Literary Vocabulary

20 Literary Vocabulary Words with Meanings and Examples

1. Allegory: A story with a hidden meaning, often moral or political.

  • Example: The novel “Animal Farm” is an allegory for the Russian Revolution.

2. Alliteration: The repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words.

  • Example: “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
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3. Allusion: A reference to a famous person, place, or event.

  • Example: The phrase “raining cats and dogs” is an allusion to Norse mythology.

4. Foreshadowing: Hints or clues about events that will happen later in a story.

  • Example: The ominous clouds foreshadowed the upcoming storm.

5. Imagery: The use of vivid language to create mental pictures.

  • Example: The author used vivid imagery to describe the beautiful sunset.

6. Metaphor: A comparison between two things that are not alike.

  • Example: “Life is a journey.”

7. Simile: A comparison between two things using “like” or “as.”

  • Example: “He is as strong as a lion.”

8. Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things.

  • Example: “The wind howled in the night.”

9. Symbolism: The use of objects or images to represent ideas or concepts.

  • Example: The dove is a symbol of peace.

10. Tone: The author’s attitude toward the subject matter.

  • Example: The tone of the poem is somber and reflective.

11. Mood: The overall feeling created by the text.

  • Example: The mood of the story is suspenseful and mysterious.

12. Theme: The central message or idea of a literary work.

  • Example: The theme of the novel is the importance of perseverance.

13. Plot: The sequence of events in a story.

  • Example: The plot of the play revolves around a murder mystery.

14. Setting: The time and place of a story.

  • Example: The setting of the novel is Victorian England.

15. Character: A person or animal in a story.

  • Example: The protagonist of the novel is a brave young hero.

16. Point of View: The perspective from which a story is told.

  • Example: The story is told from the first-person point of view.
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17. Conflict: The struggle or problem that drives the story.

  • Example: The main conflict in the novel is between good and evil.

18. Resolution: The outcome of the conflict in a story.

  • Example: The resolution of the story is a happy ending.

19. Genre: The category of a literary work, such as fiction, poetry, or drama.

  • Example: The book is a science fiction novel.

20. Style: The author’s unique way of writing.

  • Example: The author’s style is characterized by simple, direct language.

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