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Literary Terms Menu

Abstract language Absurd, Theater of the Act Allegory Alliteration
Allusion Ambiguity Analogy Anapest Anecdote Antagonist Anthropomorphism Aphorism Apostrophe Archetype Argument Aside Assonance Atmosphere Author Author’s note Author’s purpose Autobiography A Main Menu

Abstract language Language that expresses an idea or intangible reality, as opposed to a specific object or occurrence or a concrete reality. See also CONCRETE LANGUAGE. Abstract language

Absurd, Theater of the Drama, primarily of the 1950s and 1960s, that does not tell a story but instead presents a series of scenes in which the characters, confused and anxious, seem to exist in a meaningless world. See also SURREALISM. Absurd, Theater of the

Act A major unit of a drama, or play
Act A major unit of a drama, or play. Modern drama has one, two, or three acts. Older drama may have five acts. Acts may be divided into one or more scenes. See also DRAMA, SCENE. Act

Allegory A literary work in which all or most of the characters, settings, and events stand for ideas, qualities, or figures beyond themselves. The overall purpose of an allegory is to teach a moral lesson. See also SYMBOL. Allegory

Alliteration The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words. It can be used to reinforce meaning or create a musical effect. See also SOUND DEVICES. Alliteration

Allusion A reference to a well-known character, place, or situation from history or from music, art, or another work of literature. See pages 75, 657, 797, and 1152. Allusion

Ambiguity The state of having more than one meaning
Ambiguity The state of having more than one meaning. The richness of literary language lies in its ability to evoke multiple layers of meaning. Ambiguity

Analogy A comparison that shows similarities between two things that are otherwise dissimilar. Writers often use an analogy to explain something unfamiliar by comparing it to something familiar. See page 490. See also METAPHOR, SIMILE. Analogy

Anapest A metrical foot of three syllables; two unaccented syllables are followed by an accented one (˘˘´). See also FOOT, METER, SCANSION. Anapest

Anecdote A brief account of an interesting event
Anecdote A brief account of an interesting event. Essayists often use anecdotes to support their opinions, clarify their ideas, get a reader’s attention, or entertain. Biographers often include one or more anecdotes in a biography to illustrate a point about their subject. See page 1154. Anecdote

Antagonist A person or a force that opposes the protagonist, or central character, in a story or drama. The reader is generally meant not to sympathize with the antagonist. See also CONFLICT, PROTAGONIST. Antagonist

Anthropomorphism The assignment of human characteristics to gods, animals, or inanimate objects.

Aphorism A short, pointed statement that expresses a wise or clever observation about human experience. See page 102. See also MAXIM. Aphorism

Apostrophe A figure of speech in which a speaker addresses an inanimate object, an idea, or an absent person. See page 700. See also PERSONIFICATION. Apostrophe

Archetype A character type, descriptive detail, image, or story pattern that recurs frequently in the literature of a culture. It derives from a Greek word meaning “the original example.” See pages 23, 240, and 898. Archetype

Argument A type of persuasive writing in which logic or reason is used to try to influence a reader’s ideas or actions. See page 211. See also PERSUASION. Argument

Aside In a play, a character’s comment that is directed to the audience or another character but is not heard by any other characters on the stage. Asides, which are rare in modern drama, reveal what a character is thinking or feeling. Aside

Assonance The repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds, especially in a line of poetry. See also SOUND DEVICES. Assonance

Atmosphere The physical qualities that contribute to the mood of a literary work, such as time, place, and weather. Atmosphere

Author The original writer of a work
Author The original writer of a work. The word author comes from a Latin word meaning “to create.” Author

Author’s note A note accompanying a literary work and containing explanatory information. Author’s notes usually include helpful but nonessential information. Author’s note

Author’s purpose An author’s intent in writing a literary work
Author’s purpose An author’s intent in writing a literary work. Authors typically write for one or more of the following purposes: to persuade, to inform, to explain, to entertain, or to describe. See pages 48, 86, 414, 969, and See also DICTION, STYLE, THEME, TONE. Author’s purpose

Autobiography The story of a person’s life written by that person
Autobiography The story of a person’s life written by that person. Autobiographies can give insights into the author’s view of himself or herself and of the society in which he or she lived. See pages 97, 338, 907, and 988. See also BIOGRAPHY, MEMOIR, NONFICTION. Autobiography

Ballad Ballad Stanza Bias Biography Blank Verse Blues B Main Menu

Ballad A narrative song or poem
Ballad A narrative song or poem. Folk ballads, which usually recount an exciting or dramatic episode, were passed down by word of mouth for generations before being written down. Literary ballads are written in imitation of folk ballads but have a known author. See also FOLKLORE, NARRATIVE POETRY, ORAL TRADITION. Ballad

Ballad stanza A quatrain, or four-line stanza, in which the first and third lines have four stressed syllables, and the second and fourth lines have three stressed syllables. Only the second and fourth lines rhyme. See also METER, QUATRAIN, SCANSION, STANZA. Ballad stanza

Bias An inclination toward a certain opinion or position on a topic
Bias An inclination toward a certain opinion or position on a topic. See also NONFICTION. Bias

Biography An account of a person’s life written by someone other than the subject. Biographies have been written about many of the writers in this text. See also AUTOBIOGRAPHY, MEMOIR, NONFICTION. Biography

Blank verse Poetry or lines of dramatic verse written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. Each line has five feet, with each foot made up of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Because it may attempt to imitate spoken English, every line need not be perfectly regular. See pages 705 and 723. See also FOOT, IAMBIC PENTAMETER, SCANSION. Blank verse

Blues A melancholy style of music that originated among African Americans in the South. The blues stanza has three lines, and the first two lines are usually identical. Many writers have incorporated the idea of the blues into their work, among them See also STANZA. Blues

Cadence Caesura Catalog Character Characterization Classicism Cliché
Climax Colloquial language Comedy Comic relief Conceit Concrete language Confessional poetry Conflict Connotation Consonance Couplet Crisis C Main Menu

Cadence The rhythmic rise and fall of language when it is spoken or read aloud. See also FREE VERSE, METER. Cadence

Caesura A pause in a line of poetry, usually near the middle of a line, with two stressed syllables before and two after, creating a strong rhythm. A caesura is used to produce variations in meter and to draw attention to certain words. Some pauses are indicated by punctuation, others by phrasing or meaning. In the lines below, the caesuras are marked by double vertical lines. The pauses are indicated by punctuation. See also RHYTHM. Caesura

Catalog The listing of images, details, people, or events in a literary work. See page 1291.

