Secondary 2 Literature in English vocabulary should help students read poems, prose and plays, notice what writers actually do, and explain their ideas with textual evidence. This guide begins with 200 terms and definitions organised by genre and thinking skill, then shows how to use them in genuine literary analysis rather than scattering technical words into an answer.
This is an independent eduKateSG reading guide, not an MOE-prescribed list of 200 words or an SEAB examination prediction. Schools select texts and school-based learning tasks for lower-secondary Literature. The subject explores prose, poetry and drama, but the works and depth of analysis differ across classes and programmes. A term being listed here does not mean that every Secondary 2 student must memorise it for a national examination.
Quick navigation:
- Words 1–40 — genres, characters and important literary ideas;
- words 41–100 — poetry form, sound, imagery and figurative devices;
- words 101–140 — prose narration and stage drama;
- words 141–180 — evidence, argument, identity and human experience;
- words 181–200 — tone, diction, structure and meaningful critical response.
Top 200 Secondary 2 Literature in English vocabulary words and meanings
1. What Literature asks us to read and understand — words 1–20
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- literature — Creative writing studied for its meanings, language, form and human questions.
- literary text — A work such as a poem, story or play examined as artistic language.
- genre — A broad category of writing defined by shared conventions.
- prose — Writing commonly organised into sentences and paragraphs rather than verse lines.
- poetry — Writing that makes concentrated use of language, rhythm, image and form.
- drama — Writing designed for performance by actors or readers.
- novel — An extended fictional prose narrative.
- short story — A relatively brief fictional prose work.
- play — A dramatic work organised for performance.
- author — The real person who created a literary work.
- narrator — The voice telling a story; not automatically identical to its author.
- speaker — The voice heard in a poem, distinct from the real poet.
- reader — The person interpreting a text’s words and effects.
- plot — The arrangement of connected events in a narrative.
- setting — The time, place and surrounding circumstances of a work.
- theme — An idea or human question explored across a work.
- motif — A recurring image, object or idea that develops significance.
- conflict — A struggle between opposing forces, people or wishes.
- resolution — The way a major struggle is settled or left unresolved.
- literary interpretation — A reasoned account of what elements of a work may mean.
2. Characters, relationships and motivations — words 21–40
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- protagonist — A central character whose experience shapes the main action.
- antagonist — A person or force that opposes the protagonist.
- characterisation — How a writer reveals a character through action, speech and detail.
- motivation — What drives a character to behave in a particular way.
- intention — What a character aims to achieve through an action.
- desire — Something a character strongly wants.
- hesitation — A pause or reluctance before choosing or acting.
- dilemma — A situation where every available choice carries a difficulty.
- inner struggle — A conflict among a character’s own feelings, beliefs or duties.
- external pressure — Demands or obstacles imposed by other people or circumstances.
- character arc — The development or change of a character through the work.
- transformation — A major change in attitude, identity or behaviour.
- relationship — A connection between characters that influences what happens.
- foil — A character whose differences illuminate another character’s qualities.
- complex character — A figure with several motivations or potentially conflicting traits.
- stereotype — An oversimplified portrayal based on a fixed assumption about a group.
- subtext — Meaning suggested beneath what a character explicitly says.
- empathy — An attempt to understand another’s emotions and circumstances.
- perspective — A position or standpoint from which events are understood.
- consistency — The degree to which actions fit a character’s established behaviour.
3. Poetry form and how a poem moves — words 41–60
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- line — A single unit of text arranged separately in a poem.
- stanza — A grouped set of poetic lines separated from others.
- couplet — A pair of poetic lines that form a unit.
- quatrain — A stanza containing four lines.
- verse — Poetic language arranged according to line or rhythmic structures.
- free verse — Poetry without a consistent fixed metre or rhyme scheme.
- fixed form — A poem following specified structural conventions.
- sonnet — A poetic form conventionally using fourteen lines.
- rhythm — The patterned flow of sound and pauses in language.
- metre — A recurring pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
- syllable — A unit of spoken sound within a word.
- stress — Emphasis placed on a syllable when spoken.
- enjambment — A sentence or phrase continuing past the end of a verse line.
- caesura — A significant pause within a poetic line.
- end-stopped line — A poetic line ending at a clear grammatical or rhetorical pause.
- refrain — A repeated line or phrase returning at intervals.
- speaker’s voice — The character or attitude conveyed by the poem’s speaking voice.
- persona — An adopted speaking identity within a poem or text.
