Des-Laurier Final 2025

Assonance

Repetition of similar vowel sounds in nearby words

Apostrophe

Direct address to an absent person, object, or idea

Anaphora

Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of clauses

Analogy

Comparison showing similarities between two things to explain an idea

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions to speed up rhythm or add emphasis

Aphorism

Short, memorable statement expressing a general truth

Allegory

Story with symbolic characters/events representing abstract ideas

Ellipsis

Omission of words or use of “…” to indicate missing text or a pause

Irony

Contrast between expectation and reality

Antecedent

Word a pronoun refers back to

Enjambment

Line of poetry that continues without punctuation to the next line

Symbolism

Use of symbols to represent deeper meanings

Metonymy

Substituting a related term for the thing itself (“the crown” for royalty)

Quatrain

Four-line stanza

Synecdoche

Part of something represents the whole (or vice versa)

Understatement

Deliberately minimizing the importance of something

Litotes

Understatement using negation (“not bad”)

Personification

Giving human qualities to nonhuman things

Allusion

Brief reference to a well-known person, event, or work

Imagery

Language that appeals to the five senses

Metaphor

Direct comparison between unlike things

Simile

Comparison using “like” or “as”

Zeugma

One word applies to multiple others in different ways

Ad Hominem

Attacking the person instead of the argument

Hyperbole

Extreme exaggeration for effect

Claim

Main point or position in an argument

Chiasmus

Reversal of grammatical structures (“Never let a fool kiss you…”)

Epanalepsis

Repetition of the same word at beginning and end of a sentence

Anadiplosis

Repetition of the last word of a clause at the start of the next

Antithesis

Contrast of opposing ideas in parallel structure

Vernacular

Everyday language or dialect

Non sequitur

Statement that does not logically follow

Protagonist

Main character

Antagonist

Character opposing the protagonist

Polysyndeton

Repetition of conjunctions for emphasis

Verbal Irony

Saying one thing but meaning another

Dramatic Irony

Audience knows something characters do not

Situational Irony

Outcome is opposite of what is expected

Oxymoron

Two contradictory terms together (“deafening silence”)

Paradox

Statement that seems contradictory but reveals truth

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds

Reference

Source or example used to support information

Juxtaposition

Placing contrasting ideas side by side

Sonnet

14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme

Iambic Pentameter

Poetic meter with five iambs per line

Denotation

Literal meaning of a word

Connotation

Emotional or cultural meaning of a word

Diction

Word choice

Active Voice

Subject performs the action

Passive Voice

Subject receives the action

Alter-Ego

Secondary self or identity of a character

Jargon

Specialized language of a group or profession

Didactic

Intended to teach or instruct

Rhetorical Question

Question asked for effect, not an answer

Romanticism

Movement emphasizing emotion, nature, and individuality

Satire

Use of humor or exaggeration to criticize

Tone

Author’s attitude toward the subject

Syntax

Sentence structure

Ethos

Appeal to credibility or character

Logos

Appeal to logic or reason

Pathos

Appeal to emotion

Appeal to Authority

Claim based on opinion of an authority figure

Slippery Slope

Claim that one action leads to extreme outcomes

Appeal to the Bandwagon

Argument based on popularity

Argument

Reasoned case supporting a claim

Thesis

Central argument of a text

Theme

Central idea or message

Style

Author’s unique way of writing

Sarcasm

Mocking or cutting form of verbal irony

Pun

Play on words with multiple meanings

Meter

Rhythm pattern in poetry

Free Verse

Poetry without regular meter or rhyme

Slant Rhyme

Near or imperfect rhyme

Onomatopoeia

Word that imitates sound