Character A person portrayed in a literary work
Character A person portrayed in a literary work. A main character is central to the story and is typically fully characterized. A minor character displays few personality traits and is used to help develop the story. Characters who show varied and sometimes contradictory traits are called round. Characters who reveal only one personality trait are called flat. A stereotype, or stock character, is typically flat. A dynamic character grows and changes during the story. A static character remains basically the same throughout the story. See also CHARACTERIZATION, STEREOTYPE. Character

Characterization The methods a writer uses to reveal the personality of a character. In direct characterization, the writer makes explicit statements about a character. In indirect characterization, the writer reveals a character through his or her words, thoughts, and actions and through what other characters think and say about that character. See pages 229, 277, 505, 783, and See also CHARACTER. Characterization

Classicism A style that reflects the principles and concerns of the art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. Typically, a classical style displays simple, harmonious form. Classicism

Cliché A word or phrase that is so overused that it is virtually meaningless. “Dead as a doornail,” “piece of cake,” and “last but not least” are all clichés. Cliché

Climax The point of greatest emotional intensity, interest, or suspense in a literary work. Usually the climax comes at the turning point in a story or drama, the point just before the resolution of the conflict. See also page See also CONFLICT, DÉNOUEMENT, PLOT, RESOLUTION. Climax

Colloquial language Informal language used in everyday conversation but not in formal writing or speech. See also DIALECT, VERNACULAR. Colloquial language

Comedy A type of drama that is humorous and often has a happy ending
Comedy A type of drama that is humorous and often has a happy ending. See also DRAMA, FARCE, HUMOR, PARODY, SATIRE, WIT. Comedy

Comic relief A humorous scene, event, or speech in a serious drama
Comic relief A humorous scene, event, or speech in a serious drama. It provides relief from emotional intensity, while at the same time highlighting the seriousness of the story. Comic relief

Conceit An elaborate figure of speech that makes a comparison between two significantly different things. The conceit draws an analogy between some object from nature or everyday life and the subject or theme of a poem. See also ANALOGY, EXTENDED METAPHOR, IMAGERY. Conceit

Concrete language Specific language about actual things or occurrences
Concrete language Specific language about actual things or occurrences. Words like dog and sky are concrete, while words like truth and evil are abstract. See also ABSTRACT LANGUAGE. Concrete language

Confessional poetry A movement in poetry begun in the 1950s in which the poet writes about his or her own personal experiences. Confessional poets described their problems with mental illness, alcohol abuse, and troubled relationships in an open and direct style. Confessional poetry

Conflict The central struggle between two opposing forces in a story or drama. An external conflict exists when a character struggles against some outside force, such as another person, nature, society, or fate. An internal conflict is a struggle that takes place within the mind of a character who is torn between opposing feelings, desires, or goals. See pages 547, 591, 760, and See also ANTAGONIST, PLOT, PROTAGONIST. Conflict

Connotation The suggested or implied meanings associated with a word beyond its dictionary definition, or denotation. A word can have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation. See also AMBIGUITY, DENOTATION, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. Connotation

Consonance The repetition of consonant sounds, typically at the end of nonrhyming words and preceded by different vowel sounds, as “met-cat” or “morn-barn.” See also SOUND DEVICES. Consonance

Couplet Two consecutive, paired lines of rhymed verse usually forming a stanza. See page 130. See also HEROIC COUPLET, RHYME, SONNET, STANZA. Couplet

Crisis In a narrative, a moment of high tension that requires a decision. See also CLIMAX, DRAMATIC STRUCTURE, RISING ACTION. Crisis

Dactyl Deism Denotation Dénouement Description Dialect Dialogue Diary
Diction Dimeter Drama Dramatic convention Dramatic irony Dramatic monologue Dramatic poetry Dramatic structure Dynamic character D Main Menu

Dactyl A three-syllable metrical foot in which the first syllable is stressed and the following two are unstressed. Dactyl

Deism The belief that God created the world but no longer has influence or control over life or nature. Many of America’s founders were deists. Deism

Denotation The literal, or dictionary, meaning of a word
Denotation The literal, or dictionary, meaning of a word. See also CONNOTATION, LITERAL LANGUAGE. Denotation

Dénouement The outcome, or resolution, of the plot
Dénouement The outcome, or resolution, of the plot. The climax and dénouement may come close together. See also CLIMAX, CONFLICT, PLOT, RESOLUTION. Dénouement

Description A detailed portrayal of a person, a place, an object, or an event. Good descriptive writing appeals to the senses through imagery. See pages 135, 384, and 891. See also FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, IMAGERY. Description

Dialect A variation of a language spoken within a particular region or class. Dialects may differ from the standard form of a language in vocabulary, pronunciation, or grammatical form. See pages 483 and 941. See also COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE, LOCAL COLOR, REGIONALISM, VERNACULAR. Dialect

Dialogue Conversation between characters in a literary work
Dialogue Conversation between characters in a literary work. Dialogue can contribute to characterization, create mood, advance the plot, and develop theme. See pages 914, 1023, and 1266. Dialogue

Diary An individual’s daily record of impressions, events, or thoughts, written for personal use rather than for publication. See also JOURNAL. Diary

Diction A writer’s choice of words
Diction A writer’s choice of words. Diction is an important element in the writer’s “voice” or style. Skilled writers choose their words carefully to convey a particular tone and meaning. See pages 61, 127, and 369. See also AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, STYLE, VOICE. Diction

Dimeter A line of verse consisting of two feet. See also FOOT, METER.

Drama A story intended to be performed before an audience by actors on a stage. The script of a dramatic work may include stage directions that explain how characters should look, speak, move, and behave. The script might also specify details of the setting and scenery, such as lighting, props, and sound effects. A drama may be divided into acts, which may also be broken up into scenes, indicating changes in location or the passage of time. See also COMEDY, PLAY, STAGE DIRECTIONS, TRAGEDY. Drama

Dramatic convention Any of several devices that a theater audience accepts as a substitute for reality. For example, an audience accepts that a wood floor is a beach or a meadow, that a recording of birdsong is the real thing, or that the fifteen-minute interval between acts is a substitute for a longer passage of time. Dramatic convention

Dramatic irony See IRONY.

Dramatic monologue A form of dramatic poetry in which a speaker addresses a silent listener. See pages 500 AND 664. See also DRAMATIC POETRY, MONOLOGUE. Dramatic monologue

Dramatic poetry Poetry in which characters are revealed through dialogue and monologue, as well as through description. See also DIALOGUE, DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE. Dramatic poetry

Dramatic structure The structure of a serious play
Dramatic structure The structure of a serious play. Common elements are exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. See also PLOT. Dramatic structure

Dynamic character See CHARACTER.

Elegy Empathy End rhyme Enjambment End-stopped line Epic Epigram
Epigraph Epiphany Epistle Epitaph Epithet Essay Exaggeration Exposition Extended metaphor E Main Menu

Elegy A poem mourning a death or another great loss.

Empathy Close identification with a person, a place, or an event, as when audience members experience the same emotions as a character in a play. Empathy

End rhyme The rhyming of words at the ends of lines.