- volta — A notable turn in thought, tone or argument within a poem.
- poetic structure — The organisation of lines, stanzas and movement of ideas.
4. Sound, rhythm and deliberate repetition — words 61–80
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- rhyme — Similarity of sound between words, often at line endings.
- end rhyme — Rhyme occurring at ends of poetic lines.
- internal rhyme — Rhyme between words within a line or between a line and its ending.
- slant rhyme — Approximate rather than complete similarity of sounds.
- alliteration — Repetition of initial consonant sounds in nearby words.
- assonance — Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.
- consonance — Repetition of consonant sounds, not necessarily at word beginnings.
- onomatopoeia — A word whose sound resembles a noise it describes.
- sibilance — Repetition of hissing consonant sounds such as s and sh.
- euphony — A deliberately smooth or pleasing sequence of sounds.
- cacophony — A harsh or jarring arrangement of sounds.
- repetition — Deliberate reuse of words, sounds or patterns for effect.
- parallelism — Use of similar grammatical structures to highlight relations.
- anaphora — Repetition of a word or phrase at beginnings of successive units.
- epistrophe — Repetition of a word or phrase at ends of successive units.
- consonant cluster — A group of consonant sounds pronounced close together.
- cadence — The rhythmic rise, fall and flow of spoken language.
- pause — A break that changes rhythm, emphasis or interpretation.
- emphasis — Added prominence given to a word, sound or idea.
- sonic texture — The combined sound effects that shape a passage’s atmosphere.
5. Imagery, figurative meaning and language effects — words 81–100
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- imagery — Language that stimulates sensory impressions or mental pictures.
- visual imagery — Descriptive language appealing to sight.
- auditory imagery — Descriptive language appealing to hearing.
- tactile imagery — Descriptive language appealing to touch.
- olfactory imagery — Descriptive language appealing to smell.
- gustatory imagery — Descriptive language appealing to taste.
- metaphor — Describing one thing as another to reveal a meaningful likeness.
- simile — An explicit comparison, often using like or as.
- personification — Attributing human actions or qualities to something non-human.
- hyperbole — Deliberate exaggeration for rhetorical effect.
- understatement — Presenting an intense experience as less extreme for effect.
- irony — A meaningful gap between appearances, expectations or words and reality.
- symbolism — Using an object, action or image to suggest broader meanings.
- allegory — A story or description operating through a sustained second-level meaning.
- juxtaposition — Placing elements together so their difference or relation becomes striking.
- contrast — A meaningful difference sharpened by presentation.
- oxymoron — A compact phrase bringing together apparently contradictory terms.
- paradox — A seemingly contradictory statement that may contain a useful insight.
- connotation — Ideas or feelings associated with a word beyond its basic meaning.
- denotation — A word’s direct, conventional meaning.
6. Prose storytelling, time and point of view — words 101–120
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- chronology — The time order in which story events occur.
- flashback — A narrative movement from the present action to an earlier event.
- foreshadowing — An early hint preparing the reader for a later development.
- exposition — Background information needed to understand a story’s action.
- rising action — Events increasing pressure or complication before a turning point.
- climax — A point of particularly intense conflict or decisive action.
- falling action — Events occurring as tension changes after a central turning point.
- framing device — A structure that places one narrative inside or around another.
- stream of consciousness — Writing that represents a mind’s flow of thoughts and impressions.
- first-person narration — A story told using a participating or observing I voice.
- third-person narration — A story told about characters as he, she or they.
- unreliable narrator — A storyteller whose account may be limited, mistaken or deceptive.
- omniscient narration — Narration with access to a wide range of characters and events.
- limited narration — Narration closely restricted to one character’s knowledge or experience.
- focalisation — The perspective through which narrative information is filtered.
- description — Language presenting the features of a person, setting or event.
- dialogue — Written or spoken exchange between characters.
- pacing — The speed at which narrative events or details unfold.
- suspense — Tension arising from uncertainty about what will happen.
- narrative gap — An omission or withheld detail the reader must notice or infer.
7. Drama, the stage and the spoken moment — words 121–140
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- stage direction — An instruction indicating action, setting, delivery or movement in a play.
- scene — A unit of dramatic action usually set in a defined place or time.
- act — A major division of a play.
- soliloquy — A speech revealing a character’s thoughts as if spoken to themselves.
- monologue — A sustained speech by one character.
- aside — A remark presented as heard by the audience but not other characters.
- dramatic irony — A situation where the audience knows something a character does not.
