Literature Genres
story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether non-fictional or fictional.
Narrative
direct comparisons, in which two objects, often unrelated, are compared to each other.
Metaphor
giving human attributes to nonhuman objects
Personification
either directly or indirectly referring to another
Allusion
Language that appeals to logic and reasoning.
Logos
a form of literary art that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, literal or surface-level meanings
Poetry
indirect comparisons: two unrelated objects are being compared to each other.
Simile
refers to any sort of exaggerated description or statement
Hyperbole
a story whose sole purpose is to represent an abstract concept or idea
Allegory
Language that appeals to emotion.
Pathos
extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book.
Novel
argumentative comparison: it compares two unalike things to advance an argument. Specifically, it argues that two things have equal weight, whether that weight be emotional, philosophical, or even literal.
Analogy
when the writer describes something by using opposite language. As a real-life example, if someone is having a bad day, they might say they’re doing “greaaaaaat”, clearly implying that they’re actually doing quite un-greatly.
Irony
a word that sounds like the noise it describes.
Onomatopoeia
Language that bases its credibility in its speaker’s authority.
Ethos
any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary or in ways that are imaginary.
Fiction
can be both literal and figurative, and it relies on the interplay of language and sensation to create a sharper image in your brain.
Imagery
a juxtaposition of contrasting ideas that, while seemingly impossible, actually reveals a deeper truth.
Paradox
a literary device that plays with the sounds and meanings of words to produce new, often humorous ideas.
Pun
the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
Rhetoric
the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.
Drama
combines a lot of the ideas presented in metaphor and imagery. Essentially, it is the use of an object to represent a concept—it’s kind of like a metaphor, except more concise
Symbolism
the placement of contrasting ideas next to each other, often to produce an ironic or thought-provoking effect.
Juxtaposition
refers to a poem or story that is directly inspired by another piece of art.
Ekphrasis
Language that communicates the timeliness of its speaker’s position.
Kairos