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.”
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.
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.
