A Glossary of Literary Terms

by M.H. Abrams, Geoffrey Galt Harpham

First published over fifty years ago, A GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS remains an essential resource for all serious students of literature. Now fully updated to reflect the latest scholarship on recent and rapidly evolving critical theories, the new contains a complete glossary of essential literary terms presented as a series of engaging, beautifully crafted, essays that explore the terms, place them in context, and suggest related entries and additional reading. This indispensable, authoritative, and highly affordable reference covers terms useful in discussing literature and literary history, theory, and criticism. Perfect as a core text for introductory literary theory or as a supplement to any literature course, this classic work is an invaluable reference that you can use throughout your academic and professional careers.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Literature, Writing, Academic, Theory

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

Meyer Howard Abrams is an American literary critic, known for works on Romanticism, in particular his book The Mirror and the Lamp. In a powerful contrast, Abrams shows that until the Romantics, literature was usually understood as a mirror, reflecting the real world, in some kind of mimesis; but for the Romantics, writing was more like a lamp: the light of the writer's inner soul spilled out to illuminate the world. Under Abrams' editorship, the Norton Anthology of English Literature became the standard text for undergraduate survey courses across the U.S. and a major trendsetter in literary canon formation.

Abrams was born in a Jewish family in Long Branch, New Jersey. The son of a house painter and the first in his family to go to college, he entered Harvard University as an undergraduate in 1930. He went into English because, he says, "there weren't jobs in any other profession, so I thought I might as well enjoy starving, instead of starving while doing something I didn't enjoy." After earning his baccalaureate in 1934, Abrams won a Henry fellowship to the University of Cambridge, where his tutor was I.A. Richards. He returned to Harvard for graduate school in 1935 and received his Masters' degree in 1937 and his PhD in 1940. During World War II, he served at the Psycho-Acoustics Laboratory at Harvard. He describes his work as solving the problem of voice communications in a noisy military environment by establishing military codes that are highly audible and inventing selection tests for personnel who had a superior ability to recognize sound in a noisy background. In 1945 Abrams became a professor at Cornell University. As of March 4th, 2008, he was Class of 1916 Professor of English Emeritus there.

Reviews

[Nikoleta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Εξαιρετικό. Έχει τους λογοτεχνικούς όρους σε αλφαβητική σειρά, και δεν εξηγεί απλώς τον κάθε έναν από αυτούς, αλλά παρουσιάζει την γέννηση του κάθε όρου στην ιστορική του εποχή, την εξέλιξη ή μεταβολή του στο πέρασμα του χρόνου (όταν αυτή υπάρχει) και αναλύει την σημασία του με παραδείγματα. Έμαθα χωρίς να δυσκολευτώ, και χωρίς να χάσω στιγμή το ενδιαφέρον μου, αντιθέτως αυτό μεγάλωνε με την κάθε σελίδα.

[Traveller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to buy this book for some class many many moons ago, and I thought it would be old hat by now, what with it sitting gathering dust on the shelf over the years.

Surprisingly, though, after thinking I was just going to refresh my memory on little morsels like adynaton, hypozeugma, and all the many convoluted methods of scansion, I actually ended up spending more time with it than I had intended, led on by its interesting background commentary.

What makes it nice, is that it is more than just a dictionary of literary terms - it's actually quite interesting to read in addition, like a mini-mini encyclopedia.

Perhaps it deserves to be properly dusted off and to join the books on my right-hand side.

[Lit Bug (Foram) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books available for a swift but meaningful study of every new term you can find in the academic study of English literature. Brief, to-the-point, clear and intelligible - it is a rich book for everyone seeking to systematically understand English literature.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the 8th edition for Literary Criticism (with Dr. Horton, correspondence).

Look at allegory in a 2024 Honors mentorship.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful indeed

[Nidhi Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to lack of time I had decided to do a selective study, but Abrams lured me into reading the whole of it.

[Pooh Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good reference book for literature students!
Highly recommended!

