a familiar proverb or wise saying ex: Opposites attract. Don't judge a book by its cover.
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allegory
a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions
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alliterations
the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words
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allusion
a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize
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analogy
a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way
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antecedent
the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers
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archetype
a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response ex: The wise advisor, the femme fatal
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argument
a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work
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cliché
an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off ex: Plenty of fish in the sea.
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climax
the point of highest interest in a literary work
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complex sentence
a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause
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compound sentence
a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions
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concrete details
details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events
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dialogue
conversation between two or more people
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diction
the word choices made by a writer
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dissonance
harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds
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ellipsis
the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context ex: Some people prefer cats; others, dogs.
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epigraph
a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work
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epilogue
a section at the end of the story that finishes or sums up the story
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epiphany
a moment of sudden revelation or insight
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euphemism
an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant
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fable
a brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters
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fantasy
a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters; a fantasy may be merely whimsical, or it may present a serious point
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figurative language
language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.)
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flashback
the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative
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foreshadowing
the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work
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genre
a major category or type of literature
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hyperbole
intentional exaggeration to create an effect
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idiom
an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect ex: Kill two birds with a stone
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imagery
the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses
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irony
the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs
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litotes
a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite ex: describing a particularly horrific scene by saying "It was not a pretty picture"
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metaphor
a direct comparison of two different things
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mood
the emotional atmosphere of a work
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motif
a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works
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narrative
a story or narrated account
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narrator
the one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient
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omniscient narrator
a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters
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onomataopeia
a word formed from the imitations of natural sounds
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oxymoron
an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined ex: bittersweet
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paradox
an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth ex: The more you fail, the more likely you are to succeed.
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parallelism
the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms (parallel structure)
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paraphrase
a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity
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parenthetical
a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often for the purpose of clarity
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pedantic
characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship
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personification
endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics
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plot
the action of a narrative or drama
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point of view
the vantage point from which a story is told
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resolution
the falling action of a narrative, the events following the climax
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rhetorical question
a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer
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riddle
a question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum
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sarcasm
harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule
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satire
the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions
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scene
A real or fictional episode; a division of an act in a play
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setting
the time, place, and environment in which actions take place
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simile
a comparison of two things using "like," "as," or other specifically comparative words
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simple sentence
A sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause
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soliloquy
actor on stage performing only to the audience; a character's thoughts or monologue
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symbol
an object that is used to represent something else
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syntax
the manner in which words are arranged into sentences
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theme
a central idea of a work
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thesis
the primary position taken by a writer or speaker
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tone
the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience
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turning point
a point in a work in which a very significant change occurs
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understatement
the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis
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Colloquialism
Informal words or expression not usually acceptable in formal writing.
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Style
the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work
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Structure
the arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work
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Rhetorical devices
literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression
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Rhetoric
the art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner
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Surrealism
an artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongruous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control
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