Allegory

Allegory, AL uh gawr ee, is a story with more than one meaning. Most allegories have moral or... More >>

Black humor

Black humor is a literary term that refers primarily to a kind of bitter and often outrageous... More >>

Epistle

Epistle, ih PIHS uhl, can refer to any letter written to an individual or a group. However, the... More >>

Epitaph

Epitaph is a memorial inscription on a tombstone or other monument to the dead. The term comes... More >>

Humor

Humor. No one knows exactly why we laugh or why anything that is funny should cause us to make... More >>

Irony

Irony is a device used in speaking and writing to deliberately express ideas so they can be... More >>

Naturalism

Naturalism, in literature, is the attempt to apply scientific theory and methods to imaginative... More >>

Parody

Parody is a comic imitation of a literary work. A writer creates a parody to ridicule the work of... More >>

Prologue

Prologue, PROH lawg, is an introduction to a play or other writing. The term comes from two Greek... More >>

Proverb

Proverb, PROV urb, is a brief saying that presents a truth or some bit of useful wisdom. It is... More >>

Pun

Pun is a humorous use of words that sound alike or nearly alike but have different meanings. For... More >>

Romance

Romance is a long work of fiction that is less realistic than a novel. Most novelists try to... More >>

Saga

Saga, SAH guh, is the name given to a large body of literature written in Iceland between the... More >>

Satire

Satire is the use of irony or sarcasm to attack some form of human behavior. Most satire appears... More >>