English Literature IGCSE
English Literature IGCSE glossary
141 key terms for English Literature IGCSE, A to Z, each linked to the topic pages that use it.
A
- Allegory
- A story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Ambiguity
- When meaning is deliberately left unclear or open to multiple interpretations.Pearson Edexcel
- Anagnorisis
- A moment of critical discovery or recognition, where a character moves from ignorance to knowledge.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Anaphora
- The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Anthropomorphism
- Giving human characteristics to non-human entities.Cambridge International
- Assessment Objectives (AOs)
- The four specific criteria against which your work is marked: critical response (AO1), textual evidence (AO2), writer's methods (AO3), and personal response…Cambridge International
- Assimilation
- The process by which individuals or groups of differing ethnic heritage are absorbed into the dominant culture of a society.Pearson Edexcel
- Authentic Voice
- Capturing the specific tone, vocabulary, and speech patterns of a character in an empathic response.Cambridge International
- Authorial Intrusion
- When the author steps away from the narrative to speak directly to the reader.Cambridge International
B
- Bathos
- An effect of anticlimax created by an unintentional lapse in mood from the sublime to the trivial or ridiculous.Cambridge International
- Bildungsroman
- A coming-of-age story focusing on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Blank Verse
- Unrhymed iambic pentameter; the standard metre for Shakespeare's noble characters.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Brechtian Devices
- Theatrical techniques designed to remind the audience they are watching a play, preventing them from becoming too emotionally lost in the story.Cambridge International
C
- Caesura
- A pause near the middle of a line, usually indicated by punctuation (comma, dash, full stop).Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Capitalism
- An economic system based on private ownership and profit, prioritising individual wealth.Pearson Edexcel
- Caricature
- A description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Catharsis
- The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions (pity and fear).Pearson Edexcel
- Chi
- An individual's personal god or destiny in Igbo belief.Pearson Edexcel
- Chiaroscuro
- The use of strong contrasts between light and dark.Pearson Edexcel
- Code-switching
- The practice of alternating between two or more languages or varieties of language in conversation.Pearson Edexcel
- Colloquialism
- Words or phrases used in ordinary, everyday conversation rather than formal speech.Pearson Edexcel
- Colloquialism / Vernacular
- Everyday, informal language specific to a region or group.Cambridge International
- Conceptualised Argument
- An essay that explores overarching ideas and themes, rather than just tracking character actions chronologically.Cambridge International
- Context
- The historical, social, cultural, or literary background that surrounds a text and influences its meaning.Cambridge International
- Cosmology
- A culture's understanding of the universe and its order.Pearson Edexcel
- Cyclical Structure
- A narrative that ends in the same place or situation it began.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
D
- Defamiliarisation
- The artistic technique of presenting common things in an unfamiliar way to enhance perception of the familiar.Pearson Edexcel
- Determinism
- The philosophical belief that all events are determined completely by previously existing causes.Pearson Edexcel
- Determinism / Predetermination
- The philosophical idea that all events are determined by external causes, meaning characters lack true free will.Cambridge International
- Diaspora
- The dispersion of any people from their original homeland.Cambridge International
- Dramatic Irony
- When the audience knows something the characters do not.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Dramatic Monologue
- A poem in the form of a speech or narrative by an imagined person, in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of their character.Pearson Edexcel
- Dual Narrative
- A narrative structure that tells two separate but connected stories.Pearson Edexcel
- Dual Narrative Perspective
- A story told from two distinct viewpoints by the same narrator (child experiencing, adult reflecting).Pearson Edexcel
- Dynamic Character
- A character who undergoes an important inner change.Pearson Edexcel
- Dystopia
- An imagined state or society in which there is great suffering or injustice, typically one that is totalitarian or post-apocalyptic.Pearson Edexcel
E
- Emasculation
- The deprivation of a man's male role, identity, or strength.Pearson Edexcel
- Embedded Quotation
- A quotation that is integrated grammatically into your own sentence, rather than standing alone.Cambridge International
- Empathic Response
- An assignment where you write from the perspective of a character in the text, demonstrating your understanding of their voice, motivations, and context.Cambridge International
- Enjambment
- The continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Entailment
- A legal restriction on an estate dictating that it can only be inherited by a specific line of heirs (usually male).Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Epiphany
- A moment of sudden, profound realization or insight experienced by a character.Cambridge International
- Epistolary Elements
- The inclusion of letters in a narrative.Pearson Edexcel
- Epistolary Form
- A novel or part of a novel written in the form of letters.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Equivocation
- The use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth.Pearson Edexcel
- Expressionism
- A style of drama that seeks to express the inner world of emotion rather than external reality.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Extended Metaphor
- A comparison between two unlike things that continues throughout a series of sentences in a paragraph or lines in a poem.Pearson Edexcel
