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Abstract (style)
(in writing) this is typically complex, discusses intangible qualities like good and evil, and seldom uses examples to support its points
Academic (style)
dry and theoretical writing. When a piece of writing seems to be sucking all the life out of its subject with analysis
Accent
in poetry, refers to the stressed portion of a word
Allegory
a literary work in which the characters represent abstract ideas; a symbolic representation
Alliteration
repetition of initial consonant sounds
Allusion
a reference to another work of literature, person, or event
Anecdote
a short narrative
Antecedent
the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers
Anthropomorphism
the attribution of human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects
Apostrophe
address to an absent or imaginary person
Aside
a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage
Assonance
the repetition of vowel sounds
Atmosphere
the emotional tone or background that surrounds a scene
Black Humor
the use of disturbing themes in comedy
Bombast
speech or writing that sounds grand or important but has little meaning
Cacophony
harsh, jarring, discordant sound; dissonance
Canto
a major division of a long poem
Caricature
drawing, imitation, or description that ridiculously exaggerates peculiarities or defects
Catharsis
an emotional or psychological cleansing that brings relief or renewal
Chorus
in Greek drama, the group of citizens who stand outside the main action on stage and comment on it
Conceit
a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects
Connotation
the implied or associative meaning of a word
Consonance
repetition of consonant sounds
Decorum
conformity to accepted standards of conduct; proper behavior
Diction
a writer's or speaker's choice of words
Dramatic Irony
(theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play
Dramatic Monologue
when a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience
Elegy
a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme
Enjambment
the continuation of a syntactic unit from one line of verse into the next line without a pause
Epitaph
a brief statement written on a tomb or gravestone
Euphemism
a mild, indirect, or vague term substituting for a harsh, blunt, or offensive term
Euphony
any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds
Farce
a comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness, although it may have a serious, scornful purpose
Foil
a character whose personality and attitude contrast sharply with those of another
Free Verse
unrhymed verse without a consistent metrical pattern
Gothic Novel
a novel in which supernatural horrors and an atmosphere of unknown terrors pervades the action
Hubris
excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy
Hyperbole
a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to express strong emotion, make a point, or evoke humor
Interior Monologue
a narrative technique that records a character's internal flow of thoughts, memories, and ideas; a longish passage of uninterrupted thought
Inversion
the reversal of the normal order of words
Irony
a contrast between what is expected and what actually exists or happens
Lampoon
ridicule with satire
Lyric
of or relating to a category of poetry that expresses emotion (often in a songlike way)
Metaphor
a figure of speech comparing to unlike things without using like or as
Nemesis
the protagonist's arch enemy or supreme and persistent difficulty
Objectivity
an impersonal presentation of events and characters
Parable
a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson
Paradox
a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth
Pastoral
a literary work idealizing the rural life (especially the life of shepherds)
Pathos
a quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow)
Persona
the speaker, voice, or character assumed by the author of a piece of writing
Plaint
a poem or speech expressing sorrow
Protagonist
the main character in a literary work
Pun
a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings
Rhapsody
an intensely passionate verse or section of verse, usually of love or praise
Rhetorical Question
a statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered
Satire
a literary work that ridicules or criticizes a human vice through humor or derision
Stanza
a fixed number of lines of verse forming a unit of a poem
Stock Characters
standard or clichéd character types: the drunk, the miser, the foolish girl, etc
Subjectivity
a personal presentation of events and characters, influenced by the author's feelings and opinions
Subjunctive Mood
a grammatical situation involving the words "if" and "were," setting up a hypothetical situation
Summary
a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form
Symbolism
a device in literature where an object represents an idea
Thesis
the primary position taken by a writer or speaker
Truism
an obvious truth
Zeugma
when a word is used with two adjacent words in the same construction, but only makes literal sense with one of them
Note
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