Absolute
existing without limitations or qualifications
Ad Hominem
Attack on the person rather than the argument
Adage
short wise saying
Allegory *
thing that represents an abstract
Alliteration
repetition of initial consonant sounds in neighboring words
Allusion
Reference to a well known
Analogy
comparison between two different things
Anachronism *
thing that is out of it’s appropriate period
Anaphora
repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of sentences
Anecdote
short story, narrative
Antecedent
word that pronoun refers to
Aphorism
observation that represents a general truth
Apostrophe
addressing absent or imaginary person
Archetype
character type often found in literature
Argument
point of view
Assonance
repetition of similar sounding vowels
Asyndeton
without conjunctions (she jumps, falls, runs)
Cacophony
rough sounding words
Cliche
expression that is overused
Colloquialism
informal words (gonna, wanna, yall)
Conceit
cleverly extended metaphor
Connotation
implied meaning of a word
Denotation
literal meaning
Deus ex Machina
plot device where a problem is suddenly solved with unexpected intervention
Didactic
negative connotation, primary purpose is teaching
Dramatic Irony
when the audience is aware of critical information that the characters are not
Elegy
poem about death, loss, mourning
Ellipsis
omission of a word or phrase
Epic
long narrative poem
Epigram
paradoxical saying
Epigraph
statement title of a work, chapter or section
Epitaph
inscription on a tombstone
Epithet
characteristic of a person
Ethos
appeal based on character of the speaker
Eulogy
tribute given to dead person at their funeral
Euphemism
less offensive way of saying something
Euphony
pleasant sounding words
Expletive
interjection to lend emphasis, often a profanity
Figurative Language *
simile, metaphor, imagery
Flat Character
single quality, does not develop during story
Frame Device
story within the story
Genre *
major category of literature
Hyperbole
intentional exaggeration to create an effect
Hubris *
excessive amount of pride or arrogance
Idiom
expression (it’s raining cats and dogs)
Implication
suggestion an author makes without stating it directly
Inference
conclusion drawn based on premise or evidence
Invective
intensely, highly emotional attack
Jargon
specialized language of a particular group of people
Juxtaposition
when two objects are placed together for comparison
Legend
narrative handed down from the past
Limited Narrator
narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a singular character
Literary License
deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect
Logos
appeal based on logic or reason
Malapropism
mistaken substitution of one word for another that sounds similar
Maxim
concise statement, adage, aphorism, short catchy phrase
Metonymy
figure of speech where a object or idea takes the place of another that has close association (Hollywood - movie industry, turf - area of residence or expertise)
Mood
emotional atmosphere of a work
Motif
standard element or theme that recurs in various or specific works
Narrative
story
Non Sequitur
inference that does not follow logically from the premises
Onomatopoeia
word that imitates the sound it represents
Oxymoron
two words that contradict are joined together (bittersweet, friendly fire)
Parable
simple story that illustrates a moral
Paradox
statement that appears to be contradictory but on closer inspection makes more sense
Parody
humorous imitation of a serious work
Pathos
appeal based on emotion of the audience
Pedantic
excessive display of learning or scholarship
Personification
nonliving thing is given living attributes
Philippic
strong verbal denunciation, similar to an invective
Polysyndeton
more conjunctions than is necessary
Prose
fiction or nonfiction writing, writing that is not poem
Repetition
repeated language for emphasis
Rhetoric
analyzing how an author get their argument across
Romantic
term for characteristics of Romanticism
Rhythm
occurrence of stressed and unstressed syllables
Situational Irony
what happens is different from what’s expected to happen
Stream of consciousness
continuous flow of thoughts of a person
Surreal
bizarre or dreamlike
Syllepsis
a word that is understood differently in relation to two other words (he lost his coat and his temper - ‘lost’ is used in two different ways)
Synecdoche
figurative language in which a word or idea is expressed by using aspects of that word or idea (wheels - signifies a vehicle, behind bars - signifies being in jail)
Tautology
needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding (free gift, short summary, new innovation)
Verse
poetry
Verbal Irony
when a character says one thing but means another
Knowt
Note
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