rhetorical terms

analogy, analogous

A comparison of two different things, which are similar in some way.

antecedent

That which goes before, especially with the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers.

antithesis

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

aphorism, aphoristic

A concise statement which expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance.

archetype, archetypal

A detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke strong responses.

assonance

In prosody, repetition of stressed vowel sounds within words with different end consonants, as in the phrase 'quite like.'

asyndeton

An expression in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions.

blank verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter.

cacophony, cacophonous

Harsh or discordant sound; specifically, harshness in the sound of words or phrases. It is opposite in meaning from euphony. Also called dissonance.

chiasmus

A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed - i.e. "Flowers are lovely, love is flowerlike".

clause

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

conceit

An unusual and surprising comparison between two very different things, which is then extended throughout the length of the piece of literature.

connotation, connotes

An association that a word calls to mind in addition to its dictionary meaning.

consonance

Recurrence or repetition of identical or similar consonants; specifically, the correspondence of end or intermediate consonants unaccompanied by like correspondence of vowels at the ends of two or more syllables, words, or other units of composition.

denotation, denotes

A word's objective meaning, that to which the word refers, independent of other associations that the word calls to mind.

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.'

end-stopped

In poetry, marked by a grammatical pause at the end of a line.

enjambment

The continuation of the sense and grammatical constructions of a line on to the next verse or couplet.

epiphany

A moment of sudden revelation.

euphemism

A figure of speech using indirection to avoid offensive bluntness.

figurative language

Characterized by figures of speech or elaborate expression.

figure of speech

A form of expression used to convey meaning or heighten effect.

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.

heroic couplet

A couplet of rhyming iambic pentameters forming a distinct rhetorical unit.

hyperbole

An intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect.

malapropism

A mistaken substitution of one word for another, which sounds similar.

metaphor

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

meter

The number of feet used in each line of poetry.

oxymoron

A word or group of words that is self-contradicting.

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.

parody

A literary work in which the style of an author is closely imitated for comic effect or in ridicule.

polysyllabic

More than one syllable.

polysyndeton

The use of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural for rhetorical effect.

rhetoric

The art of speaking or writing effectively; the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or persuasion.

rhyme

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

rhyme scheme

The pattern in which rhyme sounds occur in a stanza. (done)

setting

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

simile

Figure of speech involving a comparison between two unlike entities. (done)

sonnet

A fixed verse form of Italian origin consisting of 14 lines that are typically five-foot iambs rhyming according to a prescribed scheme.

speaker

The imaginary voice assumed by the writer of a poem.

stanza

A division of a poem consisting of two or more lines arranged together as a unit.

synesthesia

Describing one kind of sensation in terms of another.

theme

The dominant idea of a work of literature.

tone

The attitude of the author towards his or her work and or audience.

zeugma

A figure of speech in which one word governs a series of succeeding words or phrases.