Glossary of Literary Terms

D

Denotation

Denotation is a word’ or thing’s “dictionary defintion”, i.e. its literal meaning.

Denouement

The denouement is the very end of a story, the part where all the different plotlines are finally tied up and all remaining questions answered.

Deus ex machina

Deus ex machina is Latin for “a god from the machine.” It’s when some new character, force, or event suddenly shows up to solve a seemingly hopeless situation. The effect is usually much too abrupt, and it’s often disappointing for audiences

Diacope

Diacope is when a writer repeats a word or phrase with one or more words in between. A common and persistent example of diacope is Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be!”

Dialogue

Dialogue means “conversation.” In the broadest sense, this includes any case of two or more characters speaking to each other directly. But it also has a narrower definition, called the dialogue form. The dialogue form is the use of a sustained dialogue to express an argument or idea.

Diction

Diction refers to word choice and phrasing in any written or spoken text. Many authors can be said to have their own “diction,” because they tend to use certain words more than others or phrase things in a unique way.