rhetorical terms

antithesis

A statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced - i.e. "Man proposes, God disposes."

blank verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter.

clause

A group of words containing a subject and its verb that may or may not be a complete sentence.

ellipsis

The omission of one or more words that are understood but that must be supplied to make a construction semantically complete, as in 'No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be' from T.S. Eliot's poem 'The Love Song of J.'

euphemism

A figure of speech using indirection to avoid offensive bluntness.

foil

A character who through contrast underscores the distinctive characteristics of another.

Foot

In poetry, a unit of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line.

metaphor

A figure of speech suggesting a likeness or analogy between objects.

meter

The number of feet used in each line of poetry.

parallel structure

A component of literary style in both prose and poetry, in which coordinate ideas are arranged in phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that balance one element with another of equal importance and similar wording.

rhyme

Identity of terminal sound between accented syllables, usually occupying corresponding positions in two or more lines of verse.

setting

The background to a story; the physical location of a play, story, or novel.