Enjambment See RUN-ON LINE.

End-stopped line A line of poetry that contains a complete thought, thus requiring a semicolon or period at the end. See also RUN-ON LINE. End-stopped line

Epic A long narrative poem that traces the adventures of a hero
Epic A long narrative poem that traces the adventures of a hero. Epics intertwine myths, legends, and history, reflecting the values of the societies in which they originate. See also LEGEND, MYTH, ORAL TRADITION. Epic

Epigram A short, witty verse or saying. See also APHORISM, MAXIM.

Epigraph A quotation from another work that suggests the theme, or main idea, of the work at hand. It is often up to the reader to determine how the quoted work relates to the literature it introduces. Epigraph

Epiphany A sudden intuitive recognition of the meaning or essence of something.

Epistle Any letter. Often the term is applied to a more literary work than the informal communication written by most people. Travel letters are common and usually intended for publication. Epistle

Epitaph A brief statement commemorating a dead person, often inscribed on a gravestone.

Epithet A brief phrase used to characterize a person, place, or thing.

Essay A short piece of nonfiction writing on any topic
Essay A short piece of nonfiction writing on any topic. The purpose of the essay is to communicate an idea or opinion. A formal essay is serious and impersonal, often with the purpose of instructing or persuading. Typically, the author strikes a serious tone and develops a main idea, or thesis, in a logical, highly organized way. An informal, or personal, essay entertains while it informs, usually in light, conversational style. See page See also NONFICTION. Essay

Exaggeration See HYPERBOLE.

Exposition See PLOT. Exposition

Extended metaphor A metaphor that compares two unlike things in various ways throughout a paragraph, a stanza, or a literary work. See pages 83 and 827. See also METAPHOR. Extended metaphor

Fable Fairy tale Falling action Fantasy Farce Fiction
Figurative language Figure of speech Flashback Flash-forward Flat character Foil Folklore Folktale Foot Foreshadowing Form Formal essay Formal speech Fourth wall Frame story Free verse F Main Menu

Fable A short, often humorous, tale intended to teach a lesson about human behavior or to give advice about how to behave. Many fables end by stating the moral or lesson to be learned, while others leave it up to the reader to infer the moral. In a beast fable, animals talk and act like humans. See also LEGEND, PARABLE, THEME. Fable

Fairy tale A type of folktale that features supernatural elements, such as spirits, talking animals, and magic. See also FOLKTALE. Fairy tale

Falling action See PLOT.

Fantasy A literary work that is set in an unfamiliar world and that often features unbelievable characters and events. See also SCIENCE FICTION. Fantasy

Farce A type of comedy with ridiculous situations, characters, or events. See also COMEDY, HUMOR, PARODY, SATIRE. Farce

Fiction A narrative in which situations and characters are invented by the writer. Some aspects of a fictional work may be based on fact or experience, however. Fictional works include short stories, novels, and plays. See also DRAMA, NONFICTION, NOVEL, SHORT STORY. Fiction

Figurative language Language used for descriptive effect in order to convey ideas or emotions. Figurative expressions are not literally true but express some truth beyond the literal level. Figurative language is especially common in poetry. See pages 183, 1183, and 1224. Figurative language

Figure of speech A specific kind of figurative language such as metaphor, personification, or simile. Figure of speech

Flashback An interruption in the chronological order of a narrative to show an event that happened earlier. A flashback gives readers information that may help explain the main events of a story. See pages 535 and 888. See also FLASH-FORWARD. Flashback

Flash-forward An interruption in the chronological sequence of a narrative to leap forward in time. See page 901. See also FLASHBACK. Flash-forward

Flat character See CHARACTER.

Foil A minor character whose contrast with a main character highlights particular characteristics, often flaws, of the main character. See page 958. See also ANTAGONIST, CHARACTER, CHARACTERIZATION, PROTAGONIST. Foil

Folklore Traditional beliefs, customs, stories, songs, and dances of a culture. Folklore is passed down through oral tradition and is based on the concerns of ordinary people. See also BALLAD, EPIC, FOLKTALE, LEGEND, MYTH, ORAL TRADITION, TALL TALE. Folklore

Folktale An anonymous traditional story passed down orally long before being written down. Folktales include animal stories, trickster stories, fairy tales, myths, legends, and tall tales. See also EPIC, FAIRY TALE, FOLKLORE, LEGEND, MYTH, ORAL TRADITION, TALL TALE. Folktale

Foot The basic unit in the measurement of a line of metrical poetry
Foot The basic unit in the measurement of a line of metrical poetry. A foot usually contains one stressed syllable ( ´ ) and one or more unstressed syllables ( ˘ ). The basic metrical feet are the anapest (˘ ˘ ´ ), the dactyl (´ ˘˘ ), the iamb (˘ ´ ), the spondee (´ ´ ), and the trochee (´ ˘ ). See also METER, RHYTHM, SCANSION, STANZA. Foot

Foreshadowing An author’s use of clues to prepare readers for events that will happen later in a story. See pages 877 and 924. See also PLOT, SUSPENSE. Foreshadowing

Form The structure of a poem
Form The structure of a poem. Many modern writers use loosely structured poetic forms instead of following traditional or formal patterns. These poets vary the lengths of lines and stanzas, relying on emphasis, rhythm, pattern, or the placement of words and phrases to convey meaning. See page 667. See also RHYTHM, STANZA, STRUCTURE. Form

Formal essay See ESSAY. Formal essay

Formal speech A speech whose main purpose is to persuade, although it may also inform and entertain. The four main types of formal speech are legal, political, ceremonial, and religious. Formal speech

Fourth wall The imaginary wall that separates the performers onstage in a play from the audience watching the performance. Fourth wall

Frame story A story that surrounds another story or that serves to link several stories together. The frame is the outer story, which usually precedes and follows the inner, more important story. Some literary works have frames that bind together many different stories. See page 1269. Frame story

Free verse Poetry that has no fixed pattern of meter, rhyme, line length, or stanza arrangement. Although poets who write free verse ignore traditional rules, they use techniques such as repetition and alliteration to create musical patterns in their poems. See pages 395, 1186, and See also RHYTHM, RHYME, METER. Free verse

Genre Gothic novel G Main Menu

Genre A category or type of literature
Genre A category or type of literature. Examples of genres are poetry, drama, fiction, and nonfiction. Genre

Gothic novel A novel that has a gloomy, ominous setting and contains strong elements of horror, mystery, and the supernatural. Gothic novel

Haiku Harlem Renaissance Heptameter Hero Heroic couplet Hexameter
Historical fiction Historical narrative History Humor Hymn Hyperbole H Main Menu

Haiku A traditional Japanese form of poetry that has three lines and seventeen syllables. The first and third lines have five syllables each; the middle line has seven syllables. Usually about nature, a haiku presents striking imagery to evoke a variety of feelings and associations. Haiku

Harlem Renaissance A cultural and literary movement among African Americans during the 1920s. The center of the movement was the Harlem section of Manhattan, in New York City, which attracted artists, musicians, and writers. See page 785. Harlem Renaissance

Heptameter A metrical line of seven feet. See also FOOT, METER.

