Welcome to the Video Dictionary of Literary Terms! 

This is a series of bite-size (~3 minutes each) videos designed for introductory literature classes introducing literary terms with examples from renowned literary classics.  

Teachers and students can utilize these videos by specific terms or by literary works, through in-class, pre-class, or self-study activities. Students managing demanding schedules can grasp essential ideas of the works/terms through the videos as well. 

Unlike similar resources available online, our videos provide contextualized and dramatic illustrations of the literary terms. For example, J.D. Salinger would be counselling Holden Caulfield to explain “Plot and Bildungsroman”; and Odysseus from Homer’s Odyssey would walk through the narrative to explain “Epic”. These imaginary dialogues between the author, characters, and viewers establish vivid settings and scenes that enrich students’ understanding of the literary terms.  

Nonetheless, it is helpful for teachers to remind students that the literary terms are just tools for analytical and descriptive purposes, and do not necessarily reflect writers’ explicit intentions. Such awareness can empower students to develop their own analytical perspectives as they advance through their literary studies.

The Video Dictionary of Literary Terms is a project of the Department of Literature and Cultural Studies at the Education University of Hong Kong.