forces such as gods, angels, or demons.
Epics are typically written in a classical
style of grand simplicity with elaborate
metaphors and allusions that enhance the
symbolic importance of a hero’s adventures.Epic Simile:SeeHomeric Simile
Epigram:A saying that makes the speaker’s
point quickly and concisely.
Epilogue:A concluding statement or section of a
literary work. In dramas, particularly those
of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,
the epilogue is a closing speech, often in
verse, delivered by an actor at the end of a
play and spoken directly to the audience.
Epiphany:A sudden revelation of truth inspired
by a seemingly trivial incident.
Epitaph:An inscription on a tomb or tombstone,
or a verse written on the occasion of a per-
son’s death. Epitaphs may be serious or
humorous.
Epithalamion:A song or poem written to honor
and commemorate a marriage ceremony.
Epithalamium:SeeEpithalamion
Epithet:A word or phrase, often disparaging or
abusive, that expresses a character trait of
someone or something.
Erziehungsroman:SeeBildungsroman
Essay:A prose composition with a focused sub-
ject of discussion. The term was coined by
Michel de Montaigne to describe his 1580
collection of brief, informal reflections on
himself and on various topics relating to
human nature. An essay can also be a long,
systematic discourse.
Existentialism:A predominantly twentieth-century
philosophy concerned with the nature and
perception of human existence. There are
two major strains of existentialist thought:
atheistic and Christian. Followers of atheis-
tic existentialism believe that the individual
is alone in a godless universe and that the
basic human condition is one of suffering
and loneliness. Nevertheless, because there
are no fixed values, individuals can create
their own characters—indeed, they can
shape themselves—through the exercise of
free will. The atheistic strain culminates in
and is popularly associated with the works of
Jean-Paul Sartre. The Christian existential-
ists, on the other hand, believe that only in
God may people find freedom from life’s
anguish. The two strains hold certain beliefs
in common: that existence cannot be fully
understood or described through empirical
effort; that anguish is a universal element of
life; that individuals must bear responsibility
for their actions; and that there is no com-
mon standard of behavior or perception for
religious and ethical matters.
Expatriates:SeeExpatriatism
Expatriatism:The practice of leaving one’s country
to live for an extended period in another
country.
Exposition: Writing intended to explain the
nature of an idea, thing, or theme. Exposi-
tory writing is often combined with descrip-
tion, narration, or argument. In dramatic
writing, the exposition is the introductory
material which presents the characters, set-
ting, and tone of the play.
Expressionism:An indistinct literary term, orig-
inally used to describe an early twentieth-
century school of German painting. The
term applies to almost any mode of uncon-
ventional, highly subjective writing that dis-
torts reality in some way.
Extended Monologue:SeeMonologueF
Feet:SeeFoot
Feminine Rhyme:SeeRhyme
Fiction:Any story that is the product of imagina-
tion rather than a documentation of fact. Char-
acters and events in such narratives may be
based in real life but their ultimate form and
configuration is a creation of the author.
Figurative Language:A technique in writing in
which the author temporarily interrupts the
order, construction, or meaning of the writing
for a particular effect. This interruption takes
the form of one or more figures of speech such
as hyperbole, irony, or simile. Figurative lan-
guage is the opposite of literal language, in
which every word is truthful, accurate, and
free of exaggeration or embellishment.
Figures of Speech:Writing that differs from cus-
tomary conventions for construction, mean-
ing, order, or significance for the purpose of
a special meaning or effect. There are two
major types of figures of speech: rhetorical
figures, which do not make changes in the
meaning of the words, and tropes, which do.Glossary of Literary Terms