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Symbols/Symbolism (noun)
Anything that represents itself and stands for something else
usually something concrete that represents something more abstract
ex. setting that has dull colors represents sadness
Syntax (noun)
the way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences
similar to diction, but its is groups rather than the individual words
ex. “the boy ran hurriedly” vs. “hurriedly, the boy ran”
Tone (noun)
the authors attitude toward the material, the audience, or both
its is easier to determine while talking rather than through text, so imagining how it would sound spoken would help identify tone
ex. “I couldn’t wait to get to the carnival, the smell of hot dogs, taste of cotton candy, and the exhilarating feel on the rides”
shows excitement, delight, thrill
Understatement (noun)
the ironic minimizing of fact for effect, considered the opposite of hyperbole
makes something seem less important than it actually is, for humor or emphasis
ex. “it rained a little more than usual” after a hurricane
Sarcasm (humor) (noun)
from the Greek meaning “to tear flesh,” it involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone/something
When done well, can be witty/insightful, when done poorly, can be cruel
ex. “Wow you’re so smart!” after failing a test
Simile (noun)
comparison of two unlike things using “like” or “as”
ex. “He was as quiet as a mouse”
Style (noun)
the distinct, or idiosyncratic, choices made by the author to achieve a purpose
ex. expository, descriptive, persuasive, narrative
Point of view (noun)
perspective from something is told, including biases based on persona or past experience
ex. 1st person “I, we”; 2nd person “You, your”; 3rd person “he, she, they’
pun (humor) (noun)
a joke that uses the different possible meanings of a word or words that sound or are spelled alike but have different meanings
ex. a pessimist blood type is B-negative
Repetition (noun)
Duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern
there is something actually being repeated
ex. “Hatred was spreading everywhere, blood was being spilled everywhere, was were breaking out everywhere”
Rhetorical question (noun)
asked just for effect, or to lay emphasis on some point being discussed when no real answer is expected
ex. “are you kidding me” “are you serious” “who cares” “why not”
Mood (noun)
the atmosphere of a work, established by its details and an author’s choices, and the overall feeling conveyed to the reader
ex. Calm and tranquil, Eerie and uncanny, Light-hearted
nuance (noun)
shades of meaning created by the subtle differences in word meaning and usage
ex. difference between a stubborn child, a determined child, and a contrary child
parallelism (noun)
grammatical framing of words, phrases, or paragraphs to give structural similarity, used to add emphasis or organization impact or rhythm
something just mirrors but not necessarily being repeated, structure not context
ex. Paul likes dancing, swimming, and running (!)
Paul likes to dance, swimming, and run (x)
“No pain, no gain”
“it takes one to know one”
Parody (humor) (noun)
A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule
ex. your little sister puts on your fathers big shoes and stomps around in them saying, “I need to make a business call!”
Personification (noun)
assigning non-human entities with human emotions, qualities, or actions
used to make these abstractions, animals, or objects to appear more vivid to the reader
ex. “the sun smiled down on us”
“the story jumped off the page”
“lighting danced across the sky'“
Verbal irony (noun)
when the words literally state the opposite of the writer’s (or speaker’s) meaning\
ex. “Great, another rainy day in California!” during the summer
Situational Irony (noun)
when events turn out the opposite of what was expected; when what the characters and reader thing ought to happen is not what does happen
ex. a fire station burning down
Dramatic Irony (noun)
when facts or events are unknown to a character but known to the reader or other characters in the work
ex. Romeo didn’t know Juliet wasn’t really dead but the character didn’t know that
juxtaposition (noun)
the placement of two very different things together for effect, often through contrast
don’t have to be opposites
ex. Night and Day
Good and Evil
Justice and Revenge
Metaphor (noun)
A figure of speech using implied comparisons of seemingly unlike things or substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity
makes writing more vivid, imaginative, thought provoking, and meaningful
ex. apple of my eye
heart of gold
melting pot
time is money
Euphemism (noun)
a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive
ex. Uncle ‘passed away’ last year. (instead of died)
Figurative speech/language (noun)
phrasing that goes beyond the literal meaning of words to get a message or point across
ex. simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, imagery, hyperbole, alliteration, etc
hyperbole (noun)
a figure of speech using deliberate and extravagant exaggeration or overstatement for effect
ex. “this homework is going to take years!”
“could eat a horse!”
Imagery (noun)
words and descriptions that appeal to a reader’s senses to create an image or idea in their head
ex. “the muddy socks were piled on top of the right” (sight)
“the buzzing sounds filled the air” (sound)
“the mud felt slimy and cold between my toes” (touch)
“the pizza tasted like cardboard” (taste)
“the perfume smelled like flowers and vanilla” (smell)
Irony (general) (noun)
the contrast between between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true, often used to create poignancy or humor
ex. verbal, situational, dramatic
Circumlocution (noun)
literally: “talking around” / “talking in circles”
writing that is unnecessarily long and complicated (can be intentional or unintentional)
ex. “the vehicle I drive to work every morning” vs. “my car”
“our father, who art in heaven” vs. “god”
colloquial (adj.)
informal, conversational language, often pertaining to a local area or region
can be slang, but is not limited to it
ex. “y’all” “wanna” “ain’t” “yo”
concrete (adj) and Abstract (adj)
involving specific people, things, or actions rather than general ideas or qualities
(vs.) relating to or involving general ideas or qualities
ex. (100F vs. Hot), (100 g of sugar vs. sweet), (10 km vs. far), (200 mph vs. fast)
denotation (noun) and connotation (noun)
the literal definition (vs.) the abstract idea or quality that a word makes you think about or is suggested and implied beyond the word’s meaning
ex. House vs home, house is a place where someone lives vs. home is a warm comforting place
Diction (noun)
the choice of words and phrases in speech or writing
“It was a dark, gloomy night, where all of a sudden a door creaked and opened nearby” (vs.) “a door opened nearby”
Allusion (noun)
an implied or indirect reference, especially in literature, often used to establish comparison
ex. “Chocolate is my Achilles heel!” reference to a weakness
Anaphora (noun)
repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive sentences or phrases to emphasize or reinforce meaning
ex. “Go big or go home” “no pain no gain”
antithesis (noun)
the opposite or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite of someone or something
has to be opposites against eachother
ex. ‘Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.” “Money is the root of all evil” “poverty is the fruit of all goodness.”
Apposition (noun)
a (typically) adjacent word, clause, or phrase that provides extra information about another noun in a sentence
ex. ‘My teacher, Mr. Hepworth, needs to calm down.”
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