Literary Terms

Novels and dramas differ significantly in form and presentation. Novels are typically lengthy, detailed narratives written in prose, allowing for deep exploration of characters' inner thoughts....

The subject matter is the specific topic or content a work addresses, such as love, war, or friendship. In contrast, the theme is the underlying message or insight about life and human nature that...

Elizabethan comedy is characterized by its use of political or social satire to provide an escape from the harsh realities of the time, such as disease, poverty, and crime. It often includes...

Literary texts are characterized by complex use of literary devices such as metaphor, symbolism, sophisticated chronology, and psychological characterization, which allow for deeper, layered themes...

The formation of the literary canon is rooted in its religious background, mirroring the authoritative list of biblical texts recognized by the church. In the West, the canon began forming with the...

The difference between a semantic and a lexical field is that the former deals with meaning, whereas the latter is concerned with topic. Both fields are similar in that they are used to organize and...

The proverb "Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. And lo, no one was there." is an example of personification because it attributes human actions to non-human entities, Fear and Faith....

The difference between Comedy of Humour and Comedy of Manner in Renaissance plays lies in their focus and style. Comedy of Manner satirizes the conventional values and practices of the time, often...

Epics are lengthy narrative poems celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation, often involving divine intervention. Mock epics, on the other hand, mimic the structure and...

Prose is characterized by its ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech, as opposed to the rhythmic structure of poetry. It is used in most forms of writing, such as novels, short...

Rhetoric is the study of using language to persuade, often through argumentative writing or speech, and includes devices like metaphors and similes. Prosody refers to the study of meter and rhythmic...

An anti-romantic comedy is the opposite of a romantic comedy. While it still contains humor and romance, love is thwarted by the characters' own psychological issues rather than external...

Literature is broadly defined as written works that have artistic or intellectual value. These works often include prose, poetry, and drama, and are characterized by their use of language to convey...

A "prose summary" is a condensed statement that expresses the main ideas of a passage in complete sentences and paragraphs. It requires technical correctness and writing skills. On the other hand,...

An "interlude" in literary terms refers to a short, intervening episode, scene, or event that occurs between the main narrative or acts of a play. It often provides comic relief, commentary, or a...

The placement of "Sincerely" depends on the letter style. In a business letter using block formatting, it is left justified. In a friendly letter, it is typically indented, placed about two-thirds...

Kenning is a poetic device originating from Anglo-Saxon and Norse poetry, which uses metaphorical phrases to describe an object. For the term "school", kennings could include: "chalkboard-bells",...

Comparative literature includes three key segments: the French School, which investigates the origins and cultural adaptations of ideas; the American School, which examines universal truths across...

A paragraph focuses on one topic. This topic is introduced with the first sentence in the paragraph, and the following sentences provide supporting details about the topic. An essay is usually...

The literary term for a book that begins at the end is often referred to as a "frame story." This narrative technique starts at the ending and then flashes back to explain how the story reached that...

"Comedy of Humours" refers to a genre of drama, notably associated with Ben Jonson, where characters are defined by a single dominant trait or temperament. This concept is rooted in the belief in the...

Drama, poetry, and short stories share the need for precise word choice and creativity. All three forms utilize literary tools like metaphor and figurative language. While drama and short stories are...

A critical appreciation of a work of literature evaluates the work through a critical lens in order to show some of the reasons it is worth reading and understanding. It is not a critical...

The setting in literature significantly influences the plot and characters by shaping their environment, actions, and motivations. It provides context, establishes mood, and can create conflicts or...

"She is the apple of my eye" is an example of a metaphor. This phrase compares a person to an apple, implying they are cherished and pleasing without using "like" or "as." It is not a simile,...

Expository essays aim to inform or explain a topic using factual evidence and a logical sequence, often in chronological order, without a personal voice. In contrast, persuasive essays express an...

In the context of literature, "paradigm" refers to a complex organization of thought or a theoretical framework that shapes the interpretation of a literary work. It involves understanding the...

Two primary types of figurative language used in "Bohemian Rhapsody" are understatement and analogy. The lyrics of the song repeatedly downplay what is clearly meant to be a tragic event or series of...

In literature, 'agency' refers to the freedom and capacity of characters to make choices, act freely, and control their lives within the narrative. It can also pertain to the reader's ability to...

A simple word is a basic word form with no additions, like "active." A compound word combines two simple words to create a new meaning, such as "bedroom." A complex word is a base word with...

A leitmotif is a recurring element with significant meaning in a literary work. Examples include the idea that after happiness comes pain in "The Song of the Nibelungs," Tara or the land in "Gone...

Even though there are many words meant to depict a person who cannot read and write, one of the most popular is "illiterate." Others include, "unlettered," "unread," and "unschooled." 

Text refers to the words which are written, while context is the surroundings of the text, whether it is created within the text or describing the situation of the author's life in which the text was...

Loose or cumulative sentences start with an independent clause followed by phrases or clauses that add information, like in Dostoevsky's example. Balanced sentences consist of two equal segments in...

Literary movements are groups of writers sharing common ideas about style, content, and philosophy, often reacting against previous movements. For example, Romanticism responded to Neoclassicism in...

The opposite of dramatic irony, where the audience knows something the characters do not, is often associated with the use of an unreliable narrator. This occurs when characters on stage know...

An ode is a form of lyrical poetry that originated in ancient Greece. It is characterized by its formal and elaborate style, often addressing and praising a person, event, or thing. Odes typically...

Velic and velaric closures are types of articulatory actions in phonetics. A velic closure occurs when the velum blocks air from entering the nasal cavity, producing oral sounds like "p" and "v." A...

The relationship between setting and theme in literature is integral, as the setting—encompassing time, place, culture, and atmosphere—shapes and enhances the thematic elements of a story. For...

Figures of speech and poetic devices overlap but have distinctions. Figures of speech, such as metaphors, similes, and personification, are expressions that convey meanings in a non-literal way....

Similes and metaphors can effectively describe a person's personality and appearance. Similes use "like" or "as" to compare, e.g., "as thin as a pole" or "kind like a saint". Metaphors directly...

A collection of poems by one poet can be called a "chapbook," which is typically a small, themed collection of no more than 40 pages. Another term is "collected poems," often used for a comprehensive...

The main difference between a monologue and a dramatic monologue is the presence of an intended listener. A monologue is a speech by one person, often used to develop character and plot, as seen in...

Some metaphors and similes that reflect intelligence, determination, or persistence include: "I'm like a man born blind who has been given a chance to see light" (Flowers for Algernon), "The brick...

The correct phrase is "How are your studies?" This follows the subject-verb agreement rule, where a plural subject ("studies") requires a plural verb ("are"). The other options, "How is your...

Drama is a literary work intended for stage or film, featuring characters in conflict, leading to a crisis and resolution within a specific atmosphere. It includes subcategories like comedies and...

The advantages of federalism sometimes outweigh the disadvantages because a federal government is one of the most efficient political systems that works in favor of the nation's interests and general...

Imagery refers to descriptive language that appeals to the five senses, helping readers visualize or sense scenes. There are seven specific types: visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile,...

The chorus in drama serves multiple functions. Initially, it provided a distraction while the sole actor changed roles. Over time, it began offering commentary on the action, establishing a...

The literary term for attributing animate or animal characteristics to inanimate objects is anthropomorphism. This technique involves giving human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human...