Literary Terms

Author: Oni, Inioluwa Oluwanifemi

Matric Number: 23/12361

Department: Private and Property Law, College of Law, Caleb University

Level: 100

Course Code: LIT 105

Course Title: Introduction to Nigerian Literature

Lecturer: Mrs Funmilayo

Due Date: November 2, 2023

 Definition of Literary Terms

Literary terms are the techniques or elements, for example, figures of speech, poetic

devices etc, that writers use for poems, narrative fiction and other forms of writing as well as

adding meaning to their works. It is also the use of various styles and formatting by writers or

speakers to enrich, emphasize and strengthen their pieces or compositions.

20 Examples of Literary Terms

The following are twenty examples of literary terms:

1) Anaphora: is the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of a series of sentences or

clauses, usually creating a rhythmic effect. For example, Martin Luther King, Jr.

used anaphora frequently in his “I Have a Dream” speech:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of

its creed . . .

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and

the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of

brotherhood . . . ”

2) Antagonist: is the character in a story that opposes or works against the goals or aims of

the protagonist e.g. In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, Iago clearly sets out to destroy Othello’s

happy marriage with Desdemona because Othello promoted Cassio instead of him.

3) Apostrophe: is a rhetorical figure where speaker addresses either a dead, absent person or

an inanimate object. E.g. in the nursery rhyme, “Twinkle, twinkle little star”- ‘Twinkle,

twinkle little star/how I wonder what you are’. The speaker is addressing the star as if it is a

person who is present and can actually respond.

4) Caesura: is a pause in the middle of a poem or verse, sometimes it is marked by

punctuation. E.g. in Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem ‘Ozymandias’, he makes use of caesura to

create an aura of awe and suspense, “Who said-’Two vast and trunkless legs of stone”.
5) Climax: is the highest point of tension in the story or the central turning point of the story

where the protagonist confronts the antagonist. They usually face the main conflict.

6) Consonance: is the repetition of one or more consonant sounds within a group of words.

For example, ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers..’. There is consonance of the /p/

sound.

7) Dramatic Irony: is when one or more of the characters in a story remain unaware of the

plot developments that have been revealed to the audience giving rise to humour and

suspense. For example, in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, the play’s antagonist frequently reveals

his diabolical schemes to the audience with the use of monologues and asides. Meanwhile,

the other characters in the play such as Othello, Desdemona, Cassio etc, trust him completely

and come to him for help or advice, they even refer to him as ‘honest Iago’ which is far from

the truth and makes the play comical and interesting.

8) Elegy: is a poem or song of lamentation used to honour a dead or deceased person.

9) Euphemism: is a figure of speech that softens an offensive or unpleasant idea by

substitution it with a polite phrase. E.g. ‘The old man kicked the bucket’- this means the old

man has died. ‘He put her in the family way’- this means he got her pregnant.

10) Hyperbole: is extreme exaggeration used to make a point, often humorously. For

example, ‘He ran a thousand miles in 5 minutes’.

11) Metaphor: is a figure of speech which involves the comparison of things without the use

of ‘as’ or ‘like’. E.g. ‘Exhaustion is a thin blanket tattered with bullet holes’.

12) Onomatopoeia: is a word that tries to imitate the sound it’s describing. E.g the ‘vroom’ of

a motorcycle, the ‘roar’ of a lion etc.

13) Oxymoron: is a figure of speech that combines contradictory words with opposing

meanings. E.g. ‘deafening silence’, ‘bitter sweet’.

14) Personification: is a figure of speech in which human attributes are assigned to inanimate

objects. For example, ‘The sun smiled down at us’.

15) Plot: is the sequence of events of a narrative or dramatic work. It usually consists of 5

basic elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution.

16) Rhetorical Question: is a question asked by the speaker for effect, rather than because a

response is needed or expected. E.g. in ‘Harlem’ by Langston Hughes, he asks a rhetorical

question, “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?”

17) Setting: is the time or place where the plot or story unfold. For example, in the novel

‘Americanah’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the settings are Lagos and Nsukka, Nigeria,

some cities in the U.S.A. and London, England.

18) Simile: is a figure of speech in which two objects are directly compared with the use of

‘as’ or ‘like’. For example, ‘She is as pretty as a flower’.

19) Protagonist: is the main character in a narrative. The central plot of the story focuses on

the character. For example, in Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’, Okonkwo was the

protagonist.

20) Parable: is a short story created to provide a moral or spiritual lesson, often using

symbolism and the likes to ensure easier understanding for the audience. For example, Jesus’

parable of ‘The Ten Virgins’ simply taught us the advantages and usefulness of being

steadfastness and prepared at all times. 5 of the virgins brought extra oil in case of any

circumstance that their lamps may go out, but the remaining 5 foolish ones assumed they

won’t need it. By the time their lamps went out and they went to buy some, they were locked

out and weren’t allowed into the wedding ceremony.