literary techniques xx

allegory

a story which is used to represent a more general message about real-life (historical) issues and/or events

anachronism

-when there is an (intentional) error in the chronology or timeline of a text. This could be a character who appears in a different time period than when he actually lived, or a technology that appears before it was invented. Anachronisms are often used for comedic effect.

anaphora

-when a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of multiple sentences throughout a piece of writing. It's used to emphasize the repeated phrase and evoke strong feelings in the audience.

anthropomorphism

-when something nonhuman, such as an animal, place, or inanimate object, behaves in a human-like way.

asyndeton

-when the writer leaves out conjunctions (such as "and," "or," "but," and "for") in a group of words or phrases so that the meaning of the phrase or sentence is emphasized. It is often used for speeches since sentences containing asyndeton can have a powerful, memorable rhythm.

colloquialism

-the use of informal language and slang. It's often used by authors to lend a sense of realism to their characters and dialogue.

epigraph

-when an author inserts a famous quotation, poem, song, or other short passage or text at the beginning of a larger text (e.g., a book, chapter, etc.). An epigraph is typically written by a different writer (with credit given) and used as a way to introduce overarching themes or messages in the work

epistrophe

-similar to anaphora, but in this case, the repeated word or phrase appears at the end of successive statements. Like anaphora, it is used to evoke an emotional response from the audience.

euphamism

-when a more mild or indirect word or expression is used in place of another word or phrase that is considered harsh, blunt, vulgar, or unpleasant.

irony

-when a statement is used to express an opposite meaning than the one literally expressed by it

metonym

-is when a related word or phrase is substituted for the actual thing to which it's referring (a symbolic synonym)

paradox

-a statement that appears illogical or self-contradictory but, upon investigation, might actually be true or plausible.

Vignette

a short, descriptive literary sketch (zoom in)

idiom

A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.

apophasis

bringing up a subject by denying that you're bringing it up

archetype

universal symbol

cacophany

The opposite of euphony, the term used to describe a combination of discordant tones that do not sound good together.

euphony

pleasant, harmonious sound

chiasmus

when two or more parallel clauses are inverted

Deus Ex Machina

where an impossible situation is solved by the appearance of an unexpected or unheard of character, action, object, or event

diction

the words that an author chooses to put in writing

exposition

when the narrative provides background information in order to help the reader understand what's going on

hypophora

raising a question then proceeding to answer it

isocolon

Parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure, but also in length

litotes

double negatives

analepsis

flashback

frame story

A story which occupies a small part of the total narrative

unreliable narrator

- introduces a bias in their narration and possibly misleads the reader, hiding or minimizing events, characters, or motivations.

author surrogate

Characters which are based on authors, usually to support their personal views

bathos

insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity

polyptoton

Words derived from the same root in a sentence

sensory imagery

Sight, sound, taste, touch, smell. The same as imagery.