Reader’s glossary

These definitions describe reading methods, not additional facts about a fictional world.

Premise

The starting situation, not a complete account of the plot.

Narrator

The voice telling a story; it is not automatically the author.

Poetic speaker

The voice within a poem, distinct from an assumed biography.

Interpretation

A reading supported by reasons, open to discussion.

Collection

Works grouped together; this alone establishes neither a shared world nor an order.

Fictional scripture

Religious writing belonging to an imagined setting, not evidence of the author’s beliefs.