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Allegory
The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically.
ex: Animal Farm (George Orwell) – A political allegory about the Russian Revolution, where farm animals represent historical figures and events in Soviet communism.
Antecedent
Word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
Antithesis
➡ Definition: A specific type of juxtaposition where opposite ideas are deliberately placed together in a parallel grammatical structure.
➡ Key Feature: The contrast is clear, direct, and structured.
➡ Example: "Give me liberty, or give me death!" (Patrick Henry)
Aphorism
Early to bed and early to rise help make a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
-Ben Franklin
Apostrophe
"Oh, Captain, my Captain, our fearful trip is done..."
Colloquial/Colloquialism
The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
Conceit
An extended metaphor.
Euphemism
correctional facility = jail
between jobs = unemployed
Homily
This term literally means "sermon," but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice.
Invective
An emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language.
Metonymy
A figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it.
ex: "The crown will decide the nation’s fate." (Using the crown to represent a king or queen.)
Anaphora
The exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines
or sentences.
Pedantic
An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish
Prose
one of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms.
Semantics
The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words.
Syllogism
A deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion.
Synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole.
Synesthesia
When one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another.
Apologia
A written or spoken defense of one's beliefs and actions.
Parity
Equality
Pejorative
Negative; derogatory
Quail
To feel fear or apprehension.
Ad Hominem
Attacking a speaker's character instead of to their argument.
Anachronism
A person, scene, event or other element that fails to correspond with the appropriate time or era.
Didactic
Having an instructive purpose; intending to convey information to teach a lesson usually in a dry, pompous manner.
Censure
To publicly express condemnation for.
Hubris
Excessive pride that often brings about one's fall.
Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sounds, usually at the beginnings of words
Litotes
A form of understatement in which the negative of the contrary is used to achieve emphasis or intensity.
Paradox
A statement or idea that seems contradictory but is in fact true.
Laissez-Faire
Letting things take their course--lit. "allow to do"
Anecdote
A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.
Frenetic
Energetic, fast paced
Taciturn
Not talking much, reserved; silent, holding back in conversation.
Dogmatic
Inflexible, stubborn adherence to one's beliefs.
Pernicious
Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.
Truculent
Aggressive; confrontational
Voracious
Craving or consuming large quantities of food.
Zealous
Having or showing zeal.
Tacit
Understood or implied without being stated.
Innuendo
A suggestive or disparaging remark.
Indolent
Lazy; lackadaisical.
Consecrate
Make or declare (something, typically a church) sacred; dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose.
Chiasmus
A type of parallelism in which elements are reversed. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."
Loose Sentence
A sentence in which the subject and verb come at the front of the sentence.
Impetuous
Acting or done quickly and without thought or care.
Periodic Sentence
A sentence in which the subject and verb come toward the end of the sentence.
Exhort
Strongly encourage or urge someone to do something.
Slight
An insult or to insult.
Sarcasm
Caustic, bitter language--iterally means "to tear the flesh."
Independent Clause
A complete sentence.
Dependent Clause
Includes a subordinate conjunction, such as because, while, etc.
Allusion
A reference to something (e.g., a book, a movie, an historical event) that is presumed to be well known to the audience.
Satire
A work that pokes fun human vices and follies in order to call attention to a larger problem.
Parody
A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.
Coup de Grace
The "death blow"--the culminating event in a bad situation.
Coup d'Etat
Literally "blow to the state"--a violent overthrow.
Faux Pas
A social misstep or inappropriate action.
Incendiary
stirring up conflict
En Masse
In a body as a whole; as a group.
Proprietary
Characteristic of an owner of property; constituting property.
Propriety
The quality of behaving in a proper manner; obeying rules and customs.
Imminent
About to happen.
Eminent
Famous, outstanding, distinguished.
Disingenuous
Not straightforward or sincere.
Myopic
Lacking imagination or insight
Redact
To edit, cut out
Hamartia
A character's error in judgment that contributes to one's downfall.
Orwellian
The manipulation of language and ideas to control and obstruct the truth
Autonomos
Independent, self-governing, not under the control of something or someone else.
