An indispensable reference work, the Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory has established itself as an important resource in the complex and diverse field of literary criticism. In its fifth edition, it remains the most comprehensive and accessible work of its kind, invaluable for students, educators, and general readers alike.

• Provides definitions of technical terms (Hamartia, Iamb, Zeugma) and critical jargon (Aporia, binary opposition, intertextuality)
• Explores literary movements (Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Vorticism) and schools of literary theory
• Covers genres (Elegy, Fabliau, Pastoral) and literary forms (Haiku, Ottava Rima, Sonnet).