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151 Terms
1
absurd
A state of being nonsensical and illogical; used in literature to show the meaningless of life and unknowability of the universe.
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accent (stress)
The emphasis of a specific syllable in a word.
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aesthetics
Principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art and literature.
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affective
Relating to emotions and feelings.
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alexandrine
A line of poetry containing six iambic feet.
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allegory
A literary or visual work that can be interpreted to have a hidden meaning.
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alliteration
The repetition of a letter or sound at the beginning of consecutive words.
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allusion
Referencing a separate literary work as an artistic device in a literary work.
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anachronism
A thing belonging to a separate time than it is depicted.
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anadiplosis
A literary device where the ending word or phrase of one sentence is repeated at the beginning of the next sentence, adding emphasis and a connection of ideas.
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anaphora
The repetition of a word or phrase in consecutive clauses which adds emphasis to the phrase or idea.
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analogy
A descriptive comparison between two things.
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anapest
A foot of poetry consisting of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable.
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antithesis
One object or subject being the direct opposite of another object or subject.
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aphorism
A concise observation that contains a universal truth.
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apostrophe
Addressing an inanimate object or a person who is deceased.
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archaism
The use of old-fashioned or archaic styles in literature.
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archetype
A recurrent symbol or motif that is portrayed across literature.
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Aporia
An expression of doubt (real or pretended) for rhetorical effect—an indeterminacy of meaning.
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Asyndeton
Omission of the usual conjunctions between words or clauses.
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Auxesis
Listing things in order of importance, starting from the least important to the most important.
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Brachylogia
Leaving out words to shorten an expression.
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Dialogical
When writing is characterized by the use of dialogue--or a conversation between two or more parties.
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Diction
The words or phrases an author chooses to use in speech or writing.
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Didactic
Designed or intended for teaching, typically involving moral commentary and/or lessons.
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Dimeter
A single line of verse containing two metrical feet.
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Diphthong
A gliding speech sound between two vowels in the same syllable.
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Dirge
A solemn, mournful piece of music, often accompanying a funeral or memorial.
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Dissonance
An inharmonious or discordant grouping of sounds that is harsh to the ear.
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Doggerel
When a text is more free in style and irregular in measure to emphasize comic or satirical effect.
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Double Entendre
A word or phrase with two possible interpretations, often sexual in nature.
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Dramatic Monologue
A character has a monologue that reveals their character or situation through their own words, often to a second person.
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Eclogue
A short poem containing dialogue between shepherds.
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Elegy
A song or poem expressing sorrow or lamentation, usually toward the dead.
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Elision
The omission of or slurring over of a vowel or syllable in pronunciation, often to preserve a poem's meter.
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Ellipsis
The omission of one or more words necessary for proper grammar, but are understood without.
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Encomium
A reference to a person, event, or idea, usually used in prose poems.
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End-stopped
The end of a line where a pause is intended; it must be a complete phrase.
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English (Shakespearean) Sonnet
A sonnet that has three quatrains ending in a couplet.
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Enjambment
A line ending and running on to the next without a pause or punctuation.
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Enlightenment, The
A period of increased intellect in the late 17th to early 19th centuries, centered around the need to separate from superstition, prejudice, and injustice.
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Epideictic
Poems used for the public, often for funerals and special occasions.
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Epigram
A short poem with wit and expression, commonly used to insult.
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Epigraph
A quote to tell the theme of the writing, usually set in the beginning.
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Epitaph
Writing that usually describes a dead person’s life or writing that goes on a tomb.
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Epithalamion
A poem or song usually sung for the bride on the wedding night.
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Epithet
A phrase describing a person or phrase.
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Eponymous
A term for a person when something is named after them.
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Euphemism
Figurative language designed to replace harsh or unpleasant phrasing.
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Euphony
Words creating a pleasing sound with their use of long vowels, liquid consonants, and semi-vowels.
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Exordium
An introduction section of a piece of work.
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Explication
A close reading or analysis of written work.
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Homophone
Words that are pronounced the same way but have different meanings.
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Hyperbaton
A rhetorical device in which the natural order of words is changed.
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Hyperbole
Exaggeration for the sake of emphasis not meant literally.
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Iamb
A two-syllable metrical pattern consisting of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.
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Idiom
A saying or expression that has a figurative meaning different from the literal meaning.
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Idyll
A short poem or prose work that depicts rural life or a natural scene.
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Imagery
Use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture.
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Invocation
Addressing a deity, muse, or higher power to seek inspiration.
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Invective
The use of abusive language to attack or denounce a topic or person.
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Irony
A contradiction between appearance and reality.
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Isocolon
Repeats grammatical structures in phrases or clauses.
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Jeremiad
A form of literary work expressing deep lamentation or mourning.
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Kitsch
Literary device conveying irony, often characterized by bad taste.
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Lacuna
An absent part in a piece of writing.
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Lai
A medieval lyric poem written in couplets.
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Lampoon
A form of satire imitating someone in a funny way.
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Latinate
English words derived from or influenced by Latin.
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Leitmotif
A recurring phrase or theme that holds symbolic significance.
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Limerick
A poem consisting of five lines with a rhyme scheme of ABBA.
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Literature
A body of written works related by subject matter, language, or cultural standards.
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Lyric
A short poem expressing the mood, feeling, or meditation of a single speaker.
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Madrigal
A short lyric poem, usually of love or pastoral life, often set to music.
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Malapropism
A confused, comically inaccurate use of a long word.
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Masculine Rhyme
Common rhyme between single stressed syllables at the ends of verse lines.
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Masque or Mask
An indoor performance combining drama, music, and dance favored by European royalty.
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Maxim
A short and memorable statement of a general principle.
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Meditation
Expresses the author’s reflections.
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Metaphor
When something is referred to by a word denoting another thing, suggesting a shared quality.
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Metaphysical Poets
A group of 17th-century English poets noted for their ingenious use of intellectual concepts.
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Meter
The pattern of measured sound-units recurring in lines of verse.
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Mnemonic Device
A form of words or letters that assist memory.
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Mock-epic
A poem employing lofty style to describe trivial events, mocking its subject.
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Modernism
Applied retrospectively to the range of experimental literary trends in the early 20th century.
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Monologue
An extended speech uttered by one speaker.
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Motif
A recurring situation, event, idea, image, or character-type in literature.
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Muse
An inspiration, typically personified among the nine Greek goddesses of the arts.
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Narrator
The voice narrating the story within a work of literature.
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Negative capability
An artist's ability to tolerate uncertainty without demanding logical explanations.
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Neoclassicism
An 18th-century literary movement using classical art and culture as models.
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Neologism
A recently coined word or phrase arising due to new circumstances.
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Objective correlative
A literary technique whereby an object or series of events evokes a specific feeling.
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Occasional poem
A poem written to commemorate a specific occasion or event.
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Octave/octet
A stanza or poem consisting of eight lines.
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Ode
An earnest, often formal lyric poem addressed to and praising a person, thing, or idea.
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Oeuvre
An artist's or writer's entire body of work.
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Onomatopoeic
Words that imitate or resemble the actual sound of the thing described.
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Ottava rima
A type of poetry composed of stanzas having eight lines with a specific rhyme scheme.
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Paean
A lyric poem or song employed to praise victory or thanksgiving.
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