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Metaphysical conceit
A startling or unusual metaphor reserved for metaphysical poems
Metonym
A word that is used to stand for something else that has attributes of or associated with. For example, a herd of 50 cows could be called 50 head of cattle
Nemesis
The protag's arch enemy or supreme and persistent difficulty. (Think Mario and Bowser)
Neologism
Its literally coinage like idk. Coinage- A new word, usually one invented on the spot.
Objectivity
treatment of subject matter that is an impersonal or outside view of events
Omniscient Narrator
A third person narrator that can see into each character's thoughts and understands all the action. When limited, it only tells the reader the thoughts and actions of ONE character
Onomatopoeia
Words that sound like what they mean. Ex. Boom, splat, bam, etc
Opposition
A pair of elements that contrast sharply. A pairing of images where each becomes more striking and informative because of it being placed in contrast to the other.
Oxymoron
A phrase composed of opposites. Ex: Dark light, bright black, calm frenzy, etc.
Parable
An instructional story like a fable or allegory
Paradox
A situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but on closer inspection, it does not
Parallelism
Repeated syntactical similarities used for effect
Paraphrase
To restate phrases or statements in your own words, to re-phrase.
Parenthetical Phrase
A phrase set off by commas the interrupts the flow of a sentence with some commentary or detail. Ex. Jack's three dogs, including that miserable little spaniel, were with him that day.
Parody
A literary work that is the result when a specific work is exaggerated to ridiculousness.
Pastoral
A poem set in a tranquil nature or a poem about shepherds.
Pathos
When the writing tries to evoke feelings of dignified pity and sympathy
Periodic sentence
A sentence that is not grammatically correct until it has reached the end
Persona
Narrator in a non-first person novel. A shadow-author.
Personification
When an inanimate object takes on human shape. Ex. The darkness of the forest became the figure of a beautiful, pale-skinned woman in night-black clothes
Plaint
A poem or speech expressing sorrow
Point of View
The perspective from which the action of a novel or narrative is presented. You have omniscient, limited omniscient, first person, camera-eye, and stream of consciousness
Prelude
An introductory poem to a longer work of verse
Protagonist
The main character of a work of literature
Pun
The usually humorous use of a word in such a way to suggest two or more meanings
Refrain
A line or set of lines repeated several times over the course of a poem
Requiem
Song of prayer for the dead
Rhapsody
An intensely passionate verse or section of verse, usually of love or praise
Rhetorical Question
A question that suggests an answer. In theory, the effect is that it causes the listener to feel they have come up with the answer themself.
Satire
Exposes common character flaws to the cold light of humor.
Simile
A metaphor that usually uses like or as
Soliloquy
A speech spoken by a character alone on stage. It's meant to give the impression that the audience is listening to the character's thoughts. Unlike an aside, this is not meant to imply that the actor acknowledges the audience's presence.
Stanza
A group of lines roughly analogous in function in verse to the paragraph's function in prose
Stock characters
Standard or clichéd character types: Jock, nerd, valley girl, etc.
Stream of consciousness
Like first person pov but the author places the reader inside the main character's head and makes the reader privy to all of the character's thoughts as they scroll their head.
Subjective
An emotional treatment of subject matter that uses an interior or personal view of events.
Subjunctive mood
The set up to a hypothetical situation. Ex. If I were you, if she were rich, if he was smart.
Suggest
To imply, infer, or indicate.
Summary
A simple re-telling of what you have read. It's mechanical, superficial, and a step above paraphrase.
Suspension of disbelief
The demand for an audience to accept the limitations of a literary work and apply your imagination. The acceptance on an audience's part of the plot in a story.
Symbolism
A device in literature where an object represents an idea
Syntax
The ordering and structuring of an author's words
Technique
The tools and methods of an author.
Theme
The main idea of the overall work; the central idea. It is the topic of discourse or discussion.
Thesis
The main position of an argument. The central contention that will be supported.
Tragic flaw
In a tragedy, this is the weakness of a character in a usually good individual that leads to their demise.
Travesty
A grotesque parody
Truism
A way-to-obvious truth
Unreliable Narrator
A pov from a untrustworthy character. Usually are not in the right headspace, very young, or biased.
Utopia
An idealized place. Imaginary communities where people are able to live in happiness, prosperity, and peace.
Zeugma
The use of a word to modify two or more words, but used for different meanings. Ex. He closed the door and his heart on his lost love.
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