best friend, Julius Caesar

Wheeler, Kip. “Literary Terms and Definitions: H.” Carson-Newman College, 26 Sept. 2011. Web. 02

Jan. 2012.

Malapropism

Definition: A confused, comically inaccurate use of a long word or words.

Related Words:

Anachronism – The incorporation of an event, scene, or person who does not correspond with the time period portrayed in the work.

Verbal Irony – A discrepancy between the true meaning of a situation and the literal meaning of the written or spoken words.

Examples:

“This is unparalyzed in the state’s history.”

–Gib Lewis, Texas Speaker of the House

“He’s going up and down like a metronome.”

–Ron Pickering

“Famous Malapropisms.” Fun-with-words.com. Web. 02 Jan. 2012.

words.com/mala_famous.html>.