Gothic
Narrative which combines a desolate setting and mysterious events to create an atmosphere of terror
Grotesque
An element of gothic Romanticism in which bizarre, fantastically ugly or absurd elements are important to the overall effect
Homily
Generally means a sermon; can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice
Hyperbole
Exaggeration to create an effect, to accomplish a particular purpose, or to reveal an attitude
Imagery
Diction describing the five senses to convey tone, purpose, and effect
Induction
The process of reasoning from a part to a whole or from the general to the particular
Inference
A reasonable conclusion drawn from the information presented
Internal rhyme
Rhyme that occurs within a line of poetry
Invective
An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language
Inverted order
Reversing the usual subject-verb-complement order, often used in poetry to conform to rhyme and rhythm patterns in poetry or for effect in prose
Irony, dramatic
The discrepancy between what a character in a play thinks and what the audience knows to be true
Irony, situational
The discrepancy between what happens and what is expected to happen
Irony, verbal
The discrepancy between what is said and what is meant (Sarcasm)
Juxtaposition
Placing two persons, places, or things next to each other to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish a purpose
Language, Connotative
Meanings or associations readers have with a word or an item beyond its dictionary definition. Connotations may reveal another layer of meaning of a piece, affect the tone, or suggest symbolic resonance.
Language, Denotative
The dictionary definition of a word
Litotes
Understatement in which the negative of an antonym is used to achieve emphasis and intensity
Local color
Detailed representation in fiction of the dialect, dress, climate, manners, customs, etc. of a certain area
Logical fallacies
Errors in reasoning which render an argument invalid
Logical fallacy, Ad hominem
an argument that appeals to emotion rather than reason or intellect
Logical fallacy, Ad populum
The misconception that a widespread occurrence of something makes it true or correct
Logical fallacy, Begging the Question
Taking for granted something that really needs proving
Logical fallacy, Circular Reasoning
Trying to prove one another idea with another idea that is too similar to the first
Logical fallacy, Either/Or Reasoning
Seeing an issue as only having two sides
Logical fallacy, Hasty Generalization
Drawing a premature conclusion on the basis of insufficient evidence
Logical fallacy, Non-sequitur
An inference or conclusion that does not follow from an established premise or evidence
Logical fallacy, Pedantry
A display of narrow-minded and trivial scholarship; an arbitrary adherence to rules and forms
Logical fallacy, Post Hoc, ergo Propter Hoc
Assuming that the incident that precedes an incident is the cause of the second incident (literally, "After this, therefore because of this")
Logical fallacy, Propaganda
Writing that advocates a certain doctrine as the solution to a social or political problem
Loose sentence
A sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses to create an informal, relaxed, and conversational tone.