- dramatic tension — A feeling of pressure or uncertainty created through dramatic action.
- exchange — A sequence of spoken responses between characters.
- blocking — The planned positions and movement of performers on stage.
- gesture — A meaningful movement of the hands, body or head.
- facial expression — Movement of facial features conveying thought or emotion.
- proxemics — How physical distance and position communicate relationships on stage.
- lighting — Use of illumination to shape visibility, mood or focus.
- sound cue — A planned sound that supports action or meaning.
- prop — An object handled or used in a performance.
- costume — Clothing designed to communicate period, identity or character.
- set design — The arrangement of physical surroundings for dramatic performance.
- dramatic pause — A purposeful silence within action or speech.
- tableau — A still stage picture conveying a relationship or dramatic moment.
8. Evidence and writing about a literary text — words 141–160
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- claim — A statement about the text that needs support and reasoning.
- quotation — Words reproduced exactly from a text for a limited analytical purpose.
- evidence — A textual detail that supports an interpretation.
- close reading — Attention to particular words, structure and effects in a passage.
- inference — A conclusion drawn from textual clues rather than direct statements.
- explanation — Reasoning that connects evidence to the claim.
- contextual detail — Relevant surrounding information affecting how a quotation is read.
- argument — A connected set of reasons supporting an interpretation.
- qualification — A phrase that limits an overly absolute claim.
- counterargument — A plausible alternative reading or challenge to a claim.
- textual support — Specific language or events from the work backing an analysis.
- thesis — The central interpretation guiding an essay or extended response.
- paragraph — A unit of writing developed around a connected point.
- topic sentence — A sentence introducing the main analytical idea of a paragraph.
- analysis — Breaking down details to explain how they work together.
- evaluation — Judging the effectiveness or strength of an interpretation.
- synthesis — Combining insights from different passages or perspectives.
- ambiguity — Language or action supporting more than one reasonable reading.
- nuance — A small but important distinction in meaning or judgement.
- plausibility — How convincing an interpretation is in light of the whole text.
9. Literature, society and human questions — words 161–180
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- historical context — The conditions of the period relevant to a work.
- social context — Relationships and institutions shaping a community at a given time.
- cultural context — Shared practices and beliefs affecting a work’s meaning.
- power — The capacity to influence or control other people and outcomes.
- authority — Recognised entitlement or position to direct action.
- hierarchy — A system arranging people or groups in ranked positions.
- identity — How a person understands or is understood as a particular self.
- belonging — Feeling accepted and connected to a group or place.
- alienation — Being made or feeling separated from people or society.
- prejudice — An unfair judgement formed without adequate knowledge.
- injustice — A violation of fairness or reasonable rights.
- conformity — Behaviour aligning with group expectations or rules.
- resistance — Action opposing an authority, belief or oppressive situation.
- freedom — Scope for a person or community to make choices.
- responsibility — A duty to act carefully and account for one’s actions.
- loyalty — Commitment to a person, group, promise or principle.
- betrayal — Breaking trust or acting against a valued relationship.
- memory — Remembered experiences that may shape identity and action.
- loss — The absence of something once possessed or valued.
- reconciliation — A process of repairing relations after conflict or hurt.
10. Language choices and a personal critical response — words 181–200
Try identifying each idea in a real text; then explain how it affects the reader rather than only naming the device.
- tone — The attitude conveyed through a voice or choice of words.
- mood — The feeling produced for readers by a passage.
- atmosphere — The overall emotional quality created by a scene.
- register — The level of formality or style suited to a context.
- diction — The writer’s precise selection of words.
- syntax — How words and phrases are arranged into sentences.
- sentence length — A feature affecting pace, emphasis and reader attention.
- semantic field — A cluster of related words reinforcing a common area of meaning.
- lexical choice — The particular word selected among possible alternatives.
- figurative language — Expressions whose meaning goes beyond ordinary literal use.
- literal meaning — The direct or non-figurative meaning of words.
- polysemy — The capacity of a word to carry several related meanings.
- perspective shift — A change in whose experience or viewpoint shapes the text.
- intensity — The strength of emotion or effect conveyed.
- restraint — Deliberately limiting expression to achieve a measured effect.
- subtlety — Meaning conveyed through small details rather than blunt declaration.
- coherence — Overall logical flow of an argument or response.
- cohesion — Connections between sentences that make ideas follow one another.
- critical response — An evidence-based interpretation examining how a work creates meaning.
- personal response — A reflective reaction to a work grounded in what the reader noticed.
