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Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Characters and events are symbols representing larger real-world ideas or qualities.

Alliteration

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in a series of words within a phrase or verse.

Allusion

An indirect or passing reference to a person, place, event, or work of art, with the expectation that the reader will have the prior knowledge to understand it.

Anachronism

Something or someone that is placed in a time period where it does not belong, either intentionally or as an error.

Analogy

A comparison between two different things, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification, often showing how they are similar in a certain way.

Anecdote

A very short and engaging story about a real incident or person, often used to illustrate a point or make a topic more relatable.

Anthropomorphism

The attribution of human characteristics, emotions, or behaviors to animals, gods, or objects.

Anticlimax

A disappointing or sudden let-down at a point in the story where the plot builds towards a significant climax, but instead resolves in a trivial or underwhelming way.

Anti Hero

A central character in a story who lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, or morality. They are often flawed, cynical, or reluctant.

Aphorism

A concise, witty, and memorable statement that expresses a general truth or observation about life.

Apostrophe

A figure of speech in which a speaker directly addresses an absent person, an abstract concept, or an inanimate object as if it were present and could reply.

Assonance

The repetition of a vowel sound in non-rhyming words that are close to one another.

Atmosphere

The overall mood, feeling, or emotional environment that is created for the reader by a literary work.

Cacophony

The use of harsh, discordant, or jarring sounds in language, often through the combination of words, to create a disturbing or chaotic tone.

Catharsis

The process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions; in literature, it is the feeling of emotional purging or clarity an audience experiences at the end of a tragedy.

Colloquialism

The use of informal words, phrases, or slang that are specific to a particular region or context, giving a sense of casual, everyday speech.

Conceit

An extended metaphor that makes a surprising or unlikely comparison between two very dissimilar things, often sustained throughout a piece of literature.

Connotation

The emotional or cultural association that a word carries, beyond its literal dictionary definition.

Denotation

The literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color.

Diction

The author's specific choice of words and style of expression, which impacts the tone and clarity of a work.

Epitaph

A short phrase or statement written in memory of a person who has died, often inscribed on a tombstone.

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh, blunt, or offensive.

Foil

A character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character.

Foreshadow

A literary device in which a writer gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story.

Hyperbole

An obvious and intentional exaggeration used for emphasis or comic effect.

Interior Monologue

A narrative technique that records a character's internal thoughts, feelings, and associations, often in a stream-of-consciousness style.

Irony

A contrast or discrepancy between expectation and reality. The three main types are verbal, situational, and dramatic.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things, stating that one thing is another to suggest a shared quality.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it.

Nemesis

The inescapable agent of someone's or something's downfall; a long-standing rival or archenemy.

Objectivity

A presentation of information or a narrative from a neutral, unbiased perspective, free from personal feelings or opinions.

Onomatopoeia

A word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech that combines two contradictory or opposing terms into a single phrase.

Parable

A simple, short story that illustrates a moral or spiritual lesson.

Parallelism

The use of similar grammatical structures, phrases, or clauses within a sentence or paragraph to create a sense of rhythm and balance.

Parody

A humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing, meant to mock or critique the original.

Pastoral

A work of literature that idealizes rural, rustic life and the simplicity of the countryside, often in contrast to the complexity of city life.

Pathos

A quality in a work that evokes feelings of pity, sympathy, or sorrow in the reader.

Persona

The aspect of someone's character or the voice that is presented to or perceived by an audience, distinct from the author's actual self.

Personification

The attribution of human characteristics to something non-human, such as an animal, object, or abstract idea.

Protagonist

The main character in a story, the one who drives the plot forward and whom the audience is typically meant to support.

Pun

A joke that exploits the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Rhetorical Question

A question asked not to receive an answer, but to make a point or to create a dramatic effect.

Satire

The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.

Simile

A figure of speech that directly compares two unlike things using the words 'like' or 'as.'

Symbolism

The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense.

Theme

The central, underlying, or universal idea or message that a writer explores in a literary work.