LITERATURE

Literature

Written work of arts of a specific culture, subculture, religion, philosophy, or the study of such written work which may appear in poetry or in prose.

Prose Fiction

Narrative written without a metrical pattern that tells an imaginary or invented story.

Drama

Portrayal of fictional or non-fictional events through the performance of written dialogue either prose or poetry.

Poetry

Type of literature that conveys a thought, describes a scene, or tells a story in a concentrated, lyrical arrangement of words.

Prose Non-Fiction

Any literary work that is based mainly on fact, even though it may contain fictional elements. Examples include essays, journals, and biographies.

Simile

A stated comparison between two unlike things or persons that have something in common using "like" or "as". Example: Her smile is as mysterious as Mona Lisa's.

Metaphor

An implied comparison between two persons or things that are unlike in most respects. Example: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Personification

Giving human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract things. Example: The flowers dance in the garden.

Metonymy

Consists of naming a thing by one of its attributes. Example: The crown prefers taxes from the underlings to support his expenses.

Synecdoche

Substituting a part for a whole, an individual for a class, or a material for the thing. Example: Many squatters dream of roofs over their heads.

Hyperbole

An exaggeration used for artistic effect. Example: Thanks a million!

Litotes

A deliberate understatement used to affirm by negating the opposite. Example: The trip wasn't a total loss.

Irony

The use of words to signify the opposite of their literal meaning. Example: You're beautiful; You look like a Christmas tree.

Oxymoron

Putting together in one statement two contradictory terms. Example: The sound of silence is indeed deafening.

Apostrophe

An address to a (a) dead person as though he were alive or (b) an absent person as though he were present. Example: Ninoy, you're not alone.

Literra

meaning letters and referring to an acquaintance with the written word.