Studied by 11 people
Malapropism
The mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar (ie. the doctor wrote a subscription)
Maxim
A concise statement, often offering advice, an adage
Metaphor
A direct comparison of two different things
metonymy
substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it (“the pen |writing| is mightier than the sword |fighting|”)
mood
the emotional atmosphere of a work
Motif
a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works
motivation
a character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner
myth
a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events
narrative
a story or narrated account
narrator
the one who tells a story, may be first, third, limited, or omniscient
non sequitur
an inference that does not follow logically from the premises
Omniscient narrator
a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters
onomatopoeia
a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds
oxymoron
a expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined
parable
a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson
paradox
an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth
parallelism
the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms
paraphrase
a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity
parody
a humorous imitation of a serious work
parenthetical
a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain
pathos
the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity
pedantic
characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship
personification
endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics
philippic
a strong verbal denunciation.
plot
the action of a narrative or drama
Note
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