F
- Filial Piety
- A virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors (a core concept in Confucian philosophy).Pearson Edexcel
- Fin de siècle
- Relating to the end of a century, specifically the 19th century, often associated with anxiety and a sense of impending change.Cambridge International
- First-person limited narrator
- A narrative perspective where the story is told by one character (Klara) who only knows their own thoughts and what they observe.Pearson Edexcel
- Foil
- A character who contrasts with another character to highlight particular qualities of the other character.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Foreshadowing
- A warning or indication of a future event.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Free Indirect Discourse
- A style of third-person narration which uses some of the characteristics of third-person along with the essence of first-person direct speech.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Free Verse
- Poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
G
- Generational Trauma
- Trauma that is transferred from the first generation of trauma survivors to the second and further generations.Pearson Edexcel
- Gothic Elements
- Literature characterised by fear, horror, and gloomy settings.Pearson Edexcel
- Gothic Imagery
- Language that evokes gloom, mystery, suspense, and terror.Pearson Edexcel
- Gothic Motif
- Recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text's major themes, typical of Gothic literature.Cambridge International
- Greek Chorus
- A character or group that comments on the action of a play without participating in it, guiding the audience's response.Pearson Edexcel
H
- Half-rhyme
- A rhyme in which the stressed syllables of ending consonants match, however the preceding vowel sounds do not.Cambridge International
- Hamartia
- A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Hamartia (Tragic Flaw)
- A fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero.Pearson Edexcel
- Hubris
- Excessive pride or self-confidence that leads to a protagonist's downfall.Pearson Edexcel
- Hyperbole
- Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.Cambridge International
I
- Iambic Pentameter
- A line of verse with five metrical feet, each consisting of one short (or unstressed) syllable followed by one long (or stressed) syllable.Cambridge International
- In Medias Res
- Latin for 'in the midst of things'.Cambridge International
- Incantatory
- Delivered in the style of a magic spell or chant.Cambridge International
- Incantatory Language
- Language that sounds like a chant or spell, often rhythmic and repetitive.Pearson Edexcel
- Intersectionality
- The interconnected nature of social categorisations such as race, class, and gender.Cambridge International
- Intertextuality
- The relationship between texts, especially literary ones.Cambridge International
- Irony
- A gap between what is said and what is meant, or what is expected and what happens.Pearson Edexcel
J
- Juxtaposition
- The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
L
- Liminal Space
- A transitional or boundary zone between two established areas.Cambridge International
- Liminality
- The state of being between two things; a transitional space.Pearson Edexcel
- Literalism
- Taking words in their usual or most basic sense, without metaphor or allegory.Pearson Edexcel
M
- Magical Realism
- A genre where magical elements are a natural part of an otherwise mundane, realistic environment.Pearson Edexcel
- Malapropism
- The mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with an unintentionally amusing effect.Cambridge International
- Marginalisation
- The treatment of a person or group as insignificant or peripheral.Cambridge International
- Meta-theatre
- Aspects of a play that draw attention to its nature as drama or theatre.Cambridge International
- Metafiction
- Fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, drawing attention to its status as an artifact.Pearson Edexcel
- Metonymy
- A figure of speech where a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it.Cambridge International
- Micro-aggression
- A statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination.Cambridge International
- Microcosm
- A small-scale representation of a larger system or society.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Morality Play
- A type of drama that attempts to teach a moral lesson.Pearson Edexcel
- Motif
- A recurring element, image, or idea that has symbolic significance.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
N
- Naturalistic Dialogue
- Speech that mimics real, everyday conversation, complete with interruptions, slang, and colloquialisms.Cambridge International
- Nominative Determinism
- When a character's name reflects their personality or destiny.Pearson Edexcel
- Non-linear Narrative
- A storytelling structure where events are portrayed out of chronological order.Pearson Edexcel
- Non-linear structure
- A narrative that does not follow chronological order.Pearson Edexcel
O
- Omniscient Narrator
- An all-knowing narrative voice that can access the thoughts and feelings of multiple characters.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Oxymoron
- A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction.Pearson Edexcel
P
- Pathetic Fallacy
- The attribution of human feelings and responses to inanimate things or animals, especially in art and literature.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Pathos
- A quality that evokes pity or sadness in the audience.Cambridge International
- Patriarchy
- A system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Persona
- The aspect of someone's character that is presented to or perceived by others; a role assumed by the author.Cambridge International
- Petrarchan Lover
- A melodramatic, performative style of loving where a man suffers unrequited love for an idealized, distant woman.Pearson Edexcel
- Petrarchan Sonnet
- A 14-line poem divided into an octave (8 lines) stating a problem, and a sestet (6 lines) offering a resolution.Cambridge International
- Phonetic Spelling
