Hammond 26-50

detail

Facts revealed by the author or speaker that support the attitude or tone in the work

diction

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

elegy

a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.

epic

A long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds

epiphany

A moment of sudden revelation or insight

exposition

A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.

farce

A comedy that contains an extravagant and nonsensical disregard of seriousness, although it may have a serious, scornful purpose.

figurative language

Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.

first person (point of view)

a character in the story is actually telling the story himself/herself

fixed form

A poem that may be categorized by the pattern of its lines, meter, rhythm, or stanzas.

flashback (~forward)

The scene shows an event that happens earlier in the story or later in the story.

foil

A character who is in most ways opposite to the main character (protagonist) or one who is nearly the same as the protagonist. The purpose of the foil character is to emphasize the traits of the main character by contrast only

foreshadowing

A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.

free verse

Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme

hyperbole

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

iambic pentameter

a poetic meter that is made up of 5 stressed syllables each followed by an unstressed syllable

image

Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)

in medias res

in or into the middle of a plot; into the middle of things

irony

the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

literal language

A form of language in which writers and speakers mean exactly what their words denote.

litotes

A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite.

lyric

A type of poetry that explores the poet's personal interpretation of and feelings about the world.

metaphor

a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

meter (iamb, trochee, dactyl, anapest)

a unit of rhythm in poetry, the pattern of the beats. It is also called a foot.

narrator

a speaker or character who tells a story