literary work
Novel or poem
A literary work is any written composition, especially one with artistic merit or lasting significance.
The term encompasses novels, poems, plays, essays, and short stories.
In legal contexts, literary work has a broader technical meaning covering almost any original text, including computer code and instruction manuals.
Her thesis examined the literary works of the Harlem Renaissance.
Written life account
- autobiographySelf-penned life narrative
- memoirWritten personal recollection
- essayShort argumentative prose work
- journalismNews gathering and dissemination
documentary · history · reportage · critique · analysis · exposition · travel writing · true crime
New and unusual
- novellaShort fictional book
- short storyBrief prose fiction
- noveletteMid-length prose fiction
- fantasyImaginative mental wandering
science fiction · romance · thriller · mystery · horror · historical fiction · fable · myth
Metered poetic passage
- stanzaPoem's line grouping
- rhymeMatching terminal sounds
- meterDevice that measures usage
- sonnetFourteen-line metered poem
haiku · limerick · ode · ballad · elegy · lyric · epic · quatrain
Author of stage dramas
- tragedyDisastrous or sorrowful event
- comedyWork meant to amuse
- tragicomedyGenre blending sorrow and mirth
- dialogueSpoken exchange between parties
monologue · soliloquy · script · act · scene · theater · stage · performance
Recounting events aloud
- plotStoryline or land parcel
- characterNature, symbol, or role
- settingContext of events
- themeCentral recurring concept
climax · conflict · protagonist · antagonist · narrator · arc · twist · resolution
Comprehensive subject-matter collection
- dictionaryAlphabetical word reference
- lexiconVocabulary of a language
- thesaurusSynonym and antonym compendium
- almanacYearly data compilation
atlas · handbook · manual · guidebook · textbook · anthology · compendium · concordance
Autobiographical prose work
- critical essayEvaluative analysis of art
- argumentativeInclined to dispute
- persuasiveAble to convince others
- expositoryServing to explain
reflective · op-ed · column · editorial · commentary · meditation · sketch · vignette
biography
Written life account
- autobiographySelf-penned life narrative
- memoirWritten personal recollection
- essayShort argumentative prose work
journalism · documentary · history · reportage · critique · analysis · exposition · travel writing · true crime · longform
novel
New and unusual
- novellaShort fictional book
- short storyBrief prose fiction
- noveletteMid-length prose fiction
fantasy · science fiction · romance · thriller · mystery · horror · historical fiction · fable · myth · legend
verse
Metered poetic passage
sonnet · haiku · limerick · ode · ballad · elegy · lyric · epic · quatrain · couplet
playwright
Author of stage dramas
- tragedyDisastrous or sorrowful event
- comedyWork meant to amuse
- tragicomedyGenre blending sorrow and mirth
dialogue · monologue · soliloquy · script · act · scene · theater · stage · performance · dramaturgy
storytelling
Recounting events aloud
theme · climax · conflict · protagonist · antagonist · narrator · arc · twist · resolution · foreshadowing
encyclopedia
Comprehensive subject-matter collection
- dictionaryAlphabetical word reference
- lexiconVocabulary of a language
- thesaurusSynonym and antonym compendium
almanac · atlas · handbook · manual · guidebook · textbook · anthology · compendium · concordance · glossary
personal essay
Autobiographical prose work
- critical essayEvaluative analysis of art
- argumentativeInclined to dispute
- persuasiveAble to convince others
expository · reflective · op-ed · column · editorial · commentary · meditation · sketch · vignette · book review
literary worktechnical manual
Documentation explaining equipment operation
instruction manual · tax form · technical documentation · operating instructions · data sheet
literary workpainting
Pigment on canvas
sculpture · musical composition · film · dance performance · photograph
literary workplagiarism
Unattributed use of others' work
transcription · copy · reproduction · compilation · anthology
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