[ash ˚✧ ₊˚ · Rating 1 out of 5]

hate that this is the best book they (uni authorities) could come up with for literary terms. it is so damn confusing with no clear explanations and they expect us to write 15 marks answers based on this book.

pissed off that people don't even do the job they are paid to do. f*ck this shit! apologies if this is coming off as vicious but seems like everyone is working against the students at this point.

disclaimer: I have my exam in 25 minutes, this is more or less just a frustrated rant because this book helped me with ABSOLUTELY nothing. waste of money, waste of time.

full detailed review will come later because I don't have time right now.

[Sadia Mansoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful & handy guide for every lit student ^_^

http://www.ohio.edu/people/hartleyg/r...

[Reza Qalandari · Rating 5 out of 5]

چیزهای زیادی یاد گرفتم، اما خوشحالم که مجبور نیستم دوباره بخونم‌شون. ترجیح می‌دم دم دستم باشه که هرموقع نیاز شد بهش رجوع کنم فقط.

[Charu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me in clearing a lot of concepts.
Thank you Mr. Abrams 🙏

[Fior di Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Literature student's need. Yes, it was just a dictionary. Yes, I absolutely loved reading it and will definitely keep coming back to it.

[Ava · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know this book is well-known and I know how many people praise this book. But after referring to several Glossaries of Literary Terms, I realized that such kinds of books still have a long way to go. That is because none of them provide enough information on certain subjects and some of them do not have all the terms I needed to know about. Based on what I have learned, simplicity is the key to writing books and teaching. A technical book is supposed to be as simple and comprehensive as possible. Unfortunately, as detailed as it was, this book lacked simplicity. It is somehow hard and complicated for a beginner in Literature studies to process all the new information in just a few hours. I personally prefer Yale's Handbook of Literary Terms and The Anthem Dictionary of Literary Terms and Theory even though they may not be as complete.

I should also point out that referring to only one of these books during the process of study does not suffice.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "read" status I've given this book is purely for convenience: it is one that anyone who enjoys the nuts and bolts of literature as much as the actual product should always have on hand, whether to help answer a specific question, satisfy a vague curiosity, or use lucky dip style to discover something new about literature, and, by extension, the world.

This book represents a body of knowledge approached and collated by the same scholar, making for a compact, easily accessible, and, best of all, integrated, resource - and in that respect is better than trying to pick through the internet for the same definitions.

If you want quick but accurate descriptions of literary terms, nevertheless with some depth, and pointers on where else to go, this volume, while certainly not cheap, is definitely worth it.

[Roya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm actually done with this monster of a book. Didn't exactly love it, but learned from it so much, so incredibly much. I don't currently feel like discussing it or whatever; when you finish reading something like this, all you feel like doing is DANCING. So that's what I'm gonna do.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose it's useful, but really, the words here could be found in a dictionary, so its useless at the same time. Conveniently useless.

[Ruby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Over-elaborate where it should be more concise, too concise where more explanation would be appreciated.

[Trishwah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pre-Internet essential.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't live without this reference.

[Yuks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read this book two times and still failed the class

Failed again, third time is the charm 🤞🏻

[Jennice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to all hose who want to pursue a career in literature or those who simply want to understand a literature in brief. M. H. Abrams explains every point and term in brief and to the point, making it easy for beginners to memories those heavily typical words.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the [1999] 7th Edition. Can anyone tell me what terms may have been added in the newest edition? For example “magical realism” is not listed. I would like to make a note to add in sections myself.

Thank you!

[Caitlin Hagar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really helpful for understanding literary devices

[Shreya Pandey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any student of literature. I wish I'd listened to my professor who told me in my first semester as an English grad to buy a copy of this book. It's an essential read.

[Md Sahil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

[Chahna · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far the best reference book for literary terms I have come across.

[Aradhana Yadav · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must have for every literature student.

[Aradhana Yadav · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have book for every literature student. Brief and to the point description of literary terms.

[Nafisa Awal · Rating 5 out of 5]

পেঙ্গুইনের থেকে অনেক ভালো। অনেক গুছানো এবং অনেক সাহায্য করে।

[Soeti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains a lot of theories and terms, and totally helps me understand in methodology of literary studies class!