Alliteration
repetition of beginning vowel sounds in a line of prose or poetry
Allegory
a story or poem with various levels of meaning expressed by symbolic elements. In an ______ everything—objects, events, characters and setting—symbolizes an idea or a quality.
Allusion
reference (often oblique) to a well-known person, place, event, literary or artistic work.
Anaphora
type of parallel structure in which a word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses for emphasis.
Assonance
repetition of vowel sounds within a line to creative effective resonance.
blank verse
unrhymed iambic pentameter
caesura
a pause within a line of poetry
catalogue
a list of people, objects, or situations to evoke a range of emotions
connotation
an emotional association that is evoked by a work or phrase
denotation
The dictionary definition of a word
diction
work choice, formal/informal, plain/ornate, common/esoteric, abstract/concrete...
Enjambment
the running on of a thought from one line of poetry to the next without a pause.
Figurative language
language not meant to be literal but rather imaginative and/or metaphorical.
figure of speech
a word or expression that is not meant to be taken literally but rather imaginative or metaphorical
free-verse
Poetry that lacks regular meter or a consistent rhyme scheme
hyperbole
a deliberate exaggeration or overstatement used for a dramatic or comic effect
imagery
word pictures created by language that evokes senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, or movement
metaphor
a figure of speech in which one thing is spoken of as though it were something else, suggesting a comparison of the two things with the use of "like" or "as"
Motif
a recurrent, or repeated, object or idea throughout a literary work.
Onomatopoeia
the use of words that imitate sounds rather than identify something.
Oxymoron
a figure of speech that combines two opposing or contradictory ideas, suggesting a paradox in just a few words: "deafening silence."
paradox
a statement that seems to be contradictory but actually presents a truth: "The first shall be last."
parallelism
the use of the same grammatical part of speech (often three) in sequence.
Personification
figurative language in which inanimate objects are given human characteristics.
poetry
writing expressed in lines and stanzas, often with regular meter, rhyme scheme, and concise language.
prose
ordinary form of written language expressed in sentences and paragraphs.
Rhyme
repetition of sounds at the ends or words. Rhyming words can occur at the end of a line or within a line of poetry. Approximate or slant rhyme is when rhyming sounds are close but not exact: prove and glove.
tone
A writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter
theme
central message or insight into life revealed by a literary work. Theme is most often implied rather than directly stated.
symbol
anything (usual an object, but could be a character or a location) that stands for something else in a work of prose or poetry.
style
a combination of every feature of a writer's use of language, including (but not limited to) diction, syntax, grammar, organization, figures of speech and tone.
simile
a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison using like or as
stanza
a group of lines in a poem that often function similar to a paragraph in prose: developing a main idea
setting
the time and place of the action; can serve as merely background or be crucial to plot or mood.
rhythm
also called meter...the pattern of beats or stresses in spoken or written language
discourse
generally any form of written or spoken communication.
exposition
explains the facts; presents information
narration
tells a series of events
persuasion
(also called argument/argumentation) attempts to make a reader/listener adopt an opinion and/or take an action.
description
SHOWS how something strikes the senses; creates sensory imagery
Prosaic
commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative
Poetic/lyrical
having musical or imaginative qualities
aphorism
a statement of truth or opinion expressed in a concise and witty manner. An ______ is often referred to as a proverb, a maxim, an adage or (at its worst) a cliche.