Hero The chief character in a literary work, typically one whose admirable qualities or noble deeds arouse admiration. Although the word hero is applied only to males in traditional usage—heroine being the term used for females— contemporary usage applies the term to either gender. See also EPIC, LEGEND, MYTH, PROTAGONIST, TALL TALE, TRAGEDY. Hero

Heroic couplet A pair of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter that work together to express an idea or make a point. A heroic couplet is based on the poetic form used by ancient Greek and Roman poets in their heroic epics. See page 130. See also IAMBIC PENTAMETER, METER, RHYTHM. Heroic couplet

Hexameter A line of verse consisting of six feet. See also FOOT, METER.

Historical fiction Fiction that sets characters against the backdrop of a period other than the author’s own. Some works of historical fiction include actual historical people along with fictitious characters. See also FICTION. Historical fiction

Historical narrative A work of nonfiction that tells the story of important historical events or developments. See pages 402 and 820. Historical narrative

History A factual account of real events that occurred in the past
History A factual account of real events that occurred in the past. Typically, a history is arranged chronologically and seeks to provide an objective description of what happened. History

Humor The quality of a literary work that makes the characters and their situations seem funny, amusing, or ludicrous. Humor often points out human failings and the irony found in many situations. Humorous language includes sarcasm, exaggeration, puns, and verbal irony. See also COMEDY, FARCE, PARODY, PUN, SATIRE, WIT. Humor

Hymn A lyric poem or song addressed to a divine being or expressing religious sentiments. See also LYRIC. Hymn

Hyperbole A figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, to make a point, or to evoke humor. See also FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, UNDERSTATEMENT. Hyperbole

Iamb Iambic pentameter Idiom Imagery Imagism Impressionism
Informal essay Interior monologue Internal conflict Internal rhyme Inversion Irony I Main Menu

Iamb A two-syllable metrical foot consisting of one unaccented syllable and one accented syllable, as in the word divide. Iamb

Iambic pentameter A poetic meter in which each line is composed of five feet (pentameter), most of which are iambs. See also BLANK VERSE, FOOT, HEROIC COUPLET, METER, RHYTHM, SCANSION. Iambic pentameter

Idiom An expression whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of the words that make it up. Phrases such as “catch his eye,” “turn the tables,” “over the hill,” and “keep tabs on” are idiomatic expressions understood by native speakers but often puzzling to non-native speakers. Idioms can add realism to dialogue in a story and contribute to characterization. See page See also DIALECT. Idiom

Imagery The “word pictures” that writers create to evoke an emotional response. In creating effective images, writers use sensory details, or descriptions that appeal to one or more of the five senses. See pages 89, 653, 975, and See also FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, SENSORY DETAILS. Imagery

Imagism A movement among early twentieth-century poets who believed that the image was the essence of poetry, conveying a poem’s meaning and emotion. The language of poetry, they believed, should be brief, clear, concrete, and similar to spoken language. See also MODERNISM. Imagism

Impressionism A nineteenth-century movement in art and literature
Impressionism A nineteenth-century movement in art and literature. In literature, characters and scenes are presented as the author’s or a particular character’s impressions rather than as they actually are. See also POINT OF VIEW. Impressionism

Informal essay See ESSAY.

Interior monologue A technique that records a character’s emotions, memories, and opinions. Interior monologue is a characteristic of the stream-of-consciousness style of writing. See also STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS. Interior monologue

Internal conflict See CONFLICT.

Internal rhyme Rhyme that occurs within a single line of poetry
Internal rhyme Rhyme that occurs within a single line of poetry. Poets use internal rhyme to convey meaning, to evoke mood, or simply to create a musical effect. See also RHYME. Internal rhyme

Inversion Reversal of the usual word order for emphasis or variety
Inversion Reversal of the usual word order for emphasis or variety. Writers use inversion to maintain rhyme scheme or meter, or to emphasize certain words. Inversion

Irony A contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality
Irony A contrast or discrepancy between appearance and reality. Situational irony exists when an occurrence is the opposite of someone’s expectations. Verbal irony occurs when the meaning of a statement is the reverse of what is meant, as when someone says of a mean person, “Nice guy!” Dramatic irony occurs when playgoers have information unknown to characters onstage. See pages 568 and 933. Irony

Journal Juxtaposition J Main Menu

Journal A daily record of events kept by a participant in those events or a witness to them. See page 361. Journal

Juxtaposition The placing of two or more distinct things side by side in order to contrast or compare them. It is commonly used to evoke an emotional response in the reader. See page 814. Juxtaposition

Legend Legendary Heroes Literal language Literary criticism
Local color Lost Generation Lyric L Main Menu

Legend A traditional story handed down from the past, based on actual people and events, and tending to become more exaggerated and fantastical over time. See also FABLE, FOLKLORE, FOLKTALE, HERO, MYTH, ORAL TRADITION, TALL TALE. Legend

Legendary Heroes Idealized figures, sometimes based on real people, who embody qualities admired by the cultural group to which they belong. The adventures and accomplishments of these heroes are preserved in legends or tales that are handed down from generation to generation. See also FOLKTALE. Legendary Heroes

Literal language Language that is simple, straightforward, and free of embellishment. It is the opposite of figurative language, which conveys ideas indirectly. See also DENOTATION. Literal language

Literary criticism A type of writing in which the writer analyzes and evaluates a literary work.

Local color The evocative portrayal of a region’s distinctive ways of talking and behaving. See page 480. See also DIALECT, REGIONALISM, VERNACULAR. Local color

Lost Generation A term attributed to writer Gertrude Stein describing a group of American writers, many of whom lived abroad, who became disillusioned at the end of World War I. Included in this “generation” were Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Lost Generation

Lyric A poem that expresses a speaker’s personal thoughts and feelings
Lyric A poem that expresses a speaker’s personal thoughts and feelings. Lyrics are usually short and musical. See also POETRY. Lyric

Magical realism Maxim Memoir Metaphor Meter Metonymy Minimalism
Modernism Monologue Mood Moral Motif Motivation Muckrakers Myth M Main Menu

Magical realism A literary style in which the writer combines realistic events, settings, characters, dialogue, and other details with elements that are magical, supernatural, fantastic, or bizarre. See page 1313. Magical realism

Maxim A short saying that contains a general truth or gives practical advice, particularly about morality and behavior. Also known as an adage or aphorism. Maxim

