In order to study literature, writing, or in general, anything at all, one quickly finds it necessary to be able to talk about the subject of study (whether to oneself or others). In order for it to be examined, we must be able to fit it into a form of discourse (which is just a fancy way of saying 'communication').

If you're paying attention, you'll have noticed that we've just said the same thing, twice. That's because it's so simple, and so important, at the same time: Think about it. How does one even think without putting particular details into language?

In any case, a little reflection will show that, in order to study any text, one must be able to identify and discuss particular details within the text, and discuss their effect alongside other particular details. Giving name to something gives us the ability to isolate it; to talk about that thing in particular. It gives us a sort of power over what is named. This is what literary terms are, in essence. They are names by which we can identify and isolate elements of a text, or decisions made by the authors of a text so that they may be included into a discourse.

In order to begin to study literature, we should know the following terms:

• Narrative

  Narrative refers to the story being told in a piece of writing or other work of art.

• Plot

  The plot is the 'mapping' of events in a narrative. One event influences another.

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• Character

  The characters in a story advance its plot.

• Setting

  The setting is the world which characters inhabit. The author has chosen the setting to explore a concept.

  • Click for more details about the literary definition of characters and their settings.



• Theme

  A theme is the 'big idea' that underlies a story. Writers write fiction in order to explore these ideas within a hypothetical world.

• Motif

  A motif is a recurring pattern in a piece of literature.

  • Click for more details about motifs and themes in literature.

These terms describe the broad patterns that we can identify in fiction literature. They constitute the broad framework of a text, and allow us to talk about it's general structure and the fundamental ideas that constitute the work's underlying premise.

In order to further our study of literature, and begin to study the writing within the broad framework, we should know the following terms:

• Metaphor

  A metaphor identifies a shared quality between two things, without explaining the comparison.

• Simile

  A simile is a direct comparison between two things.

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• Imagery

  Imagery refers to the mental images a writer can evoke through their writing.

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• Mood

  Texts are usually written to produce an emotional effect in the reader. The overall feeling one receives from a text is referred to as its mood.

  • Click for examples of how mood is achieved in writing.



• Symbol

  A symbol is a type of sign. As a sign, it is significant. It signifies meaning.

  • Click to learn more about the use of symbol in literature.

These terms help us explain the choices made by an author, and the techniques an author uses to convey their ideas.

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