AMERICAN LITERATURE 50 Common Literary Terms
Fiction A work that is not based on reality
Drama A play
Poetry The writings of a poet that are considered beautiful and graceful; usually written in a specific format
Non-fiction A story or writing that is based on truth and reality
Characterization How the character is described in terms of its personality, physical appearance and character.
dialogue Conversation between two or more characters
monologue A speech, usually very long, that is give by one character only in the presence of other people
Direct characterization When the author describes the character for the audience through vivid detail and description
Indirect characterization When the reader determines what the character is like through inferences made in the reading
Setting When and where the story takes place
Chronological order When a written work is ordered from the oldest to the most recent; ordered by date
Epistolary Form When a work is written in the form of letters
Frame Narrative A story that is written within another story; similar to a dream within a dream
Point of View The perspective from which the story is told
Tone The overall voice that the author portrays in a work
Diction The word choice a person/ author makes when writing
Rhetoric The art of writing and argumentation
Syntax The order in which words appear in a sentence
Mood The overall feeling or atmosphere the work gives to the reader
Theme The overall meaning or message a work sends to its audience
End Rhyme Rhyme that comes at the end of a line in a poem
Internal Rhyme rhyme between a word within a line and another either at the end of the same line or within another line
Slant Rhyme Words that do not quite rhyme but are still paired within a poem. Ex. Gain and again
Assonance the use of words that have the same or very similar vowel sounds near one another. Ex. as in “summer fun” and “rise high in the bright sky”
Alliteration Repeated consonant sounds Ex. Suzy sells seashells
Blank Verse un-rhyming verse written in iambic pentameter. It has 10 syllables per line
narrative A written work that comes in the form of a “story”
Sonnet a poem of 14 lines, usually in iambic pentameter, with rhymes arranged according to one of certain definite schemes
Stream of Consciousness a literary style in which a character's thoughts, feelings, and reactions are depicted in a continuous flow uninterrupted by objective description or conventional dialogue
Irony the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect
Sarcasm the use of irony to mock or convey contempt
Situational Irony irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.
Dramatic Irony Irony in a play in which the audience knows something that the characters do not.
Verbal Irony When a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning.
Satire the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues Ex. Family Guy
Figurative Language Similes, metaphors, imagery, ways to describes things in vivid detail and with comparisons
Simile A comparison using ‘like’ or ‘as’
Metaphor A comparison that does not use ‘like’ or ‘as’
Hyperbole Extreme exaggeration
Idiom an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket
Connotation The implied meaning of a word
Denotation The given definition of a word
Farce a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations
Juxtapose place or deal with close together for contrasting effect
Bildungsroman A novel dealing with one person's formative years or spiritual education. (aka- a coming of age story)
Archetype a very typical example of a certain person or thing
Motif a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition
Epic a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
Soliloquy speech you make to yourself
Imagery Descriptive detail that is meant to create an image in the reader’s mind