Memoir A type of narrative nonfiction that presents the story of a period in the writer’s life. It is usually written from the first-person point of view and emphasizes the narrator’s own experience of this period. It may also reveal the impact of significant historical events on his or her life. See also AUTOBIOGRAPHY, BIOGRAPHY. Memoir

Metaphor A figure of speech that compares or equates two seemingly unlike things. In contrast to a simile, a metaphor implies the comparison instead of stating it directly; hence there is no use of connectives such as like or as. See also EXTENDED METAPHOR, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. Metaphor

Meter A regular pattern of stressed ( ´ ) and unstressed ( ˘ ) syllables that gives a line of poetry a more or less predictable rhythm. The basic unit of meter is the foot. The length of a metrical line can be expressed in terms of the number of feet it contains: dimeter, two feet; trimeter, three feet; tetrameter, four feet; pentameter, five feet; hexameter, six feet; heptameter, seven feet. See page 801. See also FOOT, IAMBIC PENTAMETER, SCANSION. Meter

Metonymy A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted for another that is related. For example, the executive branch of the U.S. government is often referred to as the White House. See page 187. See also FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. Metonymy

Minimalism A movement in visual arts, music, architecture, and literature. Minimalist writers include the fewest words possible in their works and depict ordinary people. Minimalism

Modernism A term applied to a variety of twentieth-century artistic movements that shared a desire to break with the past. In addition to technical experimentation, modern playwrights, writers, and artists in the first half of the twentieth century were interested in the irrational or inexplicable, as well as in the workings of the unconscious mind. See also IMAGISM, STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS, SYMBOLIST POETRY. Modernism

Monologue A long speech by a character in a literary work
Monologue A long speech by a character in a literary work. See also DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE, SOLILOQUY. Monologue

Mood The emotional quality of a literary work
Mood The emotional quality of a literary work. A writer’s choice of language, subject matter, setting, and tone, as well as sound devices such as rhyme and rhythm, contribute to creating mood. Mood is a broader term than tone, which refers to the attitude of a speaker or narrator toward the reader. It also differs from atmosphere, which is concerned mainly with the physical qualities that contribute to a mood, such as time, place, and weather. See pages 823, 1173, 1200, and See also ATMOSPHERE, SETTING, TONE. Mood

Moral A practical lesson about right and wrong conduct, often taught in a fable or parable.

Motif A significant word, phrase, image, description, idea, or other element repeated throughout a literary work and related to the theme. See pages 690 and 1330. Motif

Motivation The stated or implied reason or cause for a character’s actions. See pages 281, 515, 743, and 955. See also PSYCHOLOGICAL REALISM. Motivation

Muckrakers American writers who searched for and exposed dishonesty in American government and business in the early 1900s. See page 533. Muckrakers

Myth A traditional story that deals with goddesses, gods, heroes, and supernatural forces. A myth may explain a belief, a custom, or a force of nature. See also EPIC, FOLKLORE, FOLKTALE, LEGEND, ORAL TRADITION. Myth

Narrative Narrative poetry Narrator Naturalism Nobel Prize Nonfiction
Novel N Main Menu

Narrative Writing or speech that tells a story
Narrative Writing or speech that tells a story. Narratives may be fiction or nonfiction, prose or poetry. See also NARRATIVE POETRY. Narrative

Narrative poetry Verse that tells a story
Narrative poetry Verse that tells a story. Narrative poetry includes ballads and epics as well as shorter forms that are usually more selective and concentrated than are prose stories. See pages 243 and See also BALLAD, EPIC, NARRATIVE. Narrative poetry

Narrator The person who tells a story
Narrator The person who tells a story. The narrator may be a character in the story, as in See also NARRATIVE, POINT OF VIEW. Narrator

Naturalism The literary movement characterized by a belief that people have little control over their own lives. See pages 476 and 573. See also PSYCHOLOGICAL REALISM. Naturalism

Nobel Prize A very prestigious award established in 1901 by Alfred Bernhard Nobel, a Swedish chemist and inventor, to honor individuals’ achievements in many fields, including medicine, physics, and literature. Nobel Prize

Nonfiction Literature that deals with real people, places, and events
Nonfiction Literature that deals with real people, places, and events. Written from either the first- or third-person point of view, works of narrative nonfiction tell a story and commonly have characteristics of fiction, such as setting, characters, theme, and plot. Biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, and essays are types of narrative nonfiction. Works of informative nonfiction include essays, speeches, and articles that explain a topic or promote an opinion. See also AUTOBIOGRAPHY, BIOGRAPHY, ESSAY, FICTION. Nonfiction

Novel A book-length fictional prose narrative, typically having a plot, character, setting, and theme. A short novel is called a novelette or novella. See also FICTION, SHORT STORY. Novel

Octave Octet Ode Onomatopoeia Oral history Oral tradition Oratory
Oxymoron O Main Menu

Octave The first eight lines of a Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet
Octave The first eight lines of a Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet. The octave usually presents a situation, an idea, or a question. See also SONNET. Octave

Octet A group of eight lines in a poem.

Ode An elaborate lyric poem expressed in a dignified and sincere way
Ode An elaborate lyric poem expressed in a dignified and sincere way. Some odes celebrate a person or an event; others are more private meditations. See also LYRIC. Ode

Onomatopoeia The use of a word or phrase that imitates or suggests the sound of what it describes. The words mew, hiss, caw, and buzz are onomatopoetic words. See also SOUND DEVICES. Onomatopoeia

Oral history The recording of people’s memories and feelings
Oral history The recording of people’s memories and feelings. Oral history creates a more vivid and personal picture of the past and gives a voice to people who might have been hidden from ordinary historical records. It is the oldest form of historical inquiry, preceding the written word, and has become a crucial tool, following the invention of tape recorders in the 1940s. Oral history

Oral tradition Literature that passes by word of mouth from one generation to the next. Oral literature was a way of recording the past, glorifying leaders, and teaching morals and traditions to young people. See page 34. See also BALLAD, EPIC, FOLKLORE, FOLKTALE, LEGEND, MYTH, TALL TALE. Oral tradition

Oratory The art of effective public speaking, or the use of persuasive skills when speaking. Oratory is common in politics, law, and religion. Today, oratory is usually called “public speaking.” See page 355. Oratory

Oxymoron A figure of speech in which opposite ideas are combined
Oxymoron A figure of speech in which opposite ideas are combined. Examples are “bright darkness,” “wise fool,” and “hateful love.” See also FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, PARADOX. Oxymoron

Psychological realism Pun Punctuation mark
Parable Paradox Parallelism Parody Pastoral Pentameter Persona Personification Persuasion Petrarchan sonnet Plain style Play Plot Poetic license Poetry Point of view Postmodernism Propaganda Props Prologue Prose Prose poem Protagonist Proverb Psalm Psychological realism Pun Punctuation mark P Main Menu

Parable A simple story pointing to a moral or religious lesson
Parable A simple story pointing to a moral or religious lesson. It differs from a fable in that the characters are people instead of animals. See also FABLE. Parable

Paradox A situation or statement that seems to be impossible or contradictory but is nevertheless true, literally or figuratively. See also OXYMORON. Paradox

Parallelism The use of a series of words, phrases, or sentences that have similar grammatical structure. Parallelism emphasizes relationships between ideas. See pages 113, 387, and See also REPETITION. Parallelism

Parody A humorous imitation of a literary work that aims to point out the work’s shortcomings. A parody may imitate the plot, characters, or style of another work, usually through exaggeration. See also COMEDY, FARCE, HUMOR, SATIRE. Parody

Pastoral Poetry that idealizes the simple lives of shepherds in a rural setting. Pastoral poems often exaggerate the rural pleasures and the innocence of country people living in harmony with nature. Pastoral

Pentameter A metrical line of five feet. See also FOOT.

