Murder on the Orient Express Agatha Christie’s 1934 detective novel in which Hercule Poirot investigates a murder aboard the snowbound Orient Express; noted for its enclosed setting, moral complexity, and many…
My Sister's Keeper (novel by Jodi Picoult) My Sister's Keeper A 2004 novel by Jodi Picoult about a thirteen-year-old 'savior sibling' who sues her parents to gain medical autonomy as her older sister battles leukemia; examines ethics, family…
Mystery fiction Fictional works centered on a puzzle—usually a crime—to be solved by a detective; includes classic detective novels, contemporary procedurals, and subgenres that emphasize atmosphe…
Narrative: definition, structure, history, and uses Narrative An overview of narrative as the connected sequence of events that form a story, its structural components, historical development, modes of delivery, and its study in narratology.
Narratology: the study of narrative structure and techniques Narratology Narratology examines how stories are built and understood: their structures, temporal patterns, perspectives, and functions across literature, film, oral traditions and other media…
Naturalism (literature) Naturalism is a late 19th-century literary movement that extended realism by emphasizing scientific determinism, environment, heredity and social forces in portrayals of ordinary a…
"Niggers in the White House" (racist poem) Niggers in the White House An anonymous racist poem circulated in US newspapers c.1901–1903 and again in 1929 protesting Black attendance at White House events; associated with Booker T. Washington and the D…
Northrop Frye (1912–1991): Canadian literary critic and theorist Northrop Frye Overview of Northrop Frye, his major ideas—archetypal criticism, myth and modes—key works such as The Anatomy of Criticism, and his influence on literary studies and Canadian cultu…
Novel: the long prose narrative and its forms Novel A novel is a long work of prose fiction that tells a sustained story. This article explains its features, common genres, historical origins, uses, and how it differs from shorter f…
Novella: form, features, history and distinctions Novella A novella is a short fictional prose narrative longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. This article explains its qualities, origins, uses, and how it differs from relat…
Nursery rhyme Short traditional poems or songs for young children, often rhythmic or repetitive, used in play, early learning and cultural transmission; includes Mother Goose collections and man…
Of Mice and Men Concise encyclopedia entry on John Steinbeck's novella Of Mice and Men: plot, characters, themes, publication, reception, controversies, adaptations, and legacy.
Of Plymouth Plantation — William Bradford’s account of the Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony Of Plymouth Plantation A concise encyclopedia entry on William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation: its scope, composition (1630–1651), subjects (Mayflower, Leiden, Plymouth Colony), themes, and importance…
Old English (Anglo-Saxon): history, structure and literary legacy Old English Old English (Anglo-Saxon) was the early Germanic language of England (c. 450–1100). This article explains its dialects, writing, grammar, literature (including Beowulf) and its tra…
Old Yeller Old Yeller is a children's novel by Fred Gipson about a frontier family and their dog. It inspired sequels and a Disney film and remains a widely read work in American children's l…
On the Beach (novel) Nevil Shute's 1957 post‑apocalyptic novel about survivors in Australia awaiting global radioactive fallout, exploring morality, grief, and responsibility in the nuclear age.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest — novel by Ken Kesey One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (novel) Ken Kesey's 1962 novel set in an Oregon psychiatric hospital. A study of power, conformity and resistance, told through patients who clash with Nurse Ratched. Adapted into an accla…
Ottava rima Ottava rima is an eight-line stanza with rhyme scheme abababcc, originated in Italy and widely used for epic and narrative verse; later adapted into English metre and satirical for…
Pamphlet: form, history, uses and distinctions Pamphlet A pamphlet is an unbound printed publication—single sheet or a small staple-bound book—used for information, instruction, advertising and political or religious persuasion.
Parallelism (grammar): definition, forms, errors, and usage Parallelism (grammar) Parallelism in grammar is the use of matching grammatical structures to give equal weight to ideas, improve clarity, and create rhythm; used in lists, clauses, and paired construct…
Pathos (rhetorical appeal to emotion) Pathos Pathos is the rhetorical appeal to emotion—especially pity, compassion, or sorrow—used in speech, literature, and media to persuade, move, or engage an audience.
Paul Revere's Ride (poem) A narrative poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that dramatizes Paul Revere's midnight alarm and helped shape American memory of the Revolutionary period.
Pen name (pseudonym) Pen name A pen name is a name an author uses instead of their real name. This article explains reasons for using one, historical examples, legal and practical issues, and distinctions from…
Persuasion — Jane Austen's final completed novel Persuasion (novel) Persuasion, Jane Austen's last finished novel published posthumously in 1818, follows Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth through themes of social class, constancy, second chances an…
Philology: the study of texts, language, and literary tradition Philology Philology is the scholarly study of written texts and their languages, combining linguistic analysis and literary interpretation to reconstruct, edit, interpret, and transmit cultu…
Pippi Longstocking: Astrid Lindgren’s Unconventional Children's Heroine Pippi Longstocking Overview of Pippi Longstocking, the spirited fictional girl created by Astrid Lindgren: her traits, origins, publication history, adaptations, main characters and cultural impact.
