Glossary of Poetic Terms

A trope, similar to a convention, is a figure of speech used in literature and culture to describe a common theme or device. Some examples include tropes for plots such as a love triangle or a damsel in distress; other tropes include the triumph of good over evil, or the madwoman in the attic. When a trope is overused, it can be described as a cliché. Trope is also understood to describe a literary concept meaning the repetitive use of a word, plot device, theme, image, or figure by an author across their body of work.