What Literature really requires: observation before interpretation
When students first study Literature, they may believe that every poem contains a hidden “correct answer”. That assumption can make reading unnecessarily stressful. A good literary interpretation is not a guess about what a teacher secretly wants. It is an account of how the words, structures, characters and situation support a meaning. Some readings are better supported than others. More than one interpretation can sometimes be reasonable, but not every possibility is equally convincing.
Begin with what the text says and does. What words are repeated? Who is speaking? What changes in the scene? Which detail creates unease, humour, sympathy or surprise? Then ask what those choices suggest. A thoughtful answer moves from textual observation to supported interpretation. Without that bridge, literary vocabulary becomes a list of decorative labels.
This is why terms such as tone, mood, narrator, perspective, symbolism and irony matter. They describe different aspects of a reader’s experience. If a student names a device but cannot explain its effect in the specific passage, there is still work to do.
Worked example 1 — A poem created for this guide
At dawn the station opened one blue eye.
The train arrived; the platform held its breath.
Beyond the glass, a hundred windows woke,
And morning laid its notebooks on the city.
These four lines are an original educational example, not a quotation from a prescribed poem. The station is described as opening an eye; the platform is said to hold its breath; morning lays notebooks on the city. These are examples of personification, treating non-human things as if they have human actions. But writing only “personification is used” does not explain what the poem achieves.
One possible reading is that the city is presented as a living body beginning its day. “Held its breath” may create a brief moment of anticipation before the train arrives; “notebooks” connects the scene with routines of learning and work. The colour “blue” can add a visual note without having one fixed universal symbolism. The reader should explain how the surrounding lines support the chosen reading.
Notice, too, the difference between speaker and author. We cannot assume that the author personally stood at a station at dawn. A poem’s voice may be imagined. In an examination or classroom discussion, avoid claiming biographical facts without evidence. The work can be interpreted on its own terms.
Worked example 2 — Simile, metaphor and the misleading shortcut
Compare two original sentences: “The hallway was like a narrow tunnel” and “The hallway was a narrow tunnel.” The first makes an explicit comparison, commonly called a simile. The second uses a metaphor, presenting the hallway as if it were a tunnel. Both may suggest confinement or a lack of escape, depending on what happens in the scene.
Students sometimes believe that every sentence containing “like” is a simile. That is not a safe rule. “She likes reading” contains the verb likes, but no comparison. Similarly, not every metaphor is deeply symbolic. The meaningful question is what qualities are transferred from one thing to the other and why those qualities matter in context.
Imagine that the narrator has just been reprimanded and must walk down the corridor alone. The tunnel image may intensify the character’s sense of isolation. In a happy school reunion scene, the same hallway comparison might communicate something entirely different. A technical term begins analysis; the context completes it.
Worked example 3 — Tone and mood are not the same
Consider: “Wonderful. Another hour of standing in the rain,” a character mutters while looking at a delayed bus. The literal word “Wonderful” is positive, but the speaker’s tone is likely sarcastic because the situation is frustrating. Tone describes the attitude expressed by the voice. Mood is the emotional atmosphere that the scene creates for readers.
That same scene might produce irritation, sympathy or humour, depending on the surrounding details. One reader may find the complaint funny; another may feel weary. The response should identify which textual features support its account rather than asserting that all readers must feel exactly the same thing.
Literature helps students see that communication is more than dictionary meaning. Real conversations use pauses, facial expressions and situations to change the force of words. The ability to notice sarcasm and implied emotion can also support better everyday listening and empathy.
Worked example 4 — Characterisation through action
Suppose a story tells us, “Ben was considerate.” That is direct description. Now consider an original scene: “Ben saw the cleaner struggling with a trolley at the doorway. He stepped aside, held the door open and waited until the wheels had cleared the threshold.” The second passage allows readers to infer consideration from a concrete action.
The distinction matters in longer texts because a character may claim to be generous but act selfishly. Characterisation includes speech, choices, relationships, other characters’ reactions and the narrator’s presentation. A student should compare what the character says with what the character does. A single kind act may be meaningful, but it does not automatically prove a person is always kind.
Try a deeper question: Why does the character act this way? Is the action spontaneous? Is there social pressure? Does the reader know something that the character does not? These questions use motivation, intention, complex character and perspective to reach beyond adjectives.
Worked example 5 — Conflict and a character arc
Imagine Jo, a student preparing for a group presentation. She wants the group to succeed but dislikes speaking in front of others. The external pressure is the approaching presentation and the expectations of teammates. The inner struggle is her fear competing with her wish to contribute. The story’s conflict becomes clearer when the writer allows both sides to matter.