Persona The mask or voice through which an author speaks.

Personification A figure of speech in which an animal, an object, a force of nature, or an idea is given human characteristics. See pages 434, 439, 1227, and See also APOSTROPHE, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. Personification

Persuasion Writing, usually nonfiction, that attempts to move readers to a particular viewpoint. Writers of persuasive works use appeals to logic or emotion, and other techniques to sway their readers. See also ARGUMENT. Persuasion

Petrarchan sonnet See SONNET.

Plain style A style of writing common among the Puritan settlers that focused on communicating ideas as clearly as possible. This marked a change from the ornate style used by European writers of that time. Colonial writers such as William Bradford thought of writing as a practical tool for spiritual self-examination and religious instruction, not as an opportunity to demonstrate cleverness. Plain style

Play A literary work of any length intended for performance on a stage with actors assuming the roles of the characters and speaking from a playwright’s script. See also DRAMA. Play

Plot The sequence of events in a short story, novel, or drama
Plot The sequence of events in a short story, novel, or drama. Most plots deal with a problem and develop around a conflict, a struggle between opposing forces. An external conflict is a struggle between a character and an outside force, such as another character, society, nature, or fate. An internal conflict takes place within the mind of a character who struggles with opposing feelings. The plot begins with exposition, which introduces the story’s characters, setting, and situation. The rising action adds complications to the conflicts, or problems, leading to the climax, or the point of highest emotional pitch. Falling action is the logical result of the climax, and the resolution, or dénouement, presents the final outcome. See pages 928, 1018, and See also CLIMAX, CONFLICT, DÉNOUEMENT, EXPOSITION, FALLING ACTION, RESOLUTION, RISING ACTION. Plot

Poetic license The freedom given to poets to ignore standard rules of grammar or proper diction in order to create a desired artistic effect. Poetic license

Poetry A form of literary expression that differs from prose in emphasizing the line, rather than the sentence, as the unit of composition. Many other traditional characteristics of poetry apply to some poems but not to others. Some of these characteristics are emotional, imaginative language; use of figures of speech; division into stanzas; and the use of rhyme and regular patterns of meter. Poetry

Point of view The standpoint from which a story is told
Point of view The standpoint from which a story is told. In a story with first-person point of view, the narrator is a character in the story and uses the words I and me. In a story told from thirdperson point of view, the narrator is someone who stands outside the story and describes the characters and action. Third-person omniscient, or all-knowing point of view, means that the narrator knows everything about the characters and events and may reveal details that the characters themselves could not reveal. If the narrator describes events as only one character perceives them, the point of view is called third-person limited. See pages 55, 262, 374, 519, 1000, and See also NARRATOR, SPEAKER. Point of view

Postmodernism A movement in art, music, film, literature, and other disciplines in the late twentieth century. Unreliable narration, the blending of multiple styles and genres within a single work, and magical realism are all features of postmodern literature. See also MODERNISM. Postmodernism

Propaganda Written or spoken material designed to bring about a change or to damage a cause through use of emotionally charged words, name-calling, or other techniques. Propaganda

Props A theater term (a shortened form of properties) for objects and elements of the scenery of a stage play or movie or television set. See also DRAMA. Props

Prologue An introductory section of a play, speech, or other literary work.

Prose Written language that is not versified
Prose Written language that is not versified. Novels, short stories, and essays are usually written in prose. Prose

Prose poem A short prose composition that uses rhythm, imagery, and other poetic devices to express an idea or emotion. Prose poetry does not have line breaks; instead, the sentences appear in standard paragraph form. Prose poem

Protagonist The central character in a literary work, around whom the main conflict revolves. Generally the audience is meant to sympathize with the protagonist. See also ANTAGONIST, CONFLICT, HERO. Protagonist

Proverb A saying that expresses some truth about life or contains some bit of popular wisdom such as “faint heart never won fair lady,” “marry in haste, repent at leisure,” or “out of sight, out of mind.” Proverb

Psalm A song of praise most commonly found in the biblical book of Psalms. David, king of Israel around 1000 B.C., wrote many of these psalms. Occasionally a modern poet will title his or her poem a psalm. Psalm

Psychological realism
Psychological realism An attempt to portray characters in an objective, plausible manner. Above all else, psychological realism insists that characters be clearly motivated; they should not act without apparent reason. See also MOTIVATION, NATURALISM, REALISM. Psychological realism

Pun A humorous use of words that are similar in sound (merry and marry) or of a word with several meanings. Pun

Punctuation mark Any standard mark, such as a period, semicolon, hyphen, or comma, inserted to clarify meaning. Punctuation mark

Quatrain Q Main Menu

Quatrain A stanza of four lines
Quatrain A stanza of four lines. Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poems “Richard Cory” and “Miniver Cheevy,” pages 569 and 570, are written in four-line stanzas. See also COUPLET, OCTAVE, SESTET, STANZA. Quatrain

Rationalism Realism Refrain Regionalism Repetition Resolution
Rhetorical question Rhyme Rhyme scheme Rhythm Rising action Romanticism Round character Run-on line R Main Menu

Rationalism A philosophy that values reason over feeling or imagination. See also ROMANTICISM.

