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absolute
a word free from limitations or qualifications (“best,” “all,” “unique,” “perfect”)
abstractions
the quality of dealing with ideas rather than events
adage
a familiar proverb or wise saying
ad hominem argument
an argument attacking an individual’s character rather than his or her position on an issue
allegory
a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
anaphora
the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences
anecdote
a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event
antecedent
the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers
antithesis
a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced
aphorism
a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance
archetype
a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response
argument
a statement of the meaning of main point of a literary work
asyndeton
a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions
balanced sentence
a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast
bathos
insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity
chiasmus
a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the 2nd part is structurally reversed (“Susan walked in, out rushed Mary”)
colloquialism
informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing
concrete
details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events
connotation
the implied or associative meaning of a word
cumulative sentence
a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases
deductive reasoning
reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore the sun will rise on Tuesday morning).
denotation
the literal meaning of the word
diction
the word choice made by a writer
dissonance
harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds
ellipsis
the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context (“Some people prefer cats; others, dogs”).
epigram
a brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying (“The Child if Father of the Man”).
epigraph
a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work
epiphany
a moment of sudden revelation or insight
epitaph
an inscription on a tombstone or a burial place
epithet
a term used to point out a characteristic of a person. Homeric epithets are often compound adjectives (“swift-footed Achilles”) that become an almost formulaic part of a name. Epithets can be abusive or offensive but are not so by definition. For example, athletes may be proud of their given epithets.
euphenism
an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
expletive
an interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity
flat character
a character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of the story
frame device
a story within a story
hubris
excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy
hypotheticals
involving or being based on a suggested idea or theory
inductive
reasoning-deriving general principles from particular facts or instances
invective
an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack
jargon
the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or professions
limerick
light verse consisting of five lines of a regular rhythm in which the first, second, and fifth lines (each consisting of three feet) rhyme, and the second and third lines (each consisting of two feet) rhyme
limited narrator
a narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts info to what is seen, heard, thought or felt by that one character
malapropism
the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar (“The doctor wrote a subscription”)
maxim
a concise statement, often offering advice, an adage
metonymy
substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it
omniscient narrator
a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of characters
parable
a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lessons
pedantic
characterized by an excessive display of leaning or scholarship
polysyndeton
the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjuctions than necessary or natural
surrealism
an artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongrous juxatapositions and lack of conscious control
syllogism
a three-part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on major premise and a minor premise
synecdoche
using one part of an object to represent the entire object
syntax
the manner in which words are arranged into sentences
vernacular
the everyday speech of a particular country ore region, often involving nonstandard usage