Suppose Jo gradually agrees to explain one section, practises with friends, stumbles during the presentation and still finishes. Her character arc is not a magical change from frightened to fearless. It may be a more believable movement from avoidance to courage despite anxiety. The exact action matters. “She became completely confident overnight” would be a weaker, less supported interpretation unless the text provided that development.
Students can use this way of reading in stories from Singapore and elsewhere. The point is not to judge every character as good or bad, but to examine choices within circumstances. Literature trains us to recognise mixed motivations and competing duties.
Worked example 6 — How narrative perspective changes knowledge
“I placed the envelope inside the drawer,” says a first-person narrator. The reader knows what the narrator reports, but not necessarily what another character thinks. A third-person limited narrator can also restrict our knowledge to one figure. Omniscient narration may reveal more than one character’s thoughts, though not every third-person narrative does so.
An unreliable narrator is not simply a character we dislike. The account may be inaccurate because the speaker is mistaken, concealing information, rationalising a decision or remembering imperfectly. To argue that a narrator is unreliable, identify contradictions or textual reasons for doubt. Do not write “the narrator is unreliable because every story is subjective”; that avoids analysis instead of providing it.
Perspective affects our judgement. A conflict reported only through the eyes of one participant may seem straightforward until another voice emerges. Recognising that limits can help students read social media and news with greater care: the person telling a story may not have seen every part of the event.
Worked example 7 — Poetry sound is meaning in motion
Consider an original line: “Soft shoes shuffled over silent stones.” The repeated initial s and sh sounds produce alliteration and sibilance. The words may suggest careful or secretive movement, especially if the surrounding stanza describes a person arriving unseen. But sound effects do not have one universal emotional meaning. Repeated soft sounds can be soothing in one context and sinister in another.
Enjambment occurs when the grammar continues past a line break. Suppose a sentence reads, “She reached the corner and / found the street empty.” The line ending temporarily suspends the action. An end-stopped line instead reaches a clear pause at its boundary. Neither device is automatically “better”. Their effect depends on where the poet places pauses and what expectation is created.
When analysing sound, read aloud if suitable. Hear the speed, pauses and repetitions. Then explain what that experience contributes to the passage’s subject or emotion. “The writer uses alliteration to attract attention” is usually too generic; it could be written about almost any text.
Worked example 8 — Drama is intended to happen on stage
In a play, meaning comes from more than spoken lines. Imagine this original stage instruction: “Aisha moves closer to the doorway. Ryan remains seated and looks at the floor.” Their positions and actions create an apparent difference in confidence or readiness to leave, but the exact meaning depends on the scene. Blocking describes where actors move; proxemics concerns how distance and position communicate relationships.
Suppose Aisha says, “There is nothing wrong,” while her hands shake and she refuses to look at Ryan. The audience may perceive a tension between dialogue and action. Stage directions, costume, silence and lighting can support an interpretation. A student who quotes only the line and ignores the performance instructions may miss part of the evidence.
Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something a character does not. If the audience has seen an important letter hidden beneath a table, a character’s declaration that “all the letters are gone” gains extra meaning. The point is not just that the audience knows more; it is how that knowledge shapes anticipation, tension or sympathy.
Worked example 9 — Write a Literature paragraph that actually explains
Start with a claim about the passage, then select a short piece of relevant textual evidence and explain how the language creates the proposed meaning. For example: “The empty street makes Jo’s return feel uncertain. The narrator describes the familiar shops as ‘shut tight’, which makes the neighbourhood seem less welcoming than Jo remembered. The changed setting reflects her growing fear that she no longer belongs there.” This is an original example showing how a response moves from detail to effect.
A paragraph should not be a list: “There is imagery, repetition, metaphor, personification and juxtaposition.” One well-chosen feature can support a stronger answer than five terms without explanation. Ask what the reader notices first, why the word was chosen, and how it fits the wider scene. The quality of reasoning matters more than how many techniques are named.
Include a qualification where needed. If the language makes a character appear nervous but later lines reveal a practical reason for the behaviour, the interpretation may need adjustment. Reading the whole text protects students from building a confident answer on one misleading quotation.
Worked example 10 — Literature and the real world
Stories invite readers to think about power, belonging, memory, injustice and loyalty without pretending that fictional events can be treated as statistical evidence. A character’s experience may illuminate a moral question, but it cannot establish how frequently that experience occurs in Singapore or another society. To make a factual social claim, readers need research outside the literary work.
