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| alliteration | repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together |
| rhetoric | Art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse |
| pun | A "play on words" based on the multiple meanings of a single word or on words that sound alike but mean different things |
| paradox | A statement that appears self-contradictory, but that reveals a kind of truth |
| parody | A work that makes fun of another work by imitating some aspects of the writer's style |
| juxtaposition | Poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another, creating an effect of surprise and wit |
| metaphor | A figure of speech that makes comparison between two unlike things without the use of such specific words of comparison as like, as, than or resembles |
| indirect characterization | The author reveals to the readre what the character is like by describing how the characters looks and dresses, by letting the reader hear what the character says, by revealing the character's private thoughts and feelings, by revealing the character's effect on other people (showing how other characters feel or behave toward the character), or by showing the character in action. Common in modern literature |
| comedy | In general, a story that ends with a happy resolution of the conflicts faced by the main character or characters |
| diction | a speaker or writer's choice of words |
| foil | A character who acts as contrast to another character. Often a funny side kick to the dashing hero, or a villain contrasting the hero |
| hyperbole | A figure of speech that uses an incredible exaggeration or overstatement, for effect. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times..." |
| metonymy | A figure of speech in which a person, place, or thing is referred to by something closely associated with it. "We requested from the crown support for our petition." The crown is used to represent the monarch |
| mood | An atmosphere created by a writer's diction and the details selected |
| first person point of view | One of the characters tells the story |
| third person point of view | An unknown narrator, tells the story, but this narrator zooms in to focus on the thoughts and feelings of only one character |
| omniscient point of view | An all-knowing narrator tells the story, also using the third person pronouns. This narrator, instead of focusing on one character only, often tells us everything about many characters |
| objective point of view | A narrator who is totally impersonal and objective tells the story, with no comment on any characters or events |
| personification | A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes |
| quatrain | A poem consisting of four lines, or four lines of a poem that can be considered as a unit |
| symbol | A person, placA person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something more than itself. |
| tone | The attitude a writer takes toward the subject of a work, the characters in it, or the audiences, revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization. |
| theme | The insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work. |
| allegory | A story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities |
| antagonist | Opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero in a story |
| anthropomorphism | Attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object |
| direct characterization | The author tells us explicitly what the character is like: sneaky, generous, mean to pets and so on. Romantic style literature relied more heavily on this form |
| connotation | The associations and emotional overtones that have become attached to a word or phrase, in addition to its strict dictionary definition |
| dynamic character | Is one who changes in some important way as a result of the story's action |
| static character | Is one who does not change mucn in the course of a story |
| couplet | Two consecutive rhyming lines of poetry |
| ambiguity | Deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work. An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way -- this is done on purpose by the author, whicn it is not done on purpose, it is vagueness, and detracts from the work |
| epithet | An adjective or adjective phrase applied to a person or thing that is frequently used to emphasize a characteristic quality. "Father of our Country" and "the Great Emancipatory" are examples |
| farce | A type of comedy in which ridiculous and often stereotyped characters are involved in silly, far-fetched situations |
| imagery | The use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person, a thing, a place, or an experience |
| verbal irony | Occurs when someone says one thing but really means something else |
| situational irony | Takes place when there is a discrepancy between what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, and what really does happen |
| dramatic irony | Is so called because it is often used on stage. A character in the play or story thinks one thing is true, but the audience or reader knows better |
| motif | A recurring image, word, phrase, action, idea, object, or situation used throughout a work (or in several works by one author), unifying the work by tying the current situation to previous ones, or new ideas to the theme |
| parallel structure | The repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structures |
| motivation | The reasons for a character's behavior |
| satire | A type of writing that ridicules that shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about a change |
| understatement/litotes | A statement that says less than what is meant. Example: During the second war with Iraq, American troops complained of a fierce sand storm that made even the night-vision equipment useless. A British commando commented about the storm: "It's a bit breezy." |
| allusion | Reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference (usually from literature, etc.) |
| apostrophe | Calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing, or a personified abstract idea. If the character is asking a god or goddess for inspiration it is called an invocation |
| external conflict | Conflicts can exist between two people, between a person and nature or a machine or between a person and a whole society |
| internal conflict | A conflict involving opposes forces within a person's mind |
| epic | A long narrative poem, written in heightened language, which recounts the deeds of a heroic character who embodies the values of a particular society |
| metaphor | A statement that appears self-contradictory, but reveals a kind of truth |
| simile | A figure of speech that makes an explicitly comparison between two unlike things, using words such as like, as, than, or resembles |
| tragedy | In general, a story in which a heroic character dies or comes to some other unhappy end |
| analogy | Comparison made between two things to show how they are alike |
| anecdote | Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something, often shows character of an individual |
| assonance | The repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds especially in words that are together |
| figurative language | Words which are inaccurate if interpreted literally, but are used to describe. Similes and metaphors are common forms |
| onomatopoeia | The use of words whose sounds echo their sense. "Pop." "Zap." |
| flashback | Scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time |
| peripeteia | a reversal of circumstances or turning point |
| affective fallacy | the error of judging a literary work by its emotional effect upon readers |
| dialect | a regional or social variety of a language distinguised by pronunciation, grammar or vocabulary |
| discourse | verbal expression in speech or writing |
| doggrel | crudely or irregularly fashioned verse |
| elision | the omission of one or more sounds in a a word or phrase, producting a result that is easier for the speaker to pronounce |
| hubris | overbearing pride or presumption |
| leif motif | A german expression that refers to the repetition of key words, phrases. images or themes in aliterary works |
| reversal | the point in a story when the protagonist's fortunes turn in an unexpected direction |
| scatology | obscene language that deals with excrement |
| climax | the point when the end result becomes inevitable, and the main character either gets what she wants or doesn't |
| epilogue | a concluding part added to such a literary works as a novel, play or long poem |
| panegyric | An oration delivered at one of the Greek festivals, but the term now covers a speech or poem in praise of someon or some event. |
