Lit terms 11/11

allegory

narrative made up of a network of symbols that work together to give the story a second meaning beneath the surface.

allusion

A reference to history, literature, pop culture, or any other source that is not explained; the reader is intended to recognize the reference and use it to help understand the current text.

apostrophe

a figure of speech in which an inanimate object (or absent person) is addressed as if it was present and able to respond.

connotation

the feelings and ideas associated with a word based on its use over time; this can be either personal or societal

denotation

the dictionary definition of a word; its literal meaning

figurative speech

language that is not intended to be understood literally (or at least not literally only)

hyperbole

exaggeration for the purpose of humor or emphasis; may be referred to as an overstatement

imagery

language that appeals to the senses; may be visual (sight), auditory (sound), olfactory (smell), gustatory (taste), tactile (external touch), organic (internal sensation, like nausea or thirst), kinesthetic (movement).

metaphor

a comparison between two unlike things in which instead of being directly expressed, the figurative term is substituted for or identified with the literal term

metonymy

a type of figurative language in which something closely related is substituted for the thing actually meant

paradox

a seeming contradiction that is somehow true

personification

a type of metaphor in which a nonhuman idea or object is given human qualities

simile

a comparison between two unlike things in which the comparison is directly expressed using “like,” “as", “resembles” or a similar term

symbol

an object (or place, name, etc.) that functions both literally and figuratively in a text; that is, the object is literally in the text, but it also represents something else

understatement

stating something that is less than the truth or with less force than is warranted, not to deceive but to evoke a response in the reader