A startling or unusual metaphor reserved for metaphysical poems
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Metonym
A word that is used to stand for something else that has attributes of or associated with. For example, a herd of 50 cows could be called 50 head of cattle
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Nemesis
The protagonist's arch enemy, or a supreme and persistent difficulty
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Neologism
A new word, usually one invented on the spot.
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Objectivity
treatment of subject matter that is an impersonal or outside view of events
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Omniscient Narrator
A third person narrator that can see into each character's thoughts and understands all the action. When limited, it only tells the reader the thoughts and actions of ONE character
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Onomatopoeia
Words that sound like what they mean. Ex. Boom, splat, bam
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Opposition
A pair of elements that contrast sharply. A pairing of images where each becomes more striking and informative because of it being placed in contrast to the other.
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Oxymoron
A phrase composed of opposites
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Parable
An instructional story, like a fable or allegory
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Paradox
A situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but on closer inspection, it does not
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Parallelism
Repeated syntactical similarities used for effect
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Paraphrase
To restate phrases or statements in your own words
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Parenthetical Phrase
A phrase set off by commas the interrupts the flow of a sentence with some commentary or detail. Ex. Jack's three dogs, including that miserable little spaniel, were with him that day.
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Parody
when a specific work is exaggerated to ridiculousness.
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Pastoral
A poem set in a tranquil nature or a poem about shepherds.
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Pathos
When the writing tries to evoke feelings of dignified pity and sympathy
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Periodic sentence
A sentence that is not grammatically correct until it has reached the end
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Persona
Narrator in a non-first person novel
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Personification
When an inanimate object takes on human shape
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Plaint
A poem or speech expressing sorrow
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Point of View
The perspective from which the action of a novel or narrative is presented. You have omniscient, limited omniscient, first person, camera-eye, and stream of consciousness
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Prelude
An introductory poem to a longer work of verse
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Protagonist
The main character of a work of literature
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Pun
The usually humorous use of a word in such a way to suggest two or more meanings
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Refrain
A line or set of lines repeated several times over the course of a poem
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Requiem
Song of prayer for the dead
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Rhapsody
An intensely passionate verse or section of verse, usually of love or praise
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Rhetorical Question
A question that suggests an answer, causes the listener to feel they have come up with the answer themselves
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Satire
attempts to improve things by humorously pointing out mistakes
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Simile
A softened metaphor, often using like or as
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Soliloquy
A speech spoken by a character alone on stage. It's meant to give the impression that the audience is listening to the character's thoughts. Unlike an aside, this is not meant to imply that the actor acknowledges the audience's presence.
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Stanza
A group of lines roughly analogous in function in verse to the paragraph's function in prose
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Stock characters
Standard or clichéd character types: Jock, nerd, valley girl, etc.
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Stream of consciousness
reader is placed inside the main character's head, privy to all of the character's thoughts as they scroll their head.
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Subjective
An emotional treatment of subject matter that uses an interior or personal view of events.
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Subjunctive mood
The set up to a hypothetical situation. Ex. If I were you, if she were rich, if he was smart.
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Suggest
To imply, infer, or indicate.
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Summary
A simple re-telling of what you have read. It's mechanical, superficial, and a step above paraphrase.
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Suspension of Disbelief
The demand for an audience to accept the limitations of a literary work and apply your imagination. The acceptance on an audience's part of the plot in a story.
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Symbolism
A device in literature where an object represents an idea
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Syntax
The ordering and structuring of an author's words
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Technique
The tools and methods of an author.
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Theme
The main idea of the overall work; the central idea. It is the topic of discourse or discussion.
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Thesis
The main position of an argument. The central contention that will be supported.
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Tragic flaw
In a tragedy, this is the weakness of a character in a usually good individual that leads to their demise.
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Travesty
A grotesque parody
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Truism
A way-too-obvious truth
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Unreliable Narrator
A pov from a untrustworthy character. Usually are not in the right headspace, very young, or biased.
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Utopia
An idealized place. Imaginary communities where people are able to live in happiness, prosperity, and peace.
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Zeugma
The use of a word to modify two or more words, but used for different meanings. Ex. He closed the door and his heart on his lost love.
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