Guide to Literary Terms

Alicia Gabrielski April 12, 2007
Rose Arszulowicz
Carole George
Guide to Literary Terms
Fiction and Non-fiction Writing
Alliteration – Repetition of consonant sounds especially in the beginning of the
word, for example: free from fear
Allusion – An indirect reference, for example: when using the phrase “catch-22”
one refers to an impossible situation, as created by Joseph Heller in the novel
“Catch-22.”
Analysis – A written examination or interpretation of a particular work of fiction or
non-fiction. An analysis typically presents a main idea or point that is broken into
parts by supporting ideas, examples and facts throughout the paper. An analysis
enriches the reader's understanding of the written work.
Antagonist – The main opponent of the protagonist, one who works against the
main character of a novel or a play.
Archetype – A common image, theme or symbol. For example: a dark cloud
represents a bad or negative feeling or character.
Connotation – Suggested meaning other than that which is directly stated; an
implied meaning. For example: the word “home” suggests warmth and family,
while the word “house” suggests a “building in which to live.”
Consonance – Accord or agreement within text or textual components; sound
agreement within a poem.
Denotation – The opposite of connotation, the direct, literal meaning.
Denouement – The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary
work; the outcome of a complex event sequence.
Diction – The writer’s distinctive choices of vocabulary and sentence structure.
A style of expression. For example, some writing is formal while some writing
uses slang or common language usage.
Expository writing – Expository text is meant to “expose” information and is the
most commonly used writing at the college level. Expository writing is used to
educate the reader about a certain topic.
Figurative Language – Words intended to be understood in terms other than
literal. For example: the word “lemon” literally means a citrus fruit, but figuratively
can mean a “defective automobile.”
Guide to Literary Terms

Alicia Gabrielski April 12, 2007
Rose Arszulowicz
Carole George
Foreshadowing – A literary device in which the author drops hints or suggests
what is to come. For example: In the play Julius Caesar his wife Calpurnia
foreshadows his death when she dreams that the Senate washes their hands in
blood.
Freytag’s Pyramid – Freytag is known for his explanation of Greek and
Shakespearean drama. His pyramid contains the following five elements:
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion or resolution.
Genre – A type of literary work. For example, the four main types of literary
genres are fiction, poetry, drama (plays), nonfiction. However genres can also
define subcategories such as mystery, science fiction or romance novels and
tragic or comic plays.
Hyperbole – Figurative language which expresses exaggeration or
overstatement. For example: “He died a thousand deaths,” or “I could eat a
horse.”
Imagery – Imagery is any words that create a picture in your head. Imagery is
language that appeals to your five senses.
Irony – A contrast of some sort. Verbal irony is saying one thing and meaning
another, such as saying “that’s great” when someone drops a bowl. Dramatic
irony occurs when an event occurs, which is the opposite of what is expected.
One of the more famous ironies occurs in O’Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi.” In
this short story the women cuts and sells her hair to buy a watch chain for her
husband, who ironically sells his watch to buy a hairclip for his wife.
Metaphor – Figurative language comparing or equating one thing (unrelated)
with another: “This book is garbage.” Metaphors typically use the word “is” to link
the two items. “The ice cream is a rock.”
Narrative – A story as told by the main character or “narrator,” or an
interpretation of events.
Paraphrase – To retell in one’s own words.
Parody – A humorous work that imitates another work, a person or a subject.
The intent of a parody is to poke fun at or find the humor in its subject.
Personification – A figure of speech that gives non-human objects or animals
human qualities, such as “quiet hour” or the technique of making animals talk and
think like humans, as in “Charlotte’s Web.”
Guide to Literary Terms

Alicia Gabrielski April 12, 2007
Rose Arszulowicz
Carole George
Protagonist – The main character of the story or play. The protagonist can be a
virtuous character, an evil character, or as in many stories, a conflicted character.
Simile – A comparison of two unlike things joined by the words “like” or “as.” For
example, “the snow was as thick as a blanket,” is a simile.
Symbolism – In literature or poetry symbolism is an object or objects that
represent or are “symbolic” of something else. For example, in Chekhov’s short
story, “Misery,” snow is used to represent isolation and loneliness.
Thesis statement – The main topic sentence that an author develops and
supports in a literary analysis or research paper. The thesis statement provides a
clear one- or two- sentence forecast of the intent of the paper. A successful
thesis statement must be specific enough so that it conveys your unique
interpretation.
Tone – The prevailing attitude of a literary work toward the subject and toward
the audience. The mood or feeling of a novel, play, or other written work. For
example, is the piece lighthearted or dark, whimsical or serious?
Voice – The author’s voice is how a piece “sounds” – choice of words, length of
sentences, and phrasing give us the voice. For example, Ernest Hemingway was
known for his “matter of fact,” straight forward writing voice.
Guide to Literary Terms