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bildungsroman
a novel that deals with the growth of a character over time
elegy
a poem expressing lament for the dead
periphrasis
purposefully inefficient explanation (dancing around)
zeugma
using a single word to convey several meanings at once
apotheosis
when a character is elevated to a godlike status
catharsis
intense emotional realization and release
dramatic monologue
reveals the specific intentions or thoughts of the speaker through poetry with an audience
characterization
description of a character’s traits, emotions, and personality
rhyme scheme
pattern of rhymes at the end of poem lines
aside
a short speech directly towards the audience
rhythm
tempo at which a poem unfolds
meter
structure of stressed and unstressed syllables
alliteration
repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words
assonance
repetition of vowel sounds within words
consonance
repetition of consonant sounds beginning or within words
sibilance
repetition of an S sound
invective
attacking or insulting language (high and low)
chiasmus
when words within clauses are inverted
metapropism
when a word is used incorrectly to sound fancy
hyperbole
exaggerated claims
onomatopoeia
a word that imitates a certain sound
aphorism
a short saying expressing a general truth
caesura
break in the flow of a poetic verse
metaphor
non-literal comparison
extended metaphor
when a comparison spans sentences, paragraphs, or the whole piece
simile
uses like, as, of, so, than
antithesis
opposition or contrast through parallelism
inversion
reversal of the syntactically correct word order
apostrophe
a phrase said by a character to someone not present
symbolism
using objects, actions, or events to represent a larger concept
diction
selection and arrangement of words to convey an idea
heroic couplet
a pair of successive rhyming lines written in iambic pentameter
vignette
short, descriptive passage enhancing the tone and setting
complication
building complexity (detail and nuance that establishes a conflict)
verisimilitude
simulation of the truth
tone
style or voice in writing (two word statements)
archetype
character, situation, or symbol type that appears across many different stories and cultures
doggerel
type of poetry that is often characterized by irregular rhythm and rhyme, typically considered to be of low quality or lacking in artistic merit. often humorous or nonsensical in nature.
existential character
struggle with the meaning of existence and understanding of the world; making meaning out of the meaningless; autonomous
pastoral poetry
centering around the themes of rural life, often romanticized
lyrical poetry
expressing the speaker’s emotions or mental state, often in first person
euphony
harmonious word arrangement
cacophony
discordant and grating word arrangement
flashback
an event that previously occurred
flash forward
anticipating a future event
antimetabole
phrase that is repeated with reversed word order; exact words
asyndeton
lack of a conjunction between words and phrases
polysyndeton
conjunctions are unnecessarily repeated
aubade
love poem or song revolving around the sun rise, often dealing with lovers parting
point of view
perspective of narrator or audience in relation to the events of the story (first, second, or third person)
deus ex machina
event in which a supposedly unsolvable conflict is resolved by the appearance of something
omniscient narrator
access to the perspective of every character
limited narrator
access to the thoughts and emotions of one character only
free verse
poetry without a regular meter or rhyme
narrative structure
framework of a story (linear, complex, in medias res)
satire
mocking in order to criticize or change behaviors
horatian satire
satire that prioritizes entertainment
juvenalian satire
a harsh, bitter satire
anthropomorphism
when non-human entities are given human traits
personification
describing non-human objects with human traits
sense imagery (tactile, visual, auditory, gustatory, olfactory)
imagery that speaks to sense
allegory
a short story with a meaning conveyed through symbolism
parable
a short story with an underlying moral
soliloquy
monologue given by a character alone on stage
litote
intense understatement to negate the opposite of what’s being expressed
dramatic irony
the audience knows something the character doesn’t
verbal irony
when a character says something different than what they actually mean
situational irony
a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs
analogy
comparing two otherwise unlike things
anecdote
short story
pastiche
an imitation of an art style
conceit
a fanciful or elaborate metaphor in poetry
allusion
referencing other works within another
ambiguity
multiple interpretations from one work
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