The definitions of literary terms such as memoir, tragicomedy, comedy, and more can be found in this guide.
Themes:
This glossary has definitions of genresand terms.
Allegory:
A metaphorical narrative in prose or verse in whichcharacters and parts of the narrative usually represent moral or spiritualvalues.Anansi Tale:
A series of folktales of African origin that describethe adventures of Anansi. These tales are popular in Jamaica.Anecdote:
A short, amusing narrative of an entertaining or curiousincident that is often biographical.Autobiography:
A biography of a person, written by the person.Ballad:
A narrative poem composed of short verses, intended to besung or recited.Beast Tale:
A story in which animals play the roles of human beingsin human settings.Biography:
A written account of a person's life.Black Comedy:
A story that substitutes morbid, unfunny situationsfor carefree, funny ones.Classic:
A literary work meriting the highest praise.Description:
A composition that presents graphic detail on asubjective or objective experience.Dilemma Tale:
A story that ends in a problem rather than a solution.Editorial:
A newspaper or periodical article that expresses theviews of the author on a matter of current interest.Epic:
A long, narrative poem that is generally about the deeds of anheroic figure.Essay:
A brief composition, usually in prose, that gives theauthor's views.Fable:
A short tale that teaches a moral. It usually has animals or inanimate objects as characters.Fairy Tale:
A tale of fiction, usually for children, with fanciful characters.Fantasy:
A highly imaginative tale about somewhat believable, but nonexistent, characters, places, and events.Farce:
A light, funny play that usually emphasizes improbablesituations rather than characters to make a point.Feminist Literature:
Writings by and about women.Fiction:
Imaginative narrative that is designed to entertain.Fictionalized Biography:
A person's life story based partly on factand enhanced by the author's imagination.Folktale:
A narrative that has been retold and is well known within aculture.Haiku:
Unrhymed Japanese poetry with three lines that have five, seven, and fivesyllables, respectively.Historical Fiction:
A story based partly on events from thepast.Idyll:
A short prose piece or poem that describes simple times in romantic ways.Jingle:
A short rhyme or verse with catchy sounds or rhymes.Juvenile Book:
A book for children or adolescents.Legend:
A traditional, historical tale, first told orally and laterin written form.Melodrama:
A play with exaggerated characters and plot.Memoir:
An account of one person's observations andexperiences.Monograph:
A well-documented, detailed study of a limited subject or aspect of a subject.Monologue:
A long speech by one character.Morality Play:
A medieval, allegorical play with the struggle for a character's soul as a theme.Mystery Play:
A medieval, religious play about the scriptures.Mystery Story:
A narrative in which the plot is usually built arounda crime.Myth:
An anonymous story designed to explain the mysteries of life.It usually has exaggerated characters.Narration:
A composition in writing or speech that tells a story orgives an account of something.Narrative:
A story told orally or in writing.Narrative Poem:
A poem, usually long, that tells a story.Nonfiction:
A piece designed to explain, argue, or describe a real event.Nonsense Verse:
Verse that defies meaning either by using inventedwords or misusing meaningful words.Novel:
Extended, fictional prose narrative with full character andplot development.Novelization:
A novel based on a movie.Novella:
Fictional, prose narrative that is longer than a shortstory but shorter than a novel.Ode:
A formal, elaborate lyrical poem.Parable:
A short story intended to teach a moral lesson.Parody:
An imitation of an author or work for comic effect.Pastoral:
Poetry dealing with idealized, rural life.Pattern Book:
A book with predictable plot and/or text.Persuasive Writing:
A piece that proves something or someone to betrue, credible, essential, or worthy.Picaresque:
Spanish fiction that tells of rogues oradventurers.Picture Book:
A book with illustrations that are as important as the text.Pourquoi Story:
A folktale that explains certain events, customs, or behaviors.Problem Literature:
A piece of written work in which the action is focused on difficult choices.Propaganda:
Written or spoken pieces that are intended to influencethe reader or listener strongly.Prose:
Written or spoken language that is not verse.Psychological Novel:
A story in which the characters' motivationsare of primary importance.Pun:
A play on words that are the same or similar in sound butdifferent in meaning.Quatrain:
A poem of four lines or verses.Realistic Fiction:
A story that portrays characters and events asthey are.Satire:
Scorn or ridicule, used humorously in writing to showfollies or vices.Science Fiction:
A story based on fictional, scientific possibilities.Sequel:
A complete story that is a continuation of an earlier story.Serial:
A story or play presented in parts.Short Story:
A brief, fictional prose narrative.Soliloquy:
A speech given by a character as if he were alone.Sonnet:
A 14-line poem that usually rhymes in a formal way and is iniambic pentameter.Story:
An imaginative tale that is shorter than a novel, but longerthan a short story.Supernatural Story:
A narrative with events and situations thatcannot be explained by known causes.Survival Story:
A fiction or nonfiction narrative about characterswho overcome great odds.Technical Writing:
A piece intended to give specificinformation.Tragedy:
A work that presents serious or sad events.Tragicomedy:
A literary work that contains elements of both comedy and tragedy.Trickster Tale:
A story about a mischievous, supernaturalbeing.Yarn:
A long true or imaginary tale of adventure.
