APLIT

Alliteration

The repetition of initial consonant sounds in a series of words.

Allusion

A reference to a well-known person, place, event, or work of literature.

Ambiguity

The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; uncertainty.

Analogy

A comparison between two things for the purpose of explanation or clarification.

Anapest

A metrical foot consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable.

Anecdote

A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

Antagonist

A character or force in conflict with the main character, or protagonist.

Antecedent

A word that comes before something else.

Antithesis

A rhetorical device that contrasts opposing ideas in a balanced structure.

Apostrophe

A punctuation that indicates a pause or connects two clauses

Archetype

A typical example of a character, theme, or situation that recurs in literature.

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.

Blank verse

Unrhymed iambic pentameter, often used in English dramatic and epic poetry.

Cacophony

A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.

Catharsis

Purification or release of strong emotions

Chiasmus

A rhetorical device in which words or concepts are repeated in reverse order.

Conceit

Pompousness, vanity

Connotation

The implied or associative meaning of a word beyond its literal definition.

Consonance

The repetition of consonant sounds in close proximity within a sentence or phrase.

Denotation

The literal or primary meaning of a word, as opposed to its connotation.

Diction

The choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

Didactic

Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

Elegy

A mournful poem or song, typically written in remembrance of someone who has died.

Enjambment

The continuation of a sentence or clause across a line break in poetry.

Epigraph

A short quotation at the beginning of a book.

Epithet

A descriptive adjective meant to characterize. lord of the clouds, purple tongued,

Euphemism

A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh.

Euphony

The quality of being pleasing to the ear

Farce

A comic dramatic work, similar to sarcasm

Figurative language

Language that uses figures of speech to be more effective, persuasive, and impactful.

Foil

To ruin

Foreshadowing

A literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story.

Free verse

Poetry that does not follow a specific meter or rhyme scheme.

Hyperbole

Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Iambic pentameter

A type of poetic meter consisting of five iambs (unstressed-stressed syllable pairs) per line.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates mental images.

Inversion

The reversal of the normal order of words, often used for emphasis or poetic effect.

Irony

A contrast between expectation and reality, often highlighting the opposite of what is expected.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unrelated things.

Metonymy

A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated.

Ode

A lyrical poem that expresses emotion and is often addressed to a particular subject.

Onomatopoeia

A word that phonetically imitates the sound it describes.

Overstatement

An exaggerated phrase, often making something seem more than it actually is.

Oxymoron

A figure of speech in which contradictory terms appear in conjunction.

Paradox

A statement that seems contradictory but may reveal a deeper truth.

Parallel structure

The repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence or across sentences.

Parody

A humorous or satirical imitation of a particular writer, artist, or genre.

Pathos

A quality that evokes emotion

Personification

The attribution of human characteristics to non human things.

Point of View

the position from which a story is being told

Protagonist

The hero or main character

Pun

A play on words, often using the way they sound

Quatrain

A four line stanza

Refrain

A line/group that regularly repeats

Rhetorical Questions

A question that isn’t meant to be answered, but rather to prove a point.

Satire

A genre meant to poke fun at flaws.

Sestet

A group of six lines, often seen in sonnets.

Simile

A statement using like or as to compare two things.

Symbol

An image that can represent something else.

Synecdoche

Definition: A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole or vice versa. This rhetorical device often highlights a specific aspect of a larger concept, creating a deeper connection or understanding. Common examples include using "wheels" to refer to a car or "the crown" to denote royal authority.

Syntax

The arrangement of words

Tone

How the author uses words to convey their emotions

Understatement

the presentation of something as being smaller or less good or important than it really is.

Vernacular

The spoken form of language.