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Essential Vocabulary for TOEFL - Literature

Here you will learn some English words about literature, such as "prose", "tale", "myth", etc. that are needed for the TOEFL exam.

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Essential Words Needed for TOEFL
literary
literary
[Adjective]

related to literature, especially in terms of its style, structure, or content

Ex: The literary analysis focused on exploring themes and motifs within the novel. 
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anecdote
anecdote
[noun]

a short interesting story about a real event or person, often biographical

Ex: She shared a funny anecdote about her first day at work. 
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prose
prose
[noun]

spoken or written language in its usual form, in contrast to poetry

Ex: Her writing style is characterized by clear and concise prose, making her novels accessible to a wide audience. 
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passage
passage
[noun]

a portion of written text, often of moderate length

Ex: The teacher asked us to analyze a passage from Shakespeare. 
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rhyme
rhyme
[noun]

agreement between the sound or the ending of a word and another word

Ex: "Cat" and "hat" are perfect rhymes because they end with the same sound. 
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storyline
storyline
[noun]

the plot of a movie, play, novel, etc.

Ex: The storyline takes a surprising turn in the final chapters of the book. 
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tale
tale
[noun]

a true or imaginary story, particularly one that is full of exciting events

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volume
volume
[noun]

a single publication that is part of a set of similar works

Ex: The magazine releases a new volume every month. 
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publication

the act of preparation and distribution of a book, magazine, piece of music, etc. to the public

Ex: The publication of her first novel took nearly two years of editing. 
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playwright

someone who writes plays for the TV, radio, or theater

Ex: The playwright received critical acclaim for her latest production. 
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poetic
poetic
[Adjective]

relating to poetry as a form of expression or literature

Ex: The book includes several poetic passages. 
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myth
myth
[noun]

a story involving the ancient history of a people, usually about heroes and supernatural events that could be unreal

Ex: The myth of the phoenix tells of a bird that rises from its ashes. 
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mythical
mythical
[Adjective]

relating or based on myths or legendary stories

Ex: The mythical creature known as the unicorn is often depicted as a symbol of purity and grace. 
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fiction
fiction
[noun]

a type of literature about unreal people, events, etc.

Ex: She loves reading fiction novels that transport her to different worlds. 
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plot
plot
[noun]

the events that are crucial to the formation and continuity of a story in a movie, play, novel, etc.

Ex: The plot of the novel kept readers on the edge of their seats with its unexpected twists. 
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legend
legend
[noun]

an old story that is sometimes considered historical although it is not usually proved to be true

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romance
romance
[noun]

a novel or movie about love

Ex: She curled up with a romance novel, eager to lose herself in a world of passion and intrigue. 
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tragic
tragic
[Adjective]

(of a literary piece) related to or characteristic of tragedy

Ex: The tragic ending of the play left the audience deeply moved by the protagonist's untimely demise. 
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symbolic
symbolic
[Adjective]

consisting of or employing symbols

Ex: The dove is symbolic of peace and harmony across cultures and religions. 
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to author
to author
[Verb]

to be the writer of a book, article, etc.

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biography
biography
[noun]

the story of someone's life that is written by another person

Ex: The biography of Nelson Mandela highlights his journey and achievements. 
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autobiography

the story of the life of a person, written by the same person

Ex: He wrote an autobiography to share his life story with the world. 
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to depict
to depict
[Verb]

to describe a specific subject, scene, person, etc.

Ex: The artist’s work often depicts scenes from daily life in a vibrant style. 
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metaphor
metaphor
[noun]

a figure of speech that compares two unrelated things to highlight their similarities and convey a deeper meaning

Ex: He used the metaphor of a journey to describe the process of personal growth. 
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narration
narration
[noun]

the way of telling or explaining a story, particularly in a movie, novel, etc.

Ex: The first-person narration allowed readers to experience the protagonist's inner thoughts and emotions firsthand. 
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moving
moving
[Adjective]

causing powerful emotions of sympathy or sorrow

Ex: The moving speech by the survivor brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the audience. 
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to illustrate

to use pictures in a book, magazine, etc.

Ex: She illustrates her articles with hand-drawn sketches. 
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to compose

to write a literary piece with a lot of consideration

Ex: After months of research, she finally composed a compelling essay on environmental conservation. 
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to draft
to draft
[Verb]

to write something for the first time that needs corrections for the final presentation

Ex: The author spent hours drafting the opening chapter of his novel, knowing that revisions would follow. 
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bestseller

an item, especially a book, that is bought by a large number of people

Ex: Her latest novel became a bestseller within weeks of its release. 
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comic
comic
[Adjective]

connected with or in the style of comedy

Ex: She enjoys reading comic books featuring humorous stories and characters. 
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comic strip

a series of cartoons in boxes that narrate a story

Ex: Every Sunday, she eagerly awaited the newspaper to read her favorite comic strip. 
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