Antithesis
placing two opposing words or phrases near each other in the same phrase with the purpose of showing the reader what the author is trying to emphasize
Allegory
the expression of hidden morals or generalizations through the plot (character, place, or event) of a story
Alliteration
the repetition of the initial sounds in two or more neighboring words; done for emphasis; alliterative sound can correlate with intended meaning or effect
Allusion
used to make an indirect reference and/or call an idea to mind without saying it explicitly
Apostrophe
a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or thing or a personified abstraction
Colloquial
using slang or informalities in speech or writing
Connotation
the implied or suggested meaning of a word; association; any emotions, ideas, or situations associated with a word
Denotation
the strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word
Diction
word choice
Dysphemism
the usage of an offensive or derogatory term in place of a pleasant one
Euphemism
a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for an unpleasant word or concept; often obscures or softens the harsh truth
Figurative Language
any language not meant to be taken literally
Genre
the major category into which a literary work fits
Homily
a sermon or serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice
Hyperbole
deliberate exaggeration for emphasis; can be comedic or serious, also known as an overstatement
Imagery
any writing that appeals to the five senses or describes something so it can be pictured
Invective
an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong or abusive language
Irony
the contrast between what is expected and reality or what is stated and what is meant
Verbal Irony
when something is said with the opposite or different meaning of what is meant to be said
Situational Irony
when the opposite of what was meant to happen occurs due to specific actions or events
Dramatic Irony
when a character natively speaks what he or she believes to be the truth, and/or acts on what he or she believes to be the truth, while the audience knows that he or she has it all wrong
Metaphor
compares two different things by speaking of one in terms of the other
Extended Metaphor
a metaphor that is shown throughout a certain length in a piece of literature
Metonymy
a larger concept represented by a word that is closely related to the subject
Mood
a device that creates emotion or feeling in the reader
Pun
a play on words that are either identical in sound (homonyms) or similar in sound
Rhetoric
the art of writing and speaking effectively and persuasively; refers to the voices an author or speakers makes to do so
Satire
exaggerating or fabricating writing about a subject in order to ridicule, discredit, or make fun of the subject
Symbol
a recurring idea or object that is used to represent something else such as a message or theme
Syntax
sentence construction
Theme
the central idea or message of a text
Tone
the author's attitude toward his or her subject and/or toward the audience
Understatement
the minimizing of fact or presentations of something as less significant than it is
Oxymoron
a figure of speech where two contradictory words are used together
Paradox
a statement that appears to be self contradictory, foolish, or false, but upon closer inspections contains some deeper truth
Parallelism
when a writer uses repetition to reinforce a view or emotion in the audience
Parody
a deliberately comical imitation of a work or genre
Personification
a type of figurative language that gives human related characteristics and actions to non living objects or any ideologies
Point of View
the perspective from which a story is told
Prose
refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms
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