english metalanguage

stanza

grouped lines in a poem

tercet

stanza of three lines

quatrain

a stanza of four lines

rhythm

beat and pace of a poem

anaphora

repeating words at the start of clauses

conduplicatio

repeating words in successive clauses

epanados

using the same or similar words throughout a text

epiphora

repetition of the ends of clauses

asyndetic list

list with conjunctions ommited

metonym

a word that denotes one thing but refers to a related thing

polysyndeton

using several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted

sibilance

repetition or stress of an 's' sound

consonance

the repetition of consonants especially at the ends of words

assonance

the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words

anastrophe

the reversal of the normal order of words

end-stop

a pause at the end of a line

ellipses

...

em-dash

-

near rhyme

end syllables match but the preceeding ones do not

Perfect rhyme

all syllables rhyme

aposiopesis

breaking off in the middle of a sentence

alternate rhyme

ABAB rhyme sceme

internal rhyme

a rhyme between words in the same line

exclamation

a loud outcry or emphasis

juxtaposition

placing contrasting elements side by side

witticism

biting, ironic, witty remark

wry humour

sardomic, ironic humour

sardonic

disdainfully or ironically humorous, scornful and mocking, cynical

irony

a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs

dramatic irony

irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play

allusion

passing reference or indirect mention

colloquial

characteristic of informal spoken language or conversation

semantic field

family of words in meaning or tone

direct adress

communicating directly to a group

auditory imagery

imagery evoking sound

gustatory imagery

imagery evoking taste

visceral imagery

imagery evoking a physical response

paradox

self-contradicting statement

intertextual reference

allusion to or mentioning of another text

metaphor

a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity

symbolism

expressing abstract or mystical ideas through the symbolic use of objects

analogy

comparing a thing to another in order to explaian it

conceit

extended metaphor

duality

an opposition or contrast between two things

dichotomy

two rigidly opposing things

imperative

telling someone to do something

catharsis

a release of emotion

in medias res

in the middle of the action

aside

a character speaking only to the audience

blocking

positioning or movement of characters

exposition

establishing the setting of a text

foil

two characcters enhanced by contrast to one another

gesture

the use of movements to communicate in drama

monologue

a long utterance by one person to other characters

soliloquy

a long speech by a character to the audience only

stichomythia

rapid-fire dialogue

stage direction

an instruction written as part of the script of a play

pathos

appealing to the audience's emotion

superlative

an exaggerated expression

hyperbole

extravagant exaggeration

allegory

an expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances

ambiguity

an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context or could be interpreted in many ways

anthimeria

using a word in a new gramatic form

anthropomorphism

the representation of objects as having human form or traits

antithesis

a pair of statements that oppose one another

aphorismus

a character questioning a statement to show disagreement

aporia

suggesting incincere doubt/pretending not to know something

bathos

a transition in style to silly

cacophony

repetition of harsh sounds

ceasura

a pause in a line

chiasmus

inversion of meaning in the second of two parallel phrases

circumlocation

skirting around a point

climax/crux

point of high tension

connotation

associations of a word

denoument

close of a story when all ends are tied up

diacope

repeating a word or phrase with extra words in between

diction

choice of words

dystopia

state in which the conditions of life are extremely bad as from deprivation or oppression or terror

eutopia

an ideal or perfect state or universe

epiphany

moment of sudden understanding

equivocation

avoiding the truth

euphemism

politer way of saying something rude

excursus/digression

moving away from a point

flashback

a recollection of a past experience

foreshadowing

suggesting what is to come

homophone

words pronounced the same way

intertextuality

link between different works

metaonoia

self correction changing a statement

motif

a theme or symbol that is repeated or reoccurs

oxymoron

conjoining contradictory terms

parallelism

phrases similar in gramatical structure

polyptoton

repetition of a rood word in a different form

style

voice of the author

tone

the feel of a piece of writing

anadiplosis

repetition of the final words of a sentence or line at the beginning of the next

antanaclasis

repetition of a word with different meaning in successive clauses

Prolepsis

raising an argument with the intention of shutting it down

Tactile imagery

imagery relating to a sense of touch

chremamorphism

comparing a person to an object

-

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