- Spelling words exactly as they sound, often to represent a specific dialect or accent.Pearson Edexcel
- Plastic Theatre
- Williams' term for using props, sound, lighting, and staging to convey abstract psychological states.Cambridge International
- Plosive Alliteration
- Repetition of harsh consonant sounds (p, b, t, d, k, g).Cambridge International
- Polyphony
- A feature of narrative which includes a diversity of points of view and voices.Pearson Edexcel
- Polysyndeton
- The repeated use of coordinating conjunctions (like 'and') in quick succession.Pearson Edexcel
- Post-Humanism
- A philosophical concept that questions the traditional boundaries of what it means to be human, often in relation to advanced technology.Pearson Edexcel
- Postcolonial Literature
- Literature produced in countries that were once colonies, often exploring themes of identity, decay, and independence.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Postcolonialism
- Literature written by people from formerly colonized countries, often aiming to reclaim their history and identity from Western narratives.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Problem Play
- A play that shifts between dark, complex psychological drama and lighter comic elements.Pearson Edexcel
- Prose vs. Blank Verse
- Prose is ordinary speech; blank verse is unrhymed iambic pentameter.Pearson Edexcel
- Proverb
- A short, well-known saying stating a general truth.Pearson Edexcel
- Psychological Realism
- A literary genre that emphasises interior characterisation and motives to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of characters.Cambridge International
R
- Restraint
- Holding back; in literature, a style that uses minimal words and avoids melodrama to create emotional impact.Pearson Edexcel
- Retrospective Narrative
- A story told from the point of view of a character looking back on past events.Pearson Edexcel
S
- Satire
- The use of humour, irony, or exaggeration to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Second-Person Address
- When the narrative voice directly addresses the reader using 'you'.Cambridge International
- Semantic Field
- A set of words grouped by meaning referring to a specific subject (e.g., words related to war: 'blood', 'guns', 'marching').Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Sibilance
- The repetition of 's' or 'sh' sounds, creating a hissing or whispering effect.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Social Commentary
- The act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on issues in a society.Cambridge International
- Social Darwinism
- The application of 'survival of the fittest' to human society.Cambridge International
- Social Realism
- A style of art or literature that depicts the everyday conditions of the working class, often to critique social structures.Cambridge International
- Social Satire
- The use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices.Pearson Edexcel
- Socialism
- A political and economic theory advocating that the means of production should be regulated by the community as a whole.Pearson Edexcel
- Soliloquy
- A speech given by a character alone on stage, revealing their inner thoughts.Pearson Edexcel
- Southern Belle
- A stock character representing a young, unmarried woman of the American Deep South's upper socioeconomic class, expected to be fragile, flirtatious, and chaste.Cambridge International
- Southern Gothic
- A literary genre set in the American South, characterised by deeply flawed, disturbing, or eccentric characters and decaying settings.Cambridge International
- Spatial Metaphor
- Using physical space to describe abstract concepts or emotions.Pearson Edexcel
- Static Character
- A character who undergoes little or no inner change.Pearson Edexcel
- Stichomythia
- Dialogue in which two characters speak alternating, short, rapid lines.Cambridge International
- Stoicism
- The endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint.Cambridge International
- Subversion
- Undermining or challenging expected norms or conventions.Pearson Edexcel
- Syllogism
- A form of deductive reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from two given or assumed propositions.Pearson Edexcel
- Symbolism
- The use of objects or characters to represent abstract ideas.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
T
- The New Negro
- A term popularised during the Harlem Renaissance implying a more outspoken advocacy of dignity and a refusal to submit quietly to Jim Crow segregation.Cambridge International
- Theocratic
- A system of government in which priests rule in the name of God.Pearson Edexcel
- Thesis Statement
- A clear, concise sentence in your introduction that outlines the central argument of your essay.Cambridge International
- Tragic Hero
- A protagonist of high status who is brought to ruin by a fatal flaw (hamartia) and an inability to adapt.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
- Tragic Heroine
- A protagonist who makes a judgment error or has a fatal flaw that inevitably leads to their own destruction.Cambridge International
U
- Unreliable Narrator
- A narrator whose credibility is compromised.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
V
- Verbal Irony
- Saying the opposite of what is actually meant, often for satirical effect.Cambridge International
- Vignette
- A brief evocative description, account, or episode.Pearson Edexcel
- Volta
- The turn of thought or argument in a sonnet, usually occurring between the octave and the sestet.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
W
- Writer's Methods
- The conscious choices a writer makes regarding language, structure, and form to create specific effects or convey meaning.Cambridge International
Z
- Zoomorphism
- Applying animal characteristics to humans.Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel
Where these terms come from
Each definition is one we publish on a English Literature IGCSE topic page or study guide. Open a term to see how each exam board words it and which topic it belongs to. For the full course, go to English Literature revision or the glossary for every subject.
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