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Allegory
A narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrate multiple levels of meaning and significance. Often a universal symbol or a personified abstraction
Alliteration
The sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate stressed syllables
Allusion
A literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference in a literary work
Anaphora
The regular repetition of the same words or phrases at the beginning of a successive phrases or clauses
Colloquial
A term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folks, especially in a specific region or area
Antithesis
The juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas
Aphorism
A concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief
Appeals to… authority, emotion, logic
Rhetorical arugments in which the speaker claims to be an authority or expert in a field, or attempts to play upon the emotions, or appeals to the use of reason
Apostrophe
An address or invocation to something inanimate
Assonance
The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in successive or proximate words
Asyndeton
A syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series, usually producing more rapid prose
Attitude
The sense expressed by the tone of voice or the mood of a piece of writing; authors feelings toward his or her subject, characters, events, or theme. It might even be his or her feelings for the reader
Begging the question
An argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or the conflict, evades or ignores the real question
Canon
That which had been accepted as authentic
Chiasmus
A figure of speech and generally a syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second
conceit
A comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem
connotation
the implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase
consonance
the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in intervening vowels
critique
an assessment or analysis of something, such as a passage of writing, for determining what it is, what its limitations are, and how it conforms to the standard of the genre
deductive reasoning
the method of argument in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principles; movement from the general to the specific
dialect
the language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group
diction
the specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect
didactic
writing or speech that has an instructive purpose or a lesson; often associated with a dry, pompous presentation
elegy
a poem or prose that laments, or meditates upon the death of a person
epistrophe
in rhetoric, the repetition of a phrase at the end of successive sentences
epitaph
writing in praise of a dead person, most often inscribed upon a headstone
ethos
in rhetoric, the appeal of a text to the credibilty and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator
eulogy
a speech or written passage in praise of a person; an oration in honor of a deceased person
euphemism
an indirect, kinder, or less harsh or hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information
exposition
the interpretation or analysis of a text. Also, the opening section of a narrative or dramatic structure in which characters, setting, theme, and conflict can be revealed
extended metaphor
a series of comparisons within a piece of writing. If they are consistently one concept, this is also know as a conceit.
figurative language
language with levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech such as personification, metaphors, litote, etc
flashback
an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration
genre
a type or class of literature, such as epic, narrative, poetry, biography, history
homily
a sermon but more comtemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life
hyperbole
overstatement characterized by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention
imagery
any sensory detail or evocation in a work to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object. Involves any or all of the five senses
inductive reasoning
the method of reasoning or argument in which general statementsand conclusions are drawn from specfic principles: movement from the specfic to the general
inference
a conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data. Looking at the clues, learning the facts.
irony
the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The intended meaning is often the opposite of what is stated, often suggesting light sarcasm.
Isocolon
parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure but also in length
jargon
specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group
juxtaposition
the location of one thing adjacent to another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose
litote
a figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by consious understatemnt
loose sentence
a long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several dependent clauses and modifying phrases