Allegory: An allegory is a simple story, such as a fable or parable, whose major purpose is to teach a moral lesson. An allegory can always be read on two levels – one literal, the other symbolic. The underlying meaning can be parallel to, but different from, the surface meaning.
Allusion: An allusion, in a literary work, is a reference to another literary work, or a person, place, event, or object from history, literature, or mythology.
Antagonist: The antagonist in a literary work is the primary person in opposition to the hero or protagonist.
Apostrophe: The apostrophe is a figure of speech consisting of words addressing an inanimate object, abstract idea, or deceased individual as though that object, idea, or person were alive; also, words addressing an absent person as though s/he were present.
Ballad: is a story in a song, usually a narrative song or poem. Any form of story may be told as a ballad, ranging from accounts of historical events to fairy tales in verse form. It is usually with foreshortened alternating four- and three-stress lines (‘ballad meter’) and simple repeating rhymes, and often with a refrain.
Bias: An underlying preference or prejudice for or against a particular idea, value, or group of people, that makes it difficult or impossible to judge fairly in a particular situation.
Character: Refers to (i) an individual in a story, narrative, poem, or play, and (ii) the qualities of the individual. The latter are usually revealed through dialogue, description, and action.
Colloquial Language: words, phrases, and expressions used in everyday conversation; it is relaxed and informal rather than literary and formal.
Comic Strip: A sequence of drawings (cartoons) that tell a humorous story.
Conflict: A struggle between opposing characters, forces or emotions, usually between the protagonist and someone (sometimes between the protagonist and his/her emotions) or something else.
Context: the situation or background information relevant to understand a word, idea, character, or incident in a text. It could refer to the surrounding event(s) or information in the text, the background of the writer, or the social situation in which the text was written. As well, the context the reader brings to a text affects how a piece of writing is received and experienced.
Dramatic Irony: A type of situational irony contrasting what a character perceives, and what the audience and one or more of the characters know to be true.
Dramatic Monologue: a poem in which a single speaker who is not the poet utters the entire poem at a critical moment. The speaker has a listener within the poem, but we too are his/ her listener, and we learn about the speaker’s character from what the speaker says. In fact, the speaker may reveal unintentionally certain aspects of his/her character. Robert Browning perfected this form.
Ethic: [ethics: plural] a set of principles that people use to decide what is right and what is wrong.
Epilogue: A closing or concluding section of a text.
Epistolary: [adj.] Relating to the writing of letters. An epistolary story consists of a series of letters written by the characters in the story.
Flashback: A device that shifts the narrative from the present to the past, usually to reveal a change in character or illustrate an important point.
Foreshadowing: It refers to plot technique in which a writer plants clues that hints at what is going to happen later in the plot. Foreshadowing is used to arouse the readers’ curiosity, build suspense, and help prepare the reader to accept events that occur later in the story.
Genre: A type of class of literary texts [e.g. Short stories] within which there are categories of forms [e.g. realistic fiction, science fiction, fantasy].
Irony: Occurs when a statement or situation means something different from (or even the opposite of) what is expected. See also Dramatic Irony.
Jargon: language used by a particular group that may be meaningless to those outside the group. Metaphor and Simile
Metaphor and simile are special ways of writing, describing things (often abstract ideas) more powerfully by referring to other (often concrete) things. What is a simile? In a simile the connection is made using a word such as ‘like’ or ‘as’. For example, The athlete ran like a greyhound, and Her eyes are as blue as the morning sky.
What is a metaphor? Metaphors are more indirect. A metaphor allows you to associate something that you are describing with something well-known. For example, expressions such as, I can’t swallow that suggestion, That argument smells fishy and Could we chew over these ideas together? are all based on the metaphor ‘ideas are food’.
Monologue: A monologue is a speech by one person directly addressing an audience. In a monologue, the actor need not be alone, however, none of the supporting casts speak. When the actor is alone, perhaps thinking out loud this is a soliloquy, not a monologue. There are two basic types of monologues:
Narrator: the storyteller in narrative writing; a function of the point of view. A narrator may use first person narration or a more objective third person style such as omniscient narration or limited omniscient narration. [see point of view].
Ode: An ode is a poem that is written for an occasion or on a particular subject. They are usually dignified and more serious as a form than other forms of poetry.
Plot: refers to the events in a story.
Point of view: the perspective from which a story is told. First person point of view is limited. First person involved can be seen in Woman Unknown. Leaving has a first person observer point of view. Bluffing has a third person limited narrator. The Elephant has a third person omniscient narrator.
Prologue: opening or introductory section of a text.
Protagonist: primary character in a text.
Satire: a literary work that criticizes/ridicules human follies, institutions, government by depicting it in a humorous, sarcastic, or scornful way. The purpose of satire is often to teach a lesson or encourage change.
Science Fiction: Modern science fiction is the only form of literature that consistently considers the nature of the changes that face us, the possible consequences, and the possible solutions. That branch of literature which is concerned with the impact of scientific advance upon human beings. (1952) Isaac Asimov.
Sentence Fragment: it is a sentence that is missing either a verb or a subject. E.g. “always having to sit here alone.”
Simile: See “Metaphor and Simile”.
Stereotype: it is an over simplified picture, usually of a group of people, giving them all a set of characteristics, without consideration for individual differences, often reflecting some bias.
Sonnet: A lyric poem of fourteen lines, following one or another of several set rhyme-schemes.
Stream of Consciousness: A continuous flow of a person’s thought process without any special consideration for sentence structure or organization.
Symbol: a person, place, or thing that stands for both itself and for something beyond itself. The symbolic meaning of a work is developed through the symbols that the author includes.
Theme: a statement of the central idea of a work usually implied rather than directly stated.
Vignette: a short but interesting piece of writing or section of a film/novel.