Realism A literary movement first prominent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Realism seeks to portray life as it is really lived. Realistic fiction often focuses on middle- or working-class settings and characters, often with reformist intent. See page 474. See also NATURALISM, PSYCHOLOGICAL REALISM. Realism

Refrain A line or lines repeated regularly, usually in a poem or song
Refrain A line or lines repeated regularly, usually in a poem or song. See page 331. See also REPETITION. Refrain

Regionalism An emphasis on themes, characters, customs, and settings of a particular geographical region. See page 472. See also DIALECT, LOCAL COLOR, VERNACULAR. Regionalism

Repetition The recurrence of sounds, words, phrases, lines, or stanzas in a speech or literary work. Repetition increases the sense of unity in a work and can call attention to particular ideas. See page 810. See also PARALLELISM, REFRAIN. Repetition

Resolution See PLOT. Resolution

Rhetorical question A question to which no answer is expected or the answer is obvious. See page 107. Rhetorical question

Rhyme The repetition of the same stressed vowel sounds and any succeeding sounds in two or more words. End rhyme occurs at the ends of lines of poetry. Internal rhyme occurs within a single line. Slant rhyme occurs when words include sounds that are similar but not identical ( jackal and buckle). Slant rhyme typically involves some variation of consonance (the repetition of similar consonant sounds) or assonance (the repetition of similar vowel sounds). See page 424. See also ASSONANCE, CONSONANCE, INTERNAL RHYME, RHYME SCHEME, SOUND DEVICES. Rhyme

Rhyme scheme The pattern that end rhymes form in a stanza or a poem
Rhyme scheme The pattern that end rhymes form in a stanza or a poem. Rhyme scheme is designated by the assignment of a different letter of the alphabet to each new rhyme. See pages 563 and 936. See also RHYME. Rhyme scheme

Rhythm The pattern of beats created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables, especially in poetry. Rhythm gives poetry a musical quality, can add emphasis to certain words, and may help convey the poem’s meaning. Rhythm can be regular, with a predictable pattern or meter, or irregular. See pages 695 and See also IAMBIC PENTAMETER, METER. Rhythm

Rising action See PLOT. Rising action

Romanticism An artistic movement that began in Europe and valued imagination and feeling over intellect and reason. See page 162. See also TRANSCENDENTALISM. Romanticism

Round character See CHARACTER.

Run-on line Also called enjambment, the continuation of a sentence from one line of a poem to another. Run-on lines enable poets to create a conversational tone, breaking lines at a point where people would normally pause in conversation, yet still maintaining the unit of thought. See page 673. See also END-STOPPED LINE. Run-on line

Stream of consciousness Structure Style Subject Surprise ending
Sarcasm Satire Scansion Scene Science fiction Screenplay Sensory details Septet Sestet Setting Shakespearean sonnet Short story Simile Slant rhyme Slave narrative Soliloquy Sonnet Sound devices Speaker Spondee Stage directions Stanza Stereotype Stream of consciousness Structure Style Subject Surprise ending Surrealism Suspense Symbol Symbolist poetry Synecdoche S Main Menu

Sarcasm The use of bitter or caustic language to point out shortcomings or flaws. See also IRONY, SATIRE. Sarcasm

Satire Writing that comments, sometimes humorously, on human flaws, ideas, social customs, or institutions. The purpose of satire may be to reform or to entertain. See page See also COMEDY, FARCE, HUMOR, PARODY, SARCASM, WIT. Satire

Scansion The analysis of the meter of a line of verse
Scansion The analysis of the meter of a line of verse. To scan a line of poetry means to note the stressed and unstressed syllables and to divide the line into its feet, or rhythmical units. Stressed syllables (´) and unstressed syllables ( ˘ ) are marked. See also FOOT, METER, RHYTHM. Scansion

Scene A subdivision of an act in a play. A scene is shorter than an act. See also ACT, DRAMA.

Science fiction Fiction that deals with the impact of science and technology—real or imagined—on society and on individuals. Sometimes occurring in the future, science fiction commonly portrays space travel, exploration of other planets, and possible future societies. See also FANTASY. Science fiction

Screenplay The script of a film, which, in addition to dialogue and stage directions, usually contains detailed instructions about camera shots and angles. See also STAGE DIRECTIONS. Screenplay

Sensory details Evocative words or phrases that appeal to one or more of the five senses. See page 89. See also IMAGERY. Sensory details

Septet A stanza of seven lines.

Sestet A six-line stanza. See also SONNET.

Setting The time and place in which the events of a literary work occur. Setting includes not only the physical surroundings, but also the ideas, customs, values, and beliefs of a particular time and place. Setting often helps create an atmosphere or a mood. See pages 594, 739, 769, 1189, and See also ATMOSPHERE, MOOD. Setting

Shakespearean sonnet See SONNET.

Short story A brief fictional narrative that generally includes the following major elements: setting, characters, plot, point of view, and theme. See also FICTION, NOVEL. Short story

Simile A figure of speech that uses like or as to compare seemingly unlike things. See page See also ANALOGY, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, METAPHOR. Simile

Slant rhyme See RHYME. Slant rhyme

Slave narrative Autobiographical account of the life of a former enslaved person. These documents helped expose the cruelty and inhumanity of slavery. See page 67. See also AUTOBIOGRAPHY, MEMOIR. Slave narrative

Soliloquy In a drama, a long speech by a character who is alone on stage. A soliloquy reveals the private thoughts and emotions of that character. See also DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE, MONOLOGUE. Soliloquy

Sonnet A lyric poem of fourteen lines, typically written in iambic pentameter and usually following strict patterns of stanza divisions and rhymes. The Shakespearean, or English, sonnet consists of three quatrains, or four-line stanzas, followed by a couplet, or pair of rhyming lines. The rhyme scheme is typically abab, cdcd, efef, gg. The rhyming couplet often presents a conclusion to the issues or questions presented in the three quatrains. In the Petrarchan, or Italian, sonnet, fourteen lines are divided into two stanzas, the eight-line octave and the sixline sestet. The sestet usually responds to a question or situation posed by the octave. The rhyme scheme for the octave is typically abbaabba; for the sestet the rhyme scheme is typically cdecde. See page 787. See also COUPLET, RHYME SCHEME, STANZA. Sonnet

Sound devices Techniques used, especially in poetry, to appeal to the ear. Writers use sound devices to enhance the sense of rhythm, to emphasize particular sounds, or to add to the musical quality of their writing and rhyme. See also ALLITERATION, ASSONANCE, CONSONANCE, ONOMATOPOEIA, RHYME. Sound devices

Speaker The voice speaking in a poem, similar to a narrator in a work of prose. Sometimes the speaker’s voice is that of the poet, sometimes that of a fictional person or even a thing. The speaker’s words communicate a particular tone, or attitude, toward the subject of the poem. One should never assume that the speaker and the writer are identical, however. See also TONE. Speaker

Spondee A metrical foot of two accented syllables. See also FOOT, METER.

