Allusion – a reference to a work of literature, an historical figure or time period in history, or to something in popular culture without directly mentioning it. (Example: “Maycomb had recently been told that we had nothing to fear but fear itself” (Lee 11). This is an allusion to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in regards to the Great Depression.)

Meter – a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry

Pun – a play on words (example: I was struggling to figure out how lightning works, but then it struck me.)

Malapropism – the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar sounding word. (Example: My children love to ride the casserole at the carnival. Casserole should be carousel.)

Aside – a short line delivered directly to the audience or to another character. We are expected to understand that the other characters on stage are not supposed to hear this line.

Monologue – a lengthy speech by one character, addressed to other characters

Soliloquy – a lengthy speech by one character who is talking to him- or herself

Meter - the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse.

Volta - or turn, is a rhetorical shift or dramatic change in thought and/or emotion.

Sonnet – a 14-line poem written in iambic pentameter, with a set rhyme scheme (aabb, ccdd, eeff, gg)

iamb – one metric foot consisting of one unstressed and one stressed syllable, in that order

iambic pentameter - a line of poetry with five metric feet, each consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. For example: Two house/ holds, both/ alike/ in dig/ nity.

Stanza – the grouping of lines in a poem (couplets, quatrain, etc.)

Quatrain - a stanza of four lines in a poem

Couplet - two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme

Chorus – a character whose job it is to introduce or summarize important information

Scene - a division of an act into smaller parts

Rhyme scheme – the pattern of rhyming sounds at the end of lines of poetry

Act - a division within a play, much like chapters of a novel

Situational irony - to expect one thing and the opposite occur

Dramatic irony – This irony is developed when the audience knows something that the characters in the story do not know

Verbal irony - to say one thing and mean the other

Dramatic foil – A dramatic foil is a character who is the exact opposite of another character. For example: Benvolio is the peacemaker and Tybalt is the fighter.

Oxymoron - a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction

Stage directions - italicized comments that identify parts of the setting or the use of props or costumes, give further information about a character, or provide background information

Tragedy - a serious work of drama in which the hero suffers catastrophe or serious misfortune, usually because of his own actions