eng lit definitions

Allegory

A story with a hidden meaning or moral lesson

Allusion

A quick mention of a famous person, place, or book

Alter Ego

A close second self or secret second identity

Analepsis

A jump backward in time to show a past event

Analogy

A comparison between two things to show how they are alike

Anaphora

The repeating of a word at the start of multiple lines

Anthropomorphism

Giving animals or things human traits and actions

Antithesis

Putting two opposite ideas side by side for contrast

Archetype

A very typical example of a person or pattern

Bathos

A sudden drop from a serious mood to a silly one

Bildungsroman

genre-coming of age story-focuses on growth of main character from youth to adulthood

Byronic hero

A moody, troubled, rebellious character with a dark past

Catharsis

A strong release of deep emotions like pity or fear through the art or drama

Characterisation

How an author shows or builds a characters personality

Conceit

A clever, surprising or far fetched comparison between two very different things

Connotation

Emotional or cultural feeling a word carries between its literal meaning

Denotation

The exact definition of a word

Diction

The specific choice of words an author uses in writing or speaking

Doppleganger

A ghostly double or look-alike of a person