Talking about Literature: English Vocabulary List

the main character in a movie, novel, TV show, etc.

"The protagonist is the main character."

"The protagonist of the novel is a young woman who must overcome many challenges to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor."

villainous character who strongly opposes another person or thing

"The antagonist opposes the protagonist."

"An antagonist is the principal opponent of the protagonist"

a fictional character with superpowers who is morally evil

"The supervillain planned to destroy the whole city with his giant laser."

"A supervillain is a larger-than-life criminal mastermind from comic books"

an elaborate or far-fetched poetic image or comparison between very dissimilar things, used in literature

"The poem used a clever conceit."

"The poet's conceit compared the passing of time to a river that never stops flowing."

a technique used in speech and writing to exaggerate the extent of something

"Hyperbole exaggerates for dramatic effect."

"Hyperbole is a deliberate exaggeration used for rhetorical emphasis"

the fact of having an excessive number of words that results in being tedious

"The prolixity of his speech made everyone in the room very sleepy."

"The audience grew restless because of the prolixity of the professor's two-hour lecture."

a short promotional description of a book, motion picture, etc. published on the cover of a book or in an advertisement

"The blurb on the book cover was exciting."

"A blurb is a short promotional summary or excerpt of praise printed on a book jacket"

a quotation or phrase placed at the beginning of a book, chapter, or other written work, often to suggest a theme or context

"The epigraph was a famous quote."

"The author placed a short quote from an ancient poem as an epigraph at the very beginning of the novel."

a collection of various items, such as literary pieces, poems, letters, etc., gathered from different sources

"The drawer was full of miscellanea and old papers."

"The box contained a miscellanea of old coins buttons and other small items from past decades."

someone who writes pamphlets, especially one who promotes partisan views on political issues

"The pamphleteer wrote short papers arguing for the rights of common people."

"The pamphleteer stood on the street corner handing out printed papers that criticized the government's new tax policies."

someone who uses words skillfully, especially a gifted author

"The wordsmith wrote beautiful sentences."

"A wordsmith is a skilled and creative user of language"

a cultural and artistic movement that explores the intersection of African and African Diaspora culture with technology and the future

"Afrofuturism blends science fiction with Black culture."

"Afrofuturism combines science fiction elements with African history and culture to imagine a better future for black people around the world."

a story, play, movie, etc. about a mystery or murder that the audience cannot solve until the end

"The whodunit kept me guessing until the end."

"The mystery novel is a classic whodunit where the reader must guess which character committed the crime before the detective reveals the truth."

an ancient book, written by hand, especially of scriptures, classics, etc.

"A codex is an old handwritten book."

"The ancient codex was made of wooden pages covered with wax and bound together with leather straps to preserve important texts."

humor, irony, ridicule, or sarcasm used to expose or criticize the faults and shortcomings of a person, government, etc.

"The play is a satire about politics."

"The film uses satire to cleverly criticize the corruption within the government."

the beginning section of a movie, book, play, etc. that introduces the work

"The prologue gives background to the story."

"A prologue is an introductory section of a literary work that sets the scene and provides context before the main narrative action begins."

a statement that implies or indirectly mentions something or someone else, especially as a literary device

"The poem has an allusion to Greek myth."

"The author's subtle allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet added layers of meaning to the protagonist's tragic dilemma."

a short story on morality with animal characters

"The fable of the tortoise and the hare is famous."

"A fable is a short story featuring animals as characters that conveys a clear moral lesson"

a concise version of a lengthy play, novel, etc.

"I read an abridgment of the long novel."

"An abridgment is a shortened version of a written work that preserves its core meaning and essential content while omitting less important details for brevity and accessibility."