Literary Terms Vocabulary

a story with a hidden meaning, typically moral or political

“Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.”

Origin: Greek allegoria `figurative language` from allos `other` + agoreuein `to speak in public`

the repetition of initial consonant sounds

“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers demonstrates alliteration.”

Origin: Latin ad- `to` + littera `letter` + -ation

an indirect reference to something outside the text

“Calling someone a 'Scrooge' is an allusion to Dickens.”

Origin: Latin allusio `a playing with` from alludere `to play with` from ad- `to` + ludere `to play`

something placed in the wrong historical period

“A wristwatch in a Roman epic would be an anachronism.”

Origin: Greek anachronismos `reference to wrong time` from ana- `against` + chronos `time`

repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

“Churchill's 'We shall fight' speech uses powerful anaphora.”

Origin: Greek anaphora `a carrying back` from anapherein `to carry back` from ana- `back` + pherein `to bear`

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times is an antithesis.”

Origin: Greek antithesis `opposition` from antitithenai `to set against` from anti- `against` + tithenai `to place`

a concise statement expressing a general truth

“Actions speak louder than words is a common aphorism.”

Origin: Greek aphorismos `definition` from aphorizein `to define` from apo- `from` + horizein `to bound`

a universal symbol or character type recurring across cultures

“The hero's journey is a common archetype in mythology.”

Origin: Greek arkhetypon `original pattern` from arkhe- `primitive` + typos `model`

emotional release or purification through art

“The tragedy provided catharsis for the audience.”

Origin: Greek katharsis `purification, cleansing` from kathairein `to purify` from katharos `pure`

the final resolution of a plot

“The denouement revealed the murderer's identity.”

Origin: French dénouement `untying` from dénouer `to untie` from des- `un-` + nouer `to tie`

the choice and use of words in speech or writing

“The author's formal diction suited the historical setting.”

Origin: Latin dictio `a saying, word` from dicere `to say, speak`

a mournful poem lamenting the dead

“Auden wrote an elegy for W.B. Yeats.”

Origin: Greek elegeia `mournful poem` from elegos `mournful song`

a sudden realization or insight

“The character's epiphany changed the course of the story.”

Origin: Greek epiphaneia `manifestation, appearance` from epiphainein `to reveal` from epi- `upon` + phainein `to show`

a mild expression substituted for a harsh one

“Passed away is a euphemism for died.”

Origin: Greek euphemismos from euphemizein `to use favorable words` from eu- `good` + pheme `speech`

hints about future events in a narrative

“The dark clouds foreshadowed the coming tragedy.”

Origin: English fore `before` + shadow from Old English sceadwian `to shade, protect`

excessive pride leading to downfall

“The king's hubris ultimately destroyed his kingdom.”

Origin: Greek hybris `excessive pride, wanton violence`

deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect

“I've told you a million times is hyperbole.”

Origin: Greek hyperbole `excess, exaggeration` from hyper- `beyond` + bole `a throw`

expression of meaning through opposite words or outcomes

“A fire station burning down is a classic example of irony.”

Origin: Greek eironeia `feigned ignorance` from eiron `dissembler`

placing two elements close together for contrasting effect

“The juxtaposition of wealth and poverty highlighted inequality.”

Origin: Latin juxta `near` + French position `position` from Latin positio `a placing`

a recurring theme or element throughout a work

“The green light serves as a leitmotif in The Great Gatsby.”

Origin: German Leitmotiv from leiten `to lead` + Motiv `motive`

understatement by denying the opposite

“Saying 'not bad' when you mean 'good' is litotes.”

Origin: Greek litotes `plainness, simplicity` from litos `plain, simple`

mistaken use of a word for a similar-sounding one

“Saying 'for all intensive purposes' instead of 'intents and purposes' is a malapropism.”

Origin: French mal à propos `ill-suited` from the character Mrs. Malaprop in Sheridan's The Rivals (1775)

a direct comparison between two unlike things

“Life is a journey is a common metaphor.”

Origin: Greek metaphora `a transfer` from metapherein `to transfer` from meta- `over` + pherein `to carry`

substituting the name of an attribute for the thing itself

“The pen is mightier than the sword uses metonymy.”

Origin: Greek metonymia `change of name` from meta- `change` + onyma `name`

a recurring element that has symbolic significance

“Water is a motif representing rebirth in the novel.”

Origin: French motif `motive, theme` from Latin motivus `moving` from movere `to move`

a combination of contradictory terms

“Deafening silence and living dead are oxymorons.”

Origin: Greek oxymoros `pointedly foolish` from oxys `sharp` + moros `foolish`

an imitation for comic effect or ridicule

“The film was a parody of action movie clichés.”

Origin: Greek parodia `burlesque song` from para- `beside, mock-` + oide `song`

a quality that evokes pity or sadness

“The orphan's story was full of pathos.”

Origin: Greek pathos `suffering, emotion` from paschein `to suffer`

attributing human qualities to non-human things

“The wind whispered through the trees is personification.”

Origin: Latin persona `person, character` + facere `to make` + -ation

ordinary written language, as opposed to poetry

“The novel is written in elegant prose.”

Origin: Latin prosa `straightforward discourse` from prorsus `straightforward` from pro- `forward` + versus `turned`

the main character in a story

“Hamlet is the protagonist of Shakespeare's play.”

Origin: Greek protagonistes `chief actor` from protos `first` + agonistes `actor, combatant`

the use of humor or irony to criticize or expose

“The article was a satire of corporate culture.”

Origin: Latin satira `poetic medley` later influenced by Greek satyros `satyr`

a comparison using 'like' or 'as'

“Her eyes sparkled like diamonds is a simile.”

Origin: Latin similis `like, resembling`

a speech revealing a character's thoughts to the audience

“Hamlet's 'To be or not to be' is a famous soliloquy.”

Origin: Latin soliloquium from solus `alone` + loqui `to speak`

using a part to represent the whole or vice versa

“All hands on deck uses synecdoche.”

Origin: Greek synekdoche `simultaneous understanding` from syn- `together` + ekdechesthai `to interpret`

the arrangement of words and phrases in sentences

“Yoda's unusual syntax makes his speech distinctive.”

Origin: Greek syntaxis `arrangement` from syntassein `to arrange` from syn- `together` + tassein `to arrange`

a common or overused theme or device

“The chosen one is a familiar fantasy trope.”

Origin: Greek tropos `turn, way, manner` from trepein `to turn`

the appearance of being true or real

“The historical details added verisimilitude to the novel.”

Origin: Latin verisimilitudo from veri `of truth` + similis `like` + -tudo noun suffix

the spirit or mood of a particular period

“The music captured the zeitgeist of the 1960s.”

Origin: German Zeitgeist from Zeit `time` + Geist `spirit`

a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something

“The antagonist plotted against the hero at every turn.”

Origin: Greek antagonistes `opponent, rival` from anti- `against` + agonistes `combatant` from agon `contest`

a phrase, quotation, or poem at the beginning of a document or component

“The novel began with an epigraph from Dante.”

Origin: Greek epigraphe `inscription` from epi- `upon` + graphein `to write`