Most Common Terms Used in English Literature

English Literary terms

Simile
Comparing two unlike things using like or as. For example, Rashid runs like a Lion.

Metaphor
Direct comparison between two unlike things. For example, Rashid is a lion.

Personification
Giving human qualities to non-human things. For example, flowers were dancing.

Hyperbole
Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. For example: I have told you a
million times.

Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of nearby word. For example: Baba Baba black
sheep.

Irony
Using language that signifies the opposite of what is intended. For Example, saying beautiful
day during thunderstorm.

Consonance
Repetition of vowel sound inside a word. Example: The Rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain.

Allegory
Hidden story inside a story like Metamorphosis, Fairy Queen etc.

Symbolism
In Symbolism, objects or events represent abstract ideas, concepts or themes.

Allusion
In Allusion, the writer refers to a well-known person, events, place, myths or work of art. For
example, "Big Brother is watching you " means Govt.

Apostrophe

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Most Common Terms Used in English Literature

A character talking to an absent person or thing. Example: -----------------

Ballad
It means "to dance". Short story in poem, Dramatic narration, Question and answer method,
Medieval touch, Supernatural elements used, Repetition of particular lines, words and phrases.
Example " Rime of Ancient Mariner" by S.T Coleridge.

Quatrains
Four-line stanza is " quatrain ".

Conceit
Fanciful or elaborative metaphor that draw comparison between two different things. For
example: Shakespeare compares a lover's beauty with summer days, Donne compares his and her
lover's love with flea.

Couplet
A unit of two lines in poetry is "couplet". They have the same meter and same rhyme, can stand
alone. There are two types of it, Open couplets (not give complete idea) Close couplets (give
complete idea).

Heroic Couplets
They are pairs of rhymed lines written in iambic pentameter, meter commonly used in Epic and
narrative poetry. Rhyming scheme AABB.

Caesura
It means pause. Pauses in one line of poetry is known Caesura. For example: ---, ____etc.

Catharsis
Aristotle coined it, suffering and downfall of protagonist, allows audience to experience fear and
pity and that is catharsis.

Iambic and Meter

Iambic is combination of two syllables, first unstressed while second stressed syllable, it is also
called feet or feet. Meter is equal to one foot or foot. It defines the no. of iambic in one line of
poetry. It types are monometer, dimeter, trimeter, tetrameter, pentameter, hexameter.

Common Meter
It consists of alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter.

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Most Common Terms Used in English Literature

Rhyme and Rhyme

Scheme Repetition of same sound at the end of lines is " Rhyme " and Rhyming scheme is
denoting every sound with specific letter. For example: Twinkle, Twinkle little star, (A) How I
wonder what you are, (A) Like a diamond in sky, (B)

Lyrics
Single emotion or feeling, more to heart than intellect, short like songs, easy to remember,
subjective poetry, ode sonnets and ballad are forms of it. Melic songs (single person with Lyrical
instrument) Choric songs (many persons with many instruments)

Ode
Lyrical poem that addresses a particular subject, person, or object. poet. Pindar. Horace. There
are three basic types of odes: Pindaric ode (follow strict structure with three stanzas, each as
specific meter and rhyme. strophe, Antistrophe, Epode). Horatian ode (short stanzas and same
meter and rhyme). Irregular ode (Do not follow specific form)

Imagery
It refers to the use of vivid and descriptive language to create mental images in the reader's mind.
Five senses are used.

Theme
Central idea or message that author wants to convey.

Tone
It refers to the attitude or emotional expression of a writer towards subject matter or character.

Mood
It refers to the overall atmosphere or emotional feeling created by a piece of writing.

Conflict
It refers to struggle or clash between opposing forces or characters.

Point of View
It refers to the perspective from which a story is told or written. First person (Narrator is present
in story and represents themselves as "I"). Second Person (Narrator addresses reader directly as "
you ". Third Person (Narrator is external of the story).

Setting

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Most Common Terms Used in English Literature

It refers to the time, place and social environment in which the events of the story take place.

Characterization
Characters of story or novel.

Protagonist
Central character of the story.

Antagonist
It is a character that opposes or creates conflict for the protagonist.

Plot
The sequence pf event is " plot". Its principle is " cause and effect". For example: " The kind
died and then queen died, is a story while the kind died and then queen died of grief, is a plot.

Sonnet
The 14 lines poem is called " sonnet ". Dante coined it. There are two major types of sonnets,
Italian sonnets (Petrarchan sonnets,Fancesco Petrarch first used it, octave 8 lines and sestet 6
lines, from 9th line poet give solution and is called volta, Giacomo coined it.) English sonnets
(Shakespearean sonnets, Thomas Wyatt first translated, earl of surrey used it first, 3 quatrains
and one couplet, volta from 9th line, while Shakespeare start to give solution in his last couplet.

Three Unites
unity of time, unity of place, unity of action (follow by everyone)

Epic
A long narrative poem that tells the story of heroic deeds often involves gods, kings and
legendary figures. There are two types, Folk Epic (fairy queen), Literary Epic (Paradise lost)

Epic Theatre
It coined by Bertold Brecht, Anti-Aristotle ideas, claims theatre should not be dramatic and
promote emotions in audience while it should show reality of life and social change.

Black Verse
Only focus on meter, not on rhyme, specifically iambic pentameter is used, Marlow, William
Shakespeare, Miltan and William Cowper widely used it.

Formal Verse

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Most Common Terms Used in English Literature

Focus on both meter and rhyme of poetry.

Free Verse
Verse means poetry while free verse means no proper use of meter and rhyme, walt Waitman
American writer famous for it.

Elegy
A sad song or poem focuses on emotions, no follow meter and rhyme, first person written on
someone death, serious reflection.

Pastoral
The poet shows his feelings by using past events.

Epigram
Two- or four-lines poem.

Satire
To criticize someone or something.

Idiom
Group of words that have different meanings from literal meaning. like, break a leg means "
good luck".

Oxymoron
Sentence or phrase with two opposite or contradicting words. For example: Rashid is seriously
funny.

Stream of Consciousness
It is a narrative technique that aims to capture the continuous flow of thoughts and feeling
passing through a character's mind, James Joyce widely used it.

Rhythm
Similar stresses on syllables or group of words.

Motif
It refers to recurring elements, theme, image, symbol, idea that have significance in literary.

Prose

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Most Common Terms Used in English Literature

Straight forward message, no use of meter, rhyme or rhythm, For example; newspaper, Essay,
novel etc.

Figurative Language
It refers to the use of literary devices in writing like smile etc.

Enjambment
poetic technique where sentence or phrase carries over from one to next without a pause or
break in meaning.

Poetry
It is like painting with words. Expression of feelings and thoughts by using meter, rhyme and
rhythm.

Drama
Form of literature or performance tells a story through dialogue and action, often performed on
stage.

Tragedy
Serious play with sad ending, focus on downfall of hero due to flaw or mistake.

Comedy
Play with happy ending, often filled with humor.

Tragicomedy
Blend of tragedy and comedy, elements of both serious and humorous moments.

Novel
Long narrative tale or story complete in itself, reader can enjoy private, unlimited length.

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