This distinction is especially useful when discussing culturally unfamiliar settings. A story may represent one character’s experience within a community. It does not entitle a reader to make sweeping assumptions about everyone from that culture. Historical and social context can inform interpretation, but the actual textual detail remains central.
Literature therefore offers something distinct from a textbook fact list. It lets students enter imagined experiences, consider ambiguity and practise explaining different ways people respond to pressure. These skills support English communication and a more thoughtful relationship with the wider world.
The ten most common mistakes in Literature vocabulary
- Author / narrator: a fictional storyteller is not necessarily the real writer.
- Poet / speaker: a first-person poem is not automatically autobiographical.
- Tone / mood: the voice’s attitude differs from the emotional atmosphere.
- Theme / plot: a broad human idea is not the event sequence.
- Metaphor / symbolism: a comparison does not always become a recurring symbol.
- Character / stereotype: careful reading notices complexity rather than reducing a person to one trait.
- Evidence / summary: retelling a scene is not the same as using details to support an interpretation.
- Enjambment / caesura: continuing over a line ending differs from a significant pause within the line.
- Personal response / unsupported opinion: a response can be individual while still grounded in words.
- Technical term / analysis: naming the device is only the first step.
Four-week Secondary 2 Literature vocabulary plan
Week 1 — Read the text before hunting for devices
Choose 40 words from the first two groups. Read a short story or a substantial section of the assigned text without stopping at every unfamiliar device. Ask what happens, who wants what, what obstacle arises and what changes. Use a simple chart for character, motivation, choice and evidence. The aim is a secure understanding of the story before technical language is added.
Week 2 — Hear and see how poetry works
Choose 60 words from groups three to five that appear in the school’s current poems. Read selected lines aloud. Mark one structural feature, one sound feature and one image that meaningfully contribute to the poem. Write two or three sentences explaining their specific effects. Do not demand that every line contains a device. Leave room for straightforward language.
Week 3 — Compare prose and drama
Choose words from groups six and seven. Read a narrative scene and a dramatic exchange. Identify what prose can report through narration and what stage performance may communicate through movement, gesture and pause. Write a short comparison using evidence from both formats. The goal is to recognise genre, not rank one kind of writing as superior.
Week 4 — Independent response and revision
Choose words from the final three groups. Attempt a fresh paragraph on tone, character, tension or theme without a pre-written template. Afterwards, check whether every technical word is accurate, whether evidence is relevant and whether the explanation genuinely supports the point. Review the weakest vocabulary after several days to improve retrieval.
Frequently asked questions about Secondary 2 Literature
Are these 200 terms a prescribed MOE examination list?
No. This is an independently curated glossary supporting lower-secondary close reading. Schools choose texts and assessment tasks, so follow the current class scope.
Is Literature in English the same as English Language?
No. English Language includes broader reading, writing, listening and oral communication. Literature focuses on sustained reading and interpretation of literary texts, including literary language and form.
Must my child memorise all 200 definitions?
No. Prioritise terms relevant to the texts currently being studied, and require each to be demonstrated through a real example.
What if two students interpret the same poem differently?
Compare the specific evidence and reasoning. A text can allow several defensible readings, but each must fit its words and context.
Should students always say what the author intended?
Avoid claiming certain knowledge of an author’s private thoughts without evidence. Explain what the language achieves and what it reasonably suggests.
How do I use quotations correctly?
Choose brief, accurate excerpts that directly support your point. Follow the quotation with explanation; do not use it as a substitute for analysis.
Can reading more fiction and poetry help?
Yes. Diverse reading increases familiarity with genre, language and human experiences. Discuss what a passage means instead of merely finishing more pages.
Does Literature help outside examinations?
It can develop careful attention to language, empathetic understanding, communication and awareness of how perspectives shape accounts of human life.
Official references and useful next reading
For the subject’s aims and lower-secondary prose, poetry and drama, consult MOE’s 2019 Literature in English teaching and learning syllabus. Its cover uses the older course labels; ask the school about current offerings and assessments under Full SBB. The SEAB SEC directory covers later national examination syllabuses rather than a single Secondary 2 vocabulary prescription.
Continue with eduKateSG’s Vocabulary Hub, Secondary 2 academic vocabulary and the guide to tone and attitude. The linked guides develop language transfer; the present article explains the specific tools used to read poetry, prose and drama closely.