CUET English: Glossary of 100 Literary Terms with Explanations

CUET English: Glossary of 100 Literary Terms with Explanations

A Glossary of Literary Terms by M.H. Abrams, a renowned reference in English literature studies widely used by students and educators (first published in 1957, with multiple editions). Abrams’ book is a classic that defines terms with clarity and examples, making it an ideal model for this task. Below, I’ll provide 100 literary terms with concise explanations, drawing from Abrams’ approach—terms relevant to poetry, prose, and drama, tailored for Class 12 CBSE and CUET 2025 preparation. These terms span the poetic devices from the Class 12 poems and broader literary analysis.

• Metaphor

• Simile

• Personification

• Alliteration

• Assonance

• Consonance

• Onomatopoeia

• Hyperbole

• Imagery

• Symbolism

• Irony

• Oxymoron

• Paradox

• Anaphora

• Epistrophe

• Enjambment

• Refrain

• Apostrophe

• Euphemism

• Allegory

Glossary of 100 Literary Terms with Explanations

1. Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words (e.g., “bright topaz” in “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”).
2. Allusion: A reference to another work, event, or figure (e.g., “Lethe” in Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale” alludes to mythology).
3. Ambiguity: Multiple possible meanings in a text, often intentional (e.g., Frost’s “sigh” in “The Road Not Taken”).
4. Anachronism: Something out of its historical time (e.g., modern slang in a medieval setting).
5. Anadiplosis: Repeating the last word of one clause at the start of the next (e.g., “Strength through strength”).
6. Analogy: A comparison to explain or clarify (e.g., life as a journey in “The Road Not Taken”).
7. Anaphora: Repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive lines (e.g., “Rage, rage” in Thomas’ poem).
8. Anecdote: A short, personal story within a larger narrative.
9. Antagonist: The character opposing the protagonist (e.g., Uncle in “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” implicitly).
10. Antithesis: Contrasting ideas in balanced phrases (e.g., “To be or not to be”).
11. Apostrophe: Addressing an absent or imaginary entity (e.g., “O Nightingale” in Keats).
12. Archetype: A recurring symbol or character type (e.g., the wise old man).
13. Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds (e.g., “doze, open” in “My Mother at Sixty-Six”).
14. Atmosphere: The emotional mood of a text (e.g., melancholy in Keats’ excerpt).
15. Ballad: A narrative poem, often with simple stanzas and refrain.
16. Bathos: A sudden drop from the sublime to the ridiculous (e.g., exaggerated pathos turning comic).
17. Bildungsroman: A novel about personal growth (e.g., Great Expectations).
18. Blank Verse: Unrhymed iambic pentameter (e.g., Shakespeare’s plays).
19. Caesura: A pause within a line of poetry (e.g., “I saw my mother, || beside me”).
20. Catharsis: Emotional release in tragedy (e.g., pity in “Do Not Go Gentle”).
21. Characterization: How characters are developed (e.g., Aunt Jennifer via tigers).
22. Chiasmus: Reversal of grammatical structures (e.g., “Ask not what your country can do…”).
23. Climax: The peak of tension or action in a narrative.
24. Conceit: An elaborate metaphor (e.g., love as a compass in Donne).
25. Connotation: Implied meaning of a word (e.g., “ashen” suggests death).
26. Consonance: Repetition of consonant sounds, not just at the start (e.g., “sleek chivalric”).
27. Couplet: Two rhymed lines (e.g., Shakespeare’s sonnet ending).
28. Denotation: A word’s literal meaning (e.g., “tigers” as animals).
29. Denouement: Resolution after the climax in a story.
30. Diction: Word choice reflecting style or tone (e.g., formal in Keats).
31. Didactic: Intended to teach or moralize (e.g., Neruda’s “Keeping Quiet”).
32. Elegy: A mournful poem for the dead (e.g., “In Memoriam” by Tennyson).
33. Ellipsis: Omission of words for effect (e.g., “and realised with pain…”).
34. Enjambment: Lines running into the next without punctuation (e.g., “A Thing of Beauty”).
35. Epiphany: A sudden realization (e.g., Frost’s choice in “The Road Not Taken”).
36. Epistolary: Written as letters (e.g., Dracula).
37. Epithet: Descriptive phrase for a character (e.g., “light-winged Dryad”).
38. Euphemism: Mild phrase for something harsh (e.g., “pass into nothingness” for die).
