CRITICISM--TERMINOLOGY
LITERATURE-- TERMINOLOGY
ENGLISH LANGUAGE--TERMINOLOGY
LITERARY FORM--TERMINOLOGY
ENGLISH LANGUAGE--TERMS AND PHRASES
LITERATURE--DICTIONARIES
LITERATURE--GLOSSARIES
Library of Congress Classification
Class P - Language & Literature
Subclass PE English language
Subclass PN Literature (General)
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antagonist - the character pitted against the protagonist (the main character) of a work.
atmosphere - the general feeling created in the reader or audience by the work at a given point.
characters - imagined people described by the author through their actions, speech, thoughts, attitudes, and background; may include physical characteristics or names and relationships with other people.
characterization - the author's expression of a character's personality through the use of action, dialogue, thought, or commentary by the narrator or another character.
conflict - the struggle within the story; character divided against self, character against character, character against society, character against nature, character against God.
dialogue - vocal exchange between two or more characters. One of the ways in which plot, character, action, etc. are developed.
figures of speech - expressions that vary the unexpected sequence or sense of words; common examples include simile, metaphor, and personification.
imagery - words or groups of words that refer to a sense experience: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, or feeling.
metaphor - a figure of speech that associates two unlike things; the representation of one thing by another; an implied comparison.
mood - refers to the author's or the speaker's attitude toward the subject or theme of a work; related to atmosphere and tone
narrative - a story or a telling of a story, or an account of a situation or events; can be fictional or true; may be written in either prose or verse.
narrator - a speaker through whom an author presents a narrative, often but not always a character in the work.
personification - a figure of speech that attributes human qualities to inanimate or nonhuman creatures of things.
plot - arrangement of events of the story; what happens to whom, where, when, and why.
point of view - the vantage point from which a narrative is told, could be the author's or a character's.
protagonist - the leading character in a work.
setting - the time and place of events, may include the season, the weather, and the people in the background; often helps establish the mood or atmosphere of a literary work.
simile - a figure of speech that compares two essentially unlike things by using words such as like or as.
symbol - tangible objects, visible actions, or characters that hint at meanings beyond themselves.
theme - a work's main idea or insight; the author's observation about life, society, or human nature.
tone - suggests an attitude toward the subject which is communicated by the words the author chooses; designates the mood and effect of a work. Range of tone includes playful, somber, serious, casual, formal, ironic.
Conrey, Sean M., and Karl Stolley. "Literary Terms." The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 24 July 2015.
Kennedy, X. J., Kennedy, Dorothy M., and Marcia F. Muth. The Bedford Guide for College Writers. Boston: Bedford Books, 2013.
Murfin, Ross C., and Supryia M. Ray. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. Boston: Bedford Books, 1997.
The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms by
This compact but comprehensive glossary presents the most up-to-date definitions of more than 700 traditionally essential literary terms and new terms that reflect how literature is now being thought of and discussed.
A Glossary of Literary Terms by
Contains a complete glossary of essential literary terms presented as a series of engaging essays that explore the terms, place them in context, and suggest related entries and additional reading. This indispensable, authoritative, and highly affordable reference covers terms useful in discussing literature and literary history, theory, and criticism.
A Contemporary Guide to Literary Terms by
Covers the major literary terms and critical approaches students need to know. Emphasizing accessibility, the authors provide concise definitions and ample references to contemporary literature and film.