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Glite Dictionary
literary argument

literary argument

7.1
A short summary of the plot at the start of a poem, play or book
  • noun
  • /ˈlɪtəˌrɛri ˈɑrɡjʊmənt/
translation icon : argumento literario
  • To grasp the plot fully, it is helpful to read the literary argument before diving into the story.

Examples

  • The editor included a literary argument at the beginning of each chapter to aid the reader.

  • The literary argument helped me understand the poem's main themes before I began reading.

  • Scholars often analyze the literary argument to uncover the author's intentions.

  • The literary argument in her essay was compelling.

  • Can you explain the literary argument of this novel?

  • The literary argument outlines the key themes that emerge throughout the narrative.

  • The professor emphasized the importance of the literary argument in understanding the author's message.

Synonyms

argument
vsliterary argument
  • Literature
5 7.8

A short summary of a story or poem that appears before the text

is the same meaning but uses a more specific two word phrase

Surface Forms

literary argument singular
literary arguments plural

Morphology

literary + argument

The phrase combines 'literary' (relating to literature) with 'argument' in its literary sense of a short synopsis, so the overall meaning — a summary or outline of a work — follows directly from the constituents. This adjective + noun composition is a standard, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Literary argument comes from an older use of argument that meant a short 'summary' or 'plot' placed at the start of a book or poem to show what the work is about. So it now means 'a short outline of the subject or plot'.