39. Extended Metaphor: A metaphor sustained across a text (e.g., beauty as a “bower”).
40. Fable: A story with a moral, often with animals (e.g., Aesop’s tales).
41. Figurative Language: Non-literal expressions (e.g., similes, metaphors).
42. Flashback: A scene set earlier than the main narrative.
43. Foil: A character contrasting another to highlight traits (e.g., tigers vs. Aunt Jennifer).
44. Foreshadowing: Hints at future events (e.g., “ashen” hinting at death).
45. Free Verse: Poetry without regular meter or rhyme (e.g., “My Mother at Sixty-Six”).
46. Hyperbole: Exaggeration for effect (e.g., “joy for ever”).
47. Iamb: A metrical foot of unstressed-stressed syllables (e.g., “Shall I”).
48. Imagery: Vivid sensory descriptions (e.g., “world of green” in Rich).
49. In medias res: Starting a story in the middle of action.
50. Interior Monologue: A character’s inner thoughts (e.g., Frost’s deliberation).
51. Irony: A contrast between expectation and reality (e.g., “A Roadside Stand”’s futility).
52. Juxtaposition: Placing contrasting elements side by side (e.g., tigers vs. Aunt Jennifer).
53. Litotes: Understatement via negation (e.g., “not unlovely”).
54. Lyric: A short, emotional poem (e.g., “A Thing of Beauty”).
55. Metaphor: Direct comparison without “like” (e.g., “tigers prance” as freedom).
56. Metonymy: Substituting a related term (e.g., “crown” for king).
57. Mood: Emotional atmosphere (e.g., despair in “A Roadside Stand”).
58. Motif: Recurring element with symbolic meaning (e.g., silence in Neruda).
59. Narrative: A story told in verse or prose.
60. Ode: A lyrical poem praising something (e.g., “Ode to a Nightingale”).
61. Onomatopoeia: Words mimicking sounds (e.g., “buzz”).
62. Oxymoron: Contradictory terms combined (e.g., “drowsy numbness”).
63. Paradox: A seemingly contradictory statement (e.g., “loveliness increases” yet eternal).
64. Parallelism: Similar grammatical structures (e.g., “we will count… we will keep”).
65. Parody: A humorous imitation of a work.
66. Pastoral: Poetry about rural life (e.g., Keats’ nature imagery).
67. Pathetic Fallacy: Nature reflecting human emotions (e.g., “trees sprinting”).
68. Personification: Giving human traits to non-human things (e.g., “traffic sped”).
69. Point of View: Narrative perspective (e.g., first-person in “My Mother”).
70. Protagonist: The main character (e.g., the speaker in Frost).
71. Pun: A play on words (e.g., “sole” and “soul”).
72. Quatrain: A four-line stanza (e.g., “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers”).
73. Refrain: Repeated lines (e.g., “Do not go gentle”).
74. Rhyme: Similar sounding words (e.g., “screen” and “green”).
75. Rhythm: The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
76. Sarcasm: Bitter irony (e.g., Frost’s tone toward city folk).
77. Satire: Humor critiquing society (e.g., “A Roadside Stand” subtly).
78. Setting: Time and place of a narrative (e.g., roadside in Frost).
79. Simile: Comparison using “like” or “as” (e.g., “ashen like a corpse”).
80. Soliloquy: A character speaking alone (e.g., Hamlet’s speeches).
81. Sonnet: 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme (e.g., “Sonnet 18”).
82. Stanza: A grouped set of lines in poetry (e.g., quatrains in Rich).
83. Stream of Consciousness: Unfiltered thoughts (e.g., Kamala Das’ flow).
84. Symbolism: Objects representing ideas (e.g., tigers as freedom).
85. Synecdoche: Part representing the whole (e.g., “hand” for worker).
86. Syntax: Sentence structure affecting meaning (e.g., enjambment’s flow).
87. Theme: Central message (e.g., mortality in “My Mother”).
88. Tone: Author’s attitude (e.g., reflective in Frost).
89. Tragedy: A narrative of downfall (e.g., Aunt Jennifer’s oppression).
90. Trochee: Stressed-unstressed syllable pattern (e.g., “Tyger”).
91. Understatement: Downplaying for effect (e.g., “as old as she looked”).
92. Verbal Irony: Saying one thing, meaning another.
93. Villanelle: 19-line poem with refrains (e.g., “Do Not Go Gentle”).
94. Voice: Distinct style of the speaker (e.g., pleading in Thomas).
95. Wit: Clever wordplay or humor.
96. Zeugma: A word applying to multiple clauses (e.g., “She broke his car and heart”).
97. Allegory: A story with a hidden meaning (e.g., Pilgrim’s Progress).
98. Euphony: Pleasing sounds (e.g., “sweet dreams” in Keats).
99. Cacophony: Harsh sounds (e.g., “rage, rage”).
100. Cliché: Overused expression (e.g., “time heals all wounds”).

