| A | B |
|---|
| Dramatic Irony | When the reader is aware of an inconsistency between a fictional or nonfictional character’s perception of a situation and the truth of that situation. |
| Epigraph | the use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme. Hemingway begins The Sun Also Rises with two quotations. One of them is “You are all a lost generation” by Gertrude Stein. |
| Ethical Appeal | When a writer tries to persuade the audience to respect and believe him or her based on a presentation of image of self through the text. Reputation is sometimes a factor in this type of appeal, but in all cases the aim is to gain the audience’s confidence. (Ethos) |
| Euphemism | a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable. “He went to his final reward” is a common saying for “he died.” These are also often used to obscure the reality of a situation. The military uses “collateral damage” to indicate civilian deaths in a military operation. |
| Euphony | a succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony |
| Explication | The art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. It usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language. |
| Exposition | the immediate revelation to the audience of the setting and other background information necessary for understanding the plot; also, explanation; one of the four modes of discourse |
| Extended Metaphor | a sustained comparison, often referred to as a conceit. The extended metaphor is developed throughout a piece of writing |
| False Analogy | When two cases are not sufficiently parallel to lead readers to accept a claim of connection between them. |
| Figurative Language | language that contains figures of speech, such as similes and metaphors, in order to create associations that are imaginative rather than literal. |
