grnres and forms

Eulogy

A speech or piece of writing that praises someone, typically after their death.

Narrative

A story or account of events, real or fictional.

Satire

Uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize society or individuals.

Comedy

A work meant to entertain and amuse, often with a happy ending.

Farce

An exaggerated comedy with absurd situations, physical humor, and improbable events.

Tragedy

A serious work where the main character often faces downfall or death.

Comedy of manners

A comedy that mocks social behavior, especially of the upper class.

Prose poem

Written like prose (paragraphs) but uses poetic language and imagery.

Epic

A long narrative poem about heroic deeds and grand adventures.

Vignette

A brief, descriptive scene focusing on a moment or mood.

Villanelle

A 19-line poem with repeating lines and a strict rhyme scheme.

Free verse

Poetry without consistent rhyme or meter.

Dramatic monologue

A poem where a single speaker talks to an implied audience, revealing character.

Novella

A short novel, longer than a short story but shorter than a full novel.

Ode

A formal poem that praises something.

Parable

A simple story used to teach a moral lesson.

Sonnet

A 14-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme.

Ekphrastic poetry

Poetry that describes or responds to a visual artwork.

Blank verse

Unrhymed poetry written in iambic pentameter.

Iambic pentameter

A line with 10 syllables in an unstressed/stressed pattern.

Ballad

A narrative poem often about love or tragedy, usually meant to be sung.

Ars poetica

A poem about poetry itself.

Bildungsroman

A novel about a character’s growth from youth to adulthood.

Allegory

A story where characters/events symbolize deeper moral or political meanings.

Metaphysical conceit

An extended, unusual comparison (often intellectual or philosophical).

Refrain

A repeated line or phrase in a poem or song.

Alliteration

Repetition of initial consonant sounds (e.g., wild winds whistle).

Assonance

Repetition of vowel sounds (e.g., mellow wedding bells).

Character

A person or figure in a story.

Characterization

How the author reveals a character’s traits.

Flashback

A scene that interrupts the present to show past events.

Theme

The central idea or message of a work.

Motif

A recurring element (image, idea, symbol) that supports the theme.

Simile

Comparison using 'like' or 'as.'

Metaphor

Direct comparison without 'like' or 'as.'

Denouement

The final resolution of a story where conflicts are settled.