English A

Tone

attitude of the narrator or speaker

diction

word choice

modality

level of certainty of language (must/might)

imperative language

an authoriative command

voice

perspective of the narrator/speaker(first, second, third)

allusion

a reference to something outside of the text(culture, history)

metaphor

direct comparison of an object to something else

simile

indirect comparison of an object to something else(uses like/as)

personification

human-like discription of a non-human object

pathetic fallacy

the attribution of human emotions or characteristics to inanimate objects or to nature(angry clouds, cruel wind)

visual imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of sight

auditory imagery

details that appeal to the sense of hearing

olfactory imagery

descriptive language that appeals to the sense of smell

symbol

something that stands for an abstract idea

alliteration

repetition of consonant sounds (not a,e,i,o,u) at the begining of words

assonance

repetition of vowel sounds

consonance

repetition of consonant sounds

sibilance

repetition of hissing consonant sounds like "s", "sh", or "z".

rhyme

repetition of sounds at the end of words

repetition

again and again

anaphora

repetition of words at the begining of successive clauses

listing

this, that, that and this

stanza length

how long a stanza is

verbal irony

saying one thing but meaning another

juxtoposition

placement of two things together closely to emphasize comparison or contrast

hyperbole

an exaggeration

paradox

statement that seems contradictory but actually contains a hidden truth

oxymoron

a combination of contradictory terms

antithesis

balancing of 2 opposite or contrasting words, phrases or clauses

syntax

arrangement of words in phrases and sentences

asyndenton

leaving out conjunctions between words, phrases, clauses

rhetorical questions

a question asked merely for effect with no answer expected

internal monolouge

private sensation, thoughts, emotions of characters

dramatic monologue

a poem in which a speaker addresses a silent listener

characterisation

actions/dialouge/narrative description that reveal a sense of a characters personality to the reader