Studied by 8 peopleActive Voice
The subject of the sentence performs the action. This is a more direct and preferred style of writing in most cases.
Allusion
An indirect reference to something with which the reader is supposed to be familiar.
Alter-ego
A character that is used by the author to speak the author’s own thoughts; when an author speaks directly to the audience through a character.
Anecdote
A brief recounting of a relevant episode. Often inserted into fictional or non fictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor.
Antecedent
The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun.
Classicism
Art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world; sticks to traditional themes and structures
Comic relief
when a humorous scene is inserted into a serious story, in order to lighten the mood somewhat.
Diction
Word choice, particularly as an element of style. Different types of words have significant effects on meaning.
Colloquial
Ordinary or familiar type of conversation.
Connotation
Rather than the dictionary definition, the associations suggested by a word. Implied meaning rather than literal meaning.
Denotation
The literal, explicit meaning of a word, without its connotations.
Jargon
The diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity.
Vernacular
Language or dialect of a particular country; Language or dialect of a regional clan or group; Plain everyday speech
Didactic
A term used to describe fiction, nonfiction or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.
Adage
A folk saying with a lesson.
Allegory
A story, fictional or non fictional, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts.
Aphorism
A terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle.
Ellipsis
The deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author.
Euphemism
A more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts. Sometimes they are used for political correctness.
Figurative Language
is the opposite of “Literal Language.” Literal language is writing that makes complete sense when you take it at face value. Writing that is not meant to be taken literally.
Analogy
a comparison of one pair of variables to a parallel set of variables.
Hyperbole
Exaggeration.
Idiom
A common, often used expression that doesn’t make sense if you take it literally.
Metaphor
Making an implied comparison, not using “like,” as,” or other such words.
Metonymy
Replacing an actual word or idea, with a related word or concept.
Synecdoche
A kind of metonymy when a whole is represented by naming one of its parts, or vice versa.
Simile
Using words such as “like” or “as” to make a direct comparison between two very different things.
Synesthesia
a description involving a “crossing of the senses.”
Personification
Giving human-like qualities to something that is not human.
Foreshadowing
When an author gives hints about what will occur later in a story.
Genre
The major category into which a literary work fits.
Gothic
Writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear and/or death. Also refers to an architectural style of the middle ages, often seen in cathedrals of this period.
Imagery
Word or words that create a picture in the reader's mind. Usually this involves the five senses. Authors often use imagery in conjunction with metaphors, similes, or figures of speech.
Invective
A long, emotionally violent, attack using strong, abusive language.
Irony
When the opposite of what you expect to happen does.
Verbal irony
When you say something and mean the opposite/something different.
Dramatic irony
When the audience of a drama, play, movie, etc. knows something that the character doesn't and would be surprised to find out.
Situational irony
Found in the plot (or story line) of a book, story, or movie. Sometimes it makes you laugh because it's funny how things turn out.
Juxtaposition
Placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison. Often used in order to make a point.
Mood
The atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction).
Motif
a recurring idea in a piece of literature.
Oxymoron
When apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox
Pacing
The speed or tempo of an author’s writing.
Paradox
A seemingly contradictory situation which is actually true
Parallelism (parallel structure; balanced sentences)
Sentence construction which places equal grammatical constructions near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns.
Anaphora
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences or clauses in a row.
Chiasmus
When the same words are used twice in succession, but the second time, the order of the words is reversed.
Antithesis
Two opposite or contrasting words, phrases, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure.
Zuegma (Syllepsis)
When a single word governs or modifies two or more other words, and the meaning of the first word must change for each of the other words it governs or modifies.
Parenthetical Idea
Used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence. It is almost considered an aside...a whisper, and should be used sparingly for effect, rather than repeatedly. Can also be used to set off dates and numbers.
Parody
An exaggerated imitation of a serious work for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases from an original, and pokes fun at it.
Persona
The fictional mask or narrator that tells a story. Do not confuse with alter-ego.
Poetic device
A device used in poetry to manipulate the sound of words, sentences or lines.
Alliteration
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of words.
Assonance
The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds.
Consonance
The repetition of the same consonant sound at the end of words or within words.
Onomatopoeia
The use of a word which imitates or suggests the sound that the thing makes.
Internal rhyme
When a line of poetry contains a rhyme within a single line.
Slant rhyme
When a poet creates a rhyme, but the two words do not rhyme exactly – they are merely similar.
End rhyme
When the last word of two different lines of poetry rhyme.
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of a poem’s end rhymes.
Stressed and unstressed syllables
In every word of more than one syllable, one of the syllables is stressed, or said with more force than the other syllable(s).
Meter
A regular pattern to the syllables in lines of poetry.
Free verse
Poetry that doesn’t have much meter or rhyme.
Iambic pentameter
Poetry that is written in lines of 10 syllables, alternating stressed and unstressed syllables.
Sonnet
A 14 line poem written in iambic pentameter. Usually divided into three quatrains and a couplet.
Polysyndeton
When a writer creates a list of items which are all separated by conjunctions. Normally, a conjunction is used only before the last item in a list.
Pun
When a word that has two or more meanings is used in a humorous way.
Rhetoric
The art of effective communication.
Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
The relationships, in any piece of writing, between the writer, the audience, and the subject.
Rhetorical Question
Question not asked for information but for effect.
Romanticism
Art or literature characterized by an idealistic, perhaps unrealistic view of people and the world, and an emphasis on nature. Does not rely on traditional themes and structures
Sarcasm
A generally bitter comment that is ironically or satirically worded.
Satire
A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect. It targets human vices and follies, or social institutions and conventions.
Sentence
A group of words (including subject and verb) that expresses a complete thought.
Appositive
A word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning.
Clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb.
Balanced sentence
A sentence in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal weights on a scale. Both parts are parallel grammatically.
Compound sentence
Contains at least two independent clauses but no dependent clauses.
Complex sentence
Contains only one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
Cumulative sentence
When the writer begins with an independent clause, then adds subordinate elements.
Periodic sentence
When the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence. The writer begins with subordinate elements and postpones the main clause.
Simple sentence
Contains only one independent clause.
Declarative sentence
States an idea. It does not give a command or request, nor does it ask a question.
Imperative sentence
Issues a command.
Interrogative sentence
Sentences incorporating interrogative pronouns
Style
The choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes.
Symbol
Anything that represents or stands for something else. Usually is something concrete such as an object, actions, character...that represents something more abstract.
Syntax/sentence variety
Grammatical arrangement of words
Theme
The central idea or message of a work
Thesis
The sentence or groups of sentences that directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition. It should be short and clear.
Tone
A writer's attitude toward his subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language and organization.
Understatement
The ironic minimizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is. The effect can frequently be humorous.
Litotes
a particular form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the statement which otherwise would be used.
Argument
a piece of reasoning with one or more premises and a conclusion. Is Also sometimes called a claim, a position, or a stance.
Premises
Statements offered as reasons to support a conclusion
Conclusion
Occurs at the end of the argument – the main point being made.
Aristotle’s appeals
The goal of argumentative writing is to persuade an audience that one’s ideas are valid, or more valid than someone else's. The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided all means of persuasion into three categories - ethos, pathos, and logos.
Ethos
being convinced by the credibility of the author. A writer tries to convince the audience the he or she someone worth listening to
Pathos
persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions.
Note
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