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| Allegory | The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some allegories, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. |
| Alliteration | The repetition of consonant sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words. |
| Allusion | A direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. |
| Ambiguity | The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage. |
| Analogy | A similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them. It can explain something unfamiliar by associating it with or pointing out its similarity to something more familiar. |
| Anadiplosis | the rhetorical repetition of one or several words; specifically, repetition of a word that ends one clause at the beginning of the next. |
| Anaphora | the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines. |
| Antecedent | The word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. |
| Antistrophe | of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses. |
| Antithesis | opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction. |
| Aphorism | A terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. |
| Aporia | – expression of doubt (often feigned) by which a speaker appears uncertain as to what he should think, say, or do. |
| Aposiopesis | a form of ellipse by which a speaker comes to an abrupt halt, seemingly overcome by passion (fear, excitement, etc.) or modesty. |
| Apostrophe | A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. |
| Archaism | use of an older or obsolete form. |
| Assonance | repetition of the same vowel sound in words close to each other. |
| Asyndeton | lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words. |
| Atmosphere | The emotional nod created by the entirety of a literary work, established partly by the setting and partly by the author’s choice of objects that are described. |
| Caricature | a verbal description, the purpose of which is to exaggerate or distort, for comic effect, a person’s distinctive physical features or other characteristics. |
| Chiasmus | might be called "reverse parallelism," since the second part of a grammatical construction is balanced or paralleled by the first part, only in reverse order. |
| Clause | A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. |
| Independent Clause | This expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. |
| Colloquialism | The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing. |
| Commoratio | Repetition of a point several times in different words. |
| Conceit | – A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects. |
| Connotation | The non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning. |
| Denotation | strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color. |
| Diacope | Figure of repetition in the same word or phrase occurs on either side of an intervening word or phrase; word/phrase x, ..., word/phrase x. |
| Diction | Related to style, this refers to the writer’s word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness. |
| Didactic | These words have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching of moral or ethical principles. |
| Ellipsis | omission of one or more words, which must be supplied by the reader/listener |
| Epimone | – frequent repetition of a phrase or question; dwelling on a point |
| Epizeuxis | A rhetorical term for repetition of a word or phrase for emphasis, usually with no words in between. |
| Ethos | A rhetorical appeal to an audience based on the speaker/writer's credibility. |
| Euphemism | a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word or concept. |
| Exordium | the introductory part of an argument in which a speaker or writer establishes credibility (ethos) and announces the subject and purpose of the discourse. |
| Expletive | in fact, of course, to be sure, indeed, I suppose, I hope, , I think, you know, you see, clearly, in any event, in effect, certainly, remarkably |
| Extended Metaphor | A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work. |
| Figurative Language | Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid. |
| Figure of Speech | A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. |
| Generic Conventions | This term describes traditions for each genre. |
| Genre | The major category into which a literary work fits. |
| Homily | This term literally means “sermon,” but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice. |
| Homoioteleuton | similar sound endings to words, phrases or sentences. |
| Homonym | words that sound alike but have different meanings |
| Hyperbole | A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement. |
| Hypophora | Figure of reasoning in which one or more questions is/are asked and then answered, often at length, by one and the same speaker; raising and responding to one's own question(s). |
| Imagery | The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions. |
| Infer | To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented. |
| Invective | an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language. |
| Irony | contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true. |
| Verbal Irony | when the words literally state the opposite of the writer’s (or speaker’s) meaning |
| Situational Irony | – when events turn out the opposite of what was expected; when what the characters and readers think ought to happen is not what does happen |
| Dramatic Irony | when facts or events are unknown to a character in a play or piece of fiction but known to the reader, audience, or other characters in the work. |
| Litote | a form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its |
| Logos | Rhetorical appeals based on logic or reasoning. |
| Loose sentence/non-periodic sentence | A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. |
| Malapropism | an absurd or humorous misuse of a word, especially with one of a similar sound. |
| Metaphor | A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, |
| Metonymy | a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. |
| Mood | The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work |
| Narrative | The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events |
| onomatopoeia | of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words |
| oxymoron | a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently |
| paradox | A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains some degree of truth or validity |
| parallelism | the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity |
| ploce | A rhetorical term for repetition of a word or name with a new or more specific sense |
| anaphora | the exact repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of successive lines or sentences |
| parody | A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule |
| pathos | An emotional appeal used in rhetoric |
| pedantic | An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish |
| periodic sentence | a sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end |
| personification | A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions |
| first person | "I" and "you" |
| third person narrator | "he" "she" and "it" |
| third person omniscient | the thoughts and actions for and or all characters |
| third person limited omniscient | the narrator presents the feelings and thoughts of only one character |
| polyptoton | A rhetorical term for repetition of words derived the same root but with different endings |
| polysyndeton | repetition of conjunctions in a series of coordinate words, phrases, or clauses |
| prose | one of the major divisions of genre |
| repetition | the duplication of any element of language |
| rhetoric | this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively |
| expostition | xplain and analyze information by presenting an idea, relevant evidence, and appropriate discussion |
| argumentation | prove the validity of an idea, or point of view, by presenting sound reasoning, discussion, and argument that thoroughly convince the reader |
| description | recreate, invent, or visually present a person, place, event or action |
| narration | tell a story an event or series of events |
| sarcasm | bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something |
| satire | A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule |
| scesis onomaton | a successive series of words or phrases whose meanings are generally equivalent |
| semantics | The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another |
| sententia | Figure of argument in which a wise, witty, or pithy maxim or aphorism is used to sum up the preceding material |
| style | An evaluation of the sum of the choices an author makes in blending diction, syntax, figurative language, and other literary devices |
| subject complement | the word or clause that follows a linking verb |
| subordinate clause | does not express a complete thought |
| syllepsis | use of a word with two others, with each of which it is understood differently |
| syllogism | deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises |
| symbol/symbolism | anything that represents itself and stands for something else |
| symploce | A figure of speech in which several successive clauses have the same first and last words |
| synathroesmus | the piling up of adjectives, often in the spirit of being invective |
| synecdoche | figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent the whole or, occasionally, the whole is used to represent a part |
| synesthesia | when one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another |
| syntax | way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences |
| theme | The central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life |
| thesis | the sentence or group of sentences that directly expresses the author’s opinion, purpose, meaning, or position |
| tone | the author’s attitude toward his material, the audience, or both |
| transition | A word or phrase that links different ideas |
| tricolon | The pattern of three phrases in parallel, found commonly in Western writing after Cicero |
| understatement | the ironic minimalizing of fact, understatement presents something as less significant than it is |
| universal audience | An audience consisting of all humankind |
| utterance | a complete unit of speech in spoken language |
| validity | Apprehension over the structure of an argument |
| verba | The part of an argument that advances the subject matter |
| vir bonus beni dicendi | The good man speaking well |
| visual rhetoric | A theoretical framework describing how visual images communicate, as opposed to aural or verbal messages |
| wit | in modern usage, intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights |
| zeugma | different words linked to a verb or an adjective which is strictly appropriate to only one of them |