Stage directions Instructions written by a playwright to describe the appearance and actions of characters, as well as the sets, costumes, and lighting. See page See also DRAMA. Stage directions

Stanza A group of lines forming a unit in a poem or song
Stanza A group of lines forming a unit in a poem or song. A stanza in a poem is similar to a paragraph in prose. Typically, stanzas in a poem are separated by a line of space. See page 831. See also SONNET. Stanza

Stereotype A character who is not developed as an individual, but instead represents a collection of traits and mannerisms supposedly shared by all members of a group. See also CHARACTER. Stereotype

Stream of consciousness
Stream of consciousness The literary representation of a character’s free-flowing thoughts, feelings, and memories. Stream-of-consciousness writing does not always employ conventional sentence structure or other rules of grammar and usage. See pages 658, 775, and 776. See also SURREALISM. Stream of consciousness

Structure The particular order or pattern a writer uses to present ideas. Narratives commonly follow a chronological order, while the structure of persuasive or expository writing may vary. Listing detailed information, using cause and effect, or describing a problem and then offering a solution are some other ways a writer can present a topic. See pages 1148 and 1168. Structure

Style The expressive qualities that distinguish an author’s work, including word choice and the length and arrangement of sentences, as well as the use of figurative language and imagery. Style can reveal an author’s attitude and purpose in writing. See pages 733, 1274, and See also AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, DICTION, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, IMAGERY, TONE. Style

Subject The topic of a literary work.

Surprise ending An unexpected plot twist at the end of a story
Surprise ending An unexpected plot twist at the end of a story. The ending might surprise readers because the author provides misleading clues or withholds important information. Surprise ending

Surrealism A literary and artistic style that originated in Europe in the 1920s. Surrealist works feature bizarre and impossible events treated as if they were normal. Surrealist poetry expresses the workings of the unconscious mind and how these workings interact with outer reality. This poetry is characterized by the use of images from dreams and stream-of-consciousness associations. See also STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS. Surrealism

Suspense A feeling of curiosity, uncertainty, or even dread about what is going to happen next in a story. Writers increase the level of suspense by creating a threat to the central character and raising questions in a reader’s mind about the outcome of a conflict. Suspense is especially important in the plot of an adventure or mystery story. See pages 250 and 606. See also PROTAGONIST. Suspense

Symbol Any object, person, place, or experience that exists on a literal level but also represents, or stands for, something else, usually something abstract. See pages 266, 1281, and See also ALLEGORY, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE. Symbol

Symbolist poetry A kind of poetry that emphasizes suggestion and inward experience instead of explicit description. See page 650. See also IMAGISM, MODERNISM. Symbolist poetry

Synecdoche A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or a whole is used for a part. In “All nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues,” tongues (a part) is used for the whole (languages). Synecdoche

Tall tale Tercet Terza rima Tetrameter Theater of the absurd Theme
Thesis Tone Tragedy Transcendentalism Trimeter Triplet Trochee T Main Menu

Tall tale A type of folklore associated with the American frontier
Tall tale A type of folklore associated with the American frontier. Tall tales are humorous stories that contain wild exaggerations and inventions. Typically, their heroes are bold but sometimes foolish characters who may have superhuman abilities or who may act as if they do. Tall tales are not intended to be believable; their exaggerations are used for comic effect. See also FOLKLORE, FOLKTALE. Tall tale

Tercet A stanza of three rhyming lines.

Terza rima A verse form with a sequence of three-line stanzas rhyming aba, bcb, cdc, and so on.

Tetrameter A metrical line of four feet. See also FOOT, METER.

Theater of the absurd See ABSURD, THEATER OF THE

Theme The central message of a work of literature, often expressed as a general statement about life. Some works have a stated theme, which is expressed directly. More works have an implied theme, which is revealed gradually through events, dialogue, or description. A literary work may have more than one theme. Some themes are universal, meaning that they are widely held ideas about life. Themes and topics are different. The topic of a work might be love; the theme would be what the writer says about love, that it is painful or wonderful or both, for example. See pages 179, 542, 679, and 869. See also AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, FABLE, MORAL. Theme

Thesis The main idea of a work of nonfiction
Thesis The main idea of a work of nonfiction. The thesis may be stated directly or implied. See page 194. See also NONFICTION. Thesis

Tone An author’s attitude toward his or her subject matter or the audience. Tone is conveyed through elements such as word choice, punctuation, sentence structure, and figures of speech. A writer’s tone might convey a variety of attitudes such as sympathy, objectivity, or humor. See pages 123, 185, 492, 528, 873, 1209, and See also AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, DICTION, FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, MOOD, STYLE, VOICE. Tone

Tragedy A play in which a main character suffers a downfall
Tragedy A play in which a main character suffers a downfall. That character, the tragic hero, is typically a person of dignified or heroic stature. The downfall may result from outside forces or from a weakness within the character, which is known as a tragic flaw. See page See also DRAMA, HERO. Tragedy

Transcendentalism A philosophical and literary movement whose followers believed that basic truths could be reached only by “going beyond,” or transcending, reason and reflecting on the world of the spirit and on one’s own deep and free intuition. Transcendentalists believed that the individual could transform the world—not only through writing, but also through utopian communities, antislavery activity, and other social action. See page 170. See also RATIONALISM, ROMANTICISM. Transcendentalism

Trimeter A metrical line of three feet. See also FOOT, METER

Triplet See TERCET. Triplet

Trochee A metrical foot made up of one accented and one unaccen ted syllable. See also FOOT.

Understatement Unreliable narrator U Main Menu

Understatement Language that makes something seem less important than it really is. See also HYPERBOLE. Understatement

Unreliable narrator A narrator whose account of events is faulty or distorted in some way. Some unreliable narrators intentionally mislead readers. Others fail to understand the true meaning of the events they describe. For example, if a story is narrated by a small child, he or she might misinterpret the behavior of adult characters. Most stories with unreliable narrators are written in the first person. See also POSTMODERNISM. Unreliable narrator

Verisimilitude Vernacular Verse paragraph Voice V Main Menu

Verisimilitude The illusion of reality, often achieved by presenting concrete, detailed descriptions. Verisimilitude

Vernacular Ordinary speech of a particular country or region
Vernacular Ordinary speech of a particular country or region. Vernacular language is more casual than cultivated, formal speech. Slang and dialect are commonly described as vernacular language. Regional writers sometimes employ vernacular language for enhanced realism. See also COLLOQUIAL LANGUAGE, DIALECT, LOCAL COLOR, REGIONALISM. Vernacular

Verse paragraph A group of lines in a poem that form a unit
Verse paragraph A group of lines in a poem that form a unit. Unlike a stanza, a verse paragraph does not have a fixed number of lines. While poems written before the twentieth century usually contain stanzas, many contemporary poems are made up of verse paragraphs. Verse paragraphs help to organize a poem into thoughts, as paragraphs help to organize prose. See page See also STANZA. Verse paragraph

Voice The distinctive use of language that conveys the author’s or narrator’s personality to the reader. Voice is determined by elements of style such as word choice and tone. See pages 406, 525, 791, and See also AUTHOR’S PURPOSE, DICTION, NARRATOR, STYLE, TONE. Voice

Wit Word choice W Main Menu

Wit An exhibition of cleverness and humor
Wit An exhibition of cleverness and humor. See also COMEDY, HUMOR, SARCASM, SATIRE. Wit

Word choice See DICTION.

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