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Allegory
A story or poem which relies upon symbols to teach a lesson (eg: all of the Parables are allegories).
Anachronism
Something taken/used out of its place and time; often seen in Shakespeare’s writings.
Antithesis
Contrasting ideas expressed in a balanced grammatical structure – matching phrases separated by a comma.
Apostrophe
To address a person or thing not present as if it were present.
Archetype
A pattern or concept common to people of different times and cultures (eg: good, evil, hero, villain etc.)
Aside
Comments meant for only the audience to hear. Usually for ironic effect.
Assonance
Repetition of the same vowel sound in a line of poetry.
Connotation
The field of associations which surround a word (eg: black connoted evil, death, darkness, danger).
Consonance
The repetition of identical consonant sounds.
Denotation
The exact dictionary definition of a word.
Diction
The use and type of words in a literary work. It may be described as formal, informal, colloquial, or slang.
Didactic Poem
A poem which is intended primarily to teach a lesson.
Enjambment
The syntax or cadence in a line of poetry carries the reader into the next line.
Euphemism
The use of a pleasant-sounding word or phrase to avoid talking about the unpleasant reality.
Extended metaphor
An implied analogy, or comparison, which is carried throughout a stanza or an entire poem
Internal Rhyme
Rhyme that occurs within a line, rather than at the end.
Lyric Poem
Any short poem that presents a single speaker who expresses thoughts and feelings. Sonnets and odes are this type of poem.
Meter
This emphasizes the musical quality of the language. Each unit is known as a foot.
Metonymy
An object / institution / person is given the name of something else with which it is associated.
Oxymoron
An expression that combines opposite or contradictory ideas in two words (eg: jumbo shrimp).
Paradox
An apparently contradictory statement, with an element of truth in it.
Pathetic fallacy
Nature reflects the feelings of the characters and the mood of the events in the story
Poetic Justice
Justice as it should be – the good are rewarded and the evil punished.
Rhythm
The recurrence of stressed and unstressed syllables – often to mimic speech patterns.
Satire
Literature exposing the follies or weaknesses of a person or institution – think Saturday Night Live
Soliloquy
A character, alone on stage, reveals their innermost thoughts / desires.
Synecdoche
A part of something signifies the whole (eg: “All hands on deck.”).
litotes / understatement
Saying less about something than is true. A statement that minimizes the importance of what is meant.
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Flashcard (108)