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GCSE English Literature · key term
The direct, explicit meaning of words or events.
Used by AQA and OCR
Paper 1
The straightforward meaning of words in their immediate context.
Revise: Key quotationsBegin with its literal meaning, then consider what its language implies. Finally, connect it to what happens before or afterwards. In The Tempest, the same language of service can describe forced obedience, romantic devotion or freely chosen loyalty.
Paper 1, Paper 2
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The straightforward meaning explicitly expressed by words or events.
The direct, explicitly stated meaning of words, rather than a suggestion or inference.
The explicit, directly stated meaning of words or events.
The explicit meaning of a statement or event: what the words directly say or what physically happens.
The literal sense of a word, image or event: here, the boy is taking an actual train journey.
