| A | B |
|---|
| dactyl | three syllable foot consisting of an accented syllable followed by the unaccented syllables. Ex: MUR mur ing |
| declarative sentence | a sentence that makes a statement |
| denouement | the resolution of a plot |
| details | the facts revealed by the author |
| diction | an author's choice of words |
| didactic | from the Greek, meaning "teaching". These works have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially teaching moral or ethical principles |
| dimeter | a verse written in two foot lines |
| dirge | a funeral hymn; a slow, sad song, poem, or musical composition expressing grief or mourning |
| dramatic irony | irony in which the character uses words which mean one thing to them but another to the character or audience who understand the truth |
| dramatic monologue | a poem which reveals a "soul in action" through the speech of one character in a dramatic situation |
| elegy | a poem or song of lament and praise of the dead |
| ellipsis | the omission of a word or words necessary for complete grammatical construction but understood in the context |
| end stop line | line of verse in which both the grammatical structure and the sense reach completion at the end of a line |
| enjambment | in poetry, the running on a a sentence from one line or couplet to the enxt, with little or no pause |
| epic | a long narrative, usually written in elevated language, which related the adventures of a hero upon whom rests the fate a of nation |
| epigram | a short poem with a witty or satirical point; any terse, witty pointed statement, often antithetical |
| epistle | a literary letter; a formal composition written in letter form, addressed to a distant person or group of people |
| epitaph | an inscription on a tomb or gravestone in memory of the person buried there; a short composition in prose or verse, written as a tribute to a dead person |
| euphemism | from the Greek word for "good speech," these are a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept |
| euphony | a quality of style marked by pleasing sounds |
| extended metaphor | a comparison developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work |
| existentialism | a term applied to a group of attitudes which emphasize existence rather than the essence, and sees the inadequacy of human reason to explain the enigma of the universe |