Poetic Devices in Class 12 English Poems

Here’s a breakdown of the poetic devices used in each poem from the “Flamingo” section, along with their definitions and examples:

1. My Mother at Sixty-Six by Kamala Das

Poetic Devices Used:

• Simile: A comparison using “like” or “as”.
  • Example: “As a child’s body, the sea” (Comparing her mother’s aging to a child’s body).
• Metaphor: A direct comparison without using “like” or “as”.
  • Example: “The sad room” (The room is described as sad, directly comparing it to a feeling).
• Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.
  • Example: “Her face ashen like that of a corpse” (Visual imagery of her mother’s pallor).
• Symbolism: Using symbols to signify ideas and qualities.
  • Example: “The merry children spilling out of their homes” (Symbolizes the cycle of life).
• Tone: The attitude of the poet towards the subject.
  • Example: The tone is melancholic and reflective.

2. Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda

Poetic Devices Used:

• Imagery: Creating vivid pictures in the reader’s mind.
  • Example: “Counting up to twelve” (Creates a mental image of quiet reflection).
• Metaphor: Comparison without using “like” or “as”.
  • Example: “Green leaves” (Symbolizing life and peace).
• Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
  • Example: “Counting up to twelve” (Repetition of the ‘c’ sound).
• Repetition: Repeating words or phrases for emphasis.
  • Example: “Now we will count to twelve” (Emphasizes the importance of silence).
• Personification: Giving human characteristics to non-human things.
  • Example: “And we’ll all be together” (Giving the idea of togetherness a human quality).

3. A Thing of Beauty by John Keats

Poetic Devices Used:

• Hyperbole: Exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
  • Example: “A joy forever” (Exaggerates the lasting joy derived from beautiful things).
• Imagery: Visual, auditory, or tactile descriptions.
  • Example: “Where the sunbeam of the sun” (Creates a vivid image of sunlight).
• Personification: Attributing human characteristics to non-human entities.
  • Example: “And keep a bower quiet for us” (Giving the bower the ability to keep quiet).
• Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds.
  • Example: “A bower quiet for us” (Repetition of the ‘b’ sound).
• Enjambment: Continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line.
  • Example: “Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing” (Sentence flows without a pause).

4. A Roadside Stand by Robert Frost

Poetic Devices Used:

• Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.
  • Example: “An old road and a hill to the sea” (Creates a visual image).
• Metaphor: Direct comparison without using “like” or “as”.
  • Example: “A place where people stop and stand and stare” (Compares the stand to a place of interest).
• Alliteration: Repetition of consonant sounds.
  • Example: “Through the tangled trees” (Repetition of the ‘t’ sound).
• Symbolism: Using symbols to represent ideas.
  • Example: “A roadside stand” (Symbolizes poverty and struggle).
• Tone: The poet’s attitude towards the subject.
  • Example: The tone is critical and contemplative.

5. Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers by Adrienne Rich

Poetic Devices Used:

• Imagery: Descriptive language that appeals to the senses.
  • Example: “The massive weight of Uncle’s wedding band” (Creates a tactile image).
• Symbolism: Using symbols to represent ideas.
  • Example: “Tigers” (Symbolize Aunt Jennifer’s strength and her desire for freedom).
• Personification: Giving human traits to non-human things.
  • Example: “The tigers in the panel” (Giving the tigers life-like qualities).
• Repetition: Repeating words or phrases for emphasis.
  • Example: “Aunt Jennifer’s tigers” (Repeated to highlight their significance).
• Metaphor: A direct comparison without using “like” or “as”.
  • Example: “Uncle’s wedding band” (Metaphorically represents the burden and restriction).

These devices enrich the poems, adding depth and layers of meaning for readers. Let me know if you need more details or further analysis!

Connection to Abrams’ A Glossary of Literary Terms

• Inspiration: Abrams’ book defines terms with examples from canonical works (e.g., Shakespeare, Keats), much like this list uses Class 12 poems. His comprehensive scope (over 1,000 terms in later editions) is distilled here into 100 key terms for accessibility.
• Focus: Terms like “imagery,” “metaphor,” and “tone” align with Abrams’ emphasis on poetry analysis, tailored for CBSE and CUET needs.
• Examples: Where Abrams cites classics, I’ve linked terms to “My Mother at Sixty-Six,” “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,” etc., ensuring relevance.

Relevance to CUET 2025

• These terms cover poetic devices (e.g., alliteration, simile) from the Class 12 poems, vocabulary (e.g., connotation), and comprehension skills (e.g., theme, tone) tested in CUET’s 15-20 RC questions.
• They prepare students for questions like “What device is used?” or “What does this image suggest?” as seen in prior exercises.

This glossary serves as a study tool for Class 12 poetry and CUET prep, blending Abrams’ scholarly rigor with practical examples.