English Terms

Aphorism

a concise statement or expression that contains a general truth

Foil

a person or thing that makes another seem better in contrast

Paradox

statement that seems contradictory, but is actually truestatement that seems contradictory, but is actually true

Hyperbole

an overstatement characterized by exaggerated language

Juxtaposition

placing two items side-by-side to create a certain effect

Catharsis

the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions

Motif

a recurrent symbol, image, or concept that has symbolic significance and helps develop a theme

Parallelism

a grammatical structure where words, phrases, clauses, or sentences are arranged in a similar grammatical form to emphasize similar ideas or create a balanced, rhythmic effect

Anaphora

regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases or clauses

Euphemism

substitution of a milder or less direct expression for on that is harsh or blunt

Tone

the attitude a literary work takes towards its subject and theme

Mood

the feeling resulting from the tone of a piece

Alliteration

the repetition of initial consonant sounds or any vowel sounds within a grouping

Apostrophe

 figure of speech in which a person, thing, or abstract quality is addressed as if present

Oxymoron

combination of two apparently contradictory elements