Pippi Longstocking (book) Children's novel by Astrid Lindgren first published in Sweden in 1945, introducing unconventional, strong‑willed Pippi and her adventures; known for its humor, themes of independen…
Plot (storyline, land parcel, graph, conspiracy) Plot Overview of 'plot' in English: narrative structure in fiction, parcel of land, graphical data representation, and plan or conspiracy; covers features, types, history and distinctio…
Plot hole A plot hole is a gap, inconsistency, or contradiction in a story’s narrative that conflicts with established facts or expectations and can weaken the audience’s suspension of disbe…
Poet Laureate: Role, History and National Variations Poet laureate An encyclopedic overview of the poet laureate: its origin, duties, how different countries appoint poets laureate, notable examples and their cultural importance.
Polish literature: history, major periods, themes, and key authors Polish literature Survey of Polish literature from medieval Latin works to contemporary writing — major periods, characteristic forms and themes, influential authors, Nobel laureates and lasting cul…
Pollyanna: Eleanor H. Porter's children's novel and cultural legacy Pollyanna Pollyanna is a 1913 children's novel by Eleanor H. Porter about an optimistic orphan whose 'Glad Game' changes a small community; it inspired sequels, films, and the term 'Pollyann…
Pot calling the kettle black An explanation of the idiom and logical fallacy 'pot calling the kettle black' (tu quoque), its origins, structure, examples, when it is fallacious and how to respond.
Publishing agent (literary agent) Publishing agent A publishing agent represents authors and their works to publishers, film producers and other buyers. This article explains their roles, how they operate, typical arrangements, his…
Queen Margot — Alexandre Dumas's historical novel about Margaret of Valois Queen Margot Queen Margot (1845) is Alexandre Dumas's historical novel about Margaret of Valois and Henry of Navarre, dramatizing late 16th-century French court intrigue, religious conflict, an…
Ragged Dick: Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks Ragged Dick Ragged Dick (1867–68) by Horatio Alger Jr. follows a New York bootblack whose honesty, thrift and industry lead to social advancement; a formative rags-to-riches juvenile tale that…
Readability: making written text easy to understand Readability Readability describes how easily a reader can understand written text, shaped by word choice, sentence structure, layout, reader background and purpose; it is measured by formulas…
Redwall (novel) Redwall is a 1986 children's fantasy novel by Brian Jacques, the first book in the Redwall series. Illustrated by Gary Chalk, it introduced the world of Redwall Abbey and its anima…
Repetition (rhetorical device) Repetition Repetition is the deliberate restating of words, sounds, or structures to create emphasis, rhythm, memory, or persuasive force in speech, poetry, prose, music, and advertising.
Rhyme: Sound Patterns in Poetry and Song Rhyme Rhyme is the repetition of similar sounds, especially at line endings, used across poetry, songs, and oral traditions for musicality, memory, and structure. Types include exact, sl…
Rhyme royal A seven-line stanza form (ababbcc) usually in iambic pentameter, introduced into English by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century and used for narrative and reflective verse.
Rhyme scheme: notation, common patterns, history and examples Rhyme scheme An overview of rhyme schemes: how they are notated, common and named patterns, historical development, language differences, uses in verse and examples of internal rhyme.
Ricardo Piglia: Argentine novelist, critic, and essayist (1941–2017) Ricardo Piglia Argentine writer and critic Ricardo Piglia wrote influential fiction and literary essays, including Artificial Respiration and Burnt Money. He was a major voice in late 20th‑centur…
Roman à clef: the 'novel with a key'—definition, features, history, and examples Roman à clef A roman à clef is a fictional work that disguises real people or events behind invented names and details. This article explains the form, methods, history, purposes, and notable e…
Romantic Poetry Romantic poetry is a literary movement emphasizing emotion, imagination, nature, and individual experience; it emerged in late 18th-century Britain and shaped subsequent art and cu…
Romeo: meanings, origins, and cultural significance Romeo Romeo commonly denotes Shakespeare’s tragic lover, an Italian male name derived from a pilgrim to Rome, the NATO phonetic term for R, and a widespread cultural label in music, film…
Ron Weasley Ron Weasley is a central fictional character in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, known as Harry Potter's loyal friend, a member of the Weasley family, and a student of Gryffindo…
Rumpelstiltskin: origins, plot, themes, and cultural influence Rumpelstiltskin Concise encyclopedia article on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin: summary, origins and variants, themes, and its influence in literature and popular culture.
