Books and literature

Literary terms and vocabulary list

This list is for students studying literature or writers building narrative craft, covering the core terms used to discuss fiction, poetry, and figurative language. Use it while reading novels or plays to name the techniques an author is using, or while planning your own creative writing.

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Literary terms and vocabulary list

Word	Meaning	In a sentence
metaphornoun	A figure of speech that describes something by referring to it as if it were something else, to suggest a resemblance.	Time is money is a common metaphor that compares time to a valuable resource.
similenoun	A figure of speech that compares two different things using the word like or as.	The phrase brave as a lion is a well-known simile comparing courage to a lion's.
alliterationnoun	The repetition of the same initial consonant sound across nearby words in a phrase.	The tongue twister 'she sells seashells' is a well-known example of alliteration.
personificationnoun	A figure of speech in which human qualities or actions are given to an object, animal, or abstract idea.	The line 'the wind whispered through the trees' is a classic example of personification.
foreshadowingnoun	A literary technique in which an author hints at events that will happen later in a story.	The storm in the opening chapter is foreshadowing of the conflict to come.
ironynoun	A situation or expression in which the intended or actual meaning is the opposite of what is said or expected.	It was pure irony that the fire station burned down during a fire safety inspection.
symbolismnoun	The use of symbols or images to represent ideas, qualities, or feelings beyond their literal meaning.	The novel is full of religious symbolism, especially in its final chapter.
imagerynoun	Descriptive language that creates vivid mental pictures or appeals to the senses, especially in literature.	The poem's imagery of crashing waves made readers feel the storm firsthand.
protagonistnoun	The main character in a story, novel, play, or film, around whom the plot centers.	The protagonist must decide whether to trust the stranger who saved her life.
antagonistnoun	A person who actively opposes or is hostile toward someone, especially the main character in a story.	The film's antagonist is a ruthless businessman determined to destroy the hero's family farm.
themenoun	A central idea or message that a piece of writing, art, or discussion explores.	Loneliness is a recurring theme throughout the author's early novels.
motifnoun	A recurring idea, image, or theme that appears throughout a work of art, literature, or music.	The recurring motif of light and shadow runs through the entire novel.
tonenoun	The general character, quality, or attitude conveyed by something, especially the sound of a voice or a piece of writing.	Her tone of voice made it clear she was joking, not being serious.
moodnoun	A temporary state of mind or feeling that affects how a person thinks or acts.	Her mood brightened as soon as she saw the surprise waiting on the kitchen table.
plotnoun	The main sequence of events in a story, or a secret plan made by a group to achieve something, often harmful.	The novel's plot follows a detective racing to solve a murder before the killer strikes again.
settingnoun	The time, place, and surrounding circumstances in which an event occurs or a story takes place.	The novel's setting shifts from a bustling city to a quiet island in the second half.
climaxnoun	The most intense, exciting, or important point in a story, event, or series of events.	The film's climax arrives when the two rivals finally confront each other.
conflictnoun	A serious disagreement or clash, whether between people, groups, ideas, or interests.	The border conflict between the two nations lasted for over a decade.
narratornoun	A person who tells or reads aloud the story or events in a book, film, or performance.	The narrator's calm voice guided listeners through the documentary's tragic history.
allegorynoun	A story, poem, or image in which characters and events represent a deeper moral or political meaning.	Animal Farm is often read as an allegory for the Russian Revolution.
flashbacknoun	A scene or memory that interrupts the present narrative to show an earlier event.	The film used a sudden flashback to reveal why the detective distrusted his partner.
hyperbolenoun	Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally, used for emphasis or effect.	Saying he waited a million years for the bus was clearly hyperbole.
onomatopoeianoun	The formation of a word from a sound associated with what it names, such as buzz or hiss.	Comic books often use onomatopoeia like 'bam' and 'pow' to show sound effects visually.
allusionnoun	An indirect reference to a person, event, or work, without explicitly naming it.	The poem makes a subtle allusion to the myth of Icarus flying too close to the sun.
characterizationnoun	The way a writer creates and develops a character's personality, traits, and motivations in a story.	Critics praised the novel's rich characterization, especially the flawed but sympathetic narrator.
dialoguenoun	A conversation between two or more people, especially as featured in a book, play, or film, or a formal exchange of ideas.	The novel's dialogue felt so natural it seemed like real conversation.
stanzanoun	A group of lines forming a unit within a poem, set off from other such units, similar to a paragraph in prose.	The poem's final stanza repeats the opening line to give the piece a circular structure.
meternoun	The base unit of length in the metric system, equal to about 3.28 feet.	The community pool is exactly twenty-five meters long from end to end.
rhymenoun	A similarity of sound between the endings of words or lines, especially in poetry or song.	The children's poem uses rhyme to make the lines easy to remember.
soliloquynoun	A speech in a play in which a character speaks their thoughts aloud while alone on stage.	Hamlet's famous soliloquy begins with the line 'To be, or not to be.'

Reading these terms in a story

These terms describe the building blocks writers use to shape a story or poem. A theme is the underlying idea a work explores, while a motif is a repeated image or idea that supports it. Foreshadowing hints at events to come, and irony creates a gap between what characters expect and what actually happens. Learning these words gives readers a shared vocabulary for discussing how a piece of writing achieves its effects, whether in a classroom discussion or a written analysis.

Frequently asked questions

Why learn literary terms and figurative language vocabulary?

These words give readers and writers precise language for discussing how a text creates meaning, tone, and emotional effect.

Do these terms apply to Shakespeare and other classic literature?

Yes, terms like soliloquy, irony, and allusion are especially useful for discussing plays and poetry from any era, including Shakespeare.