| A | B |
|---|
| deus ex machina | any artificial or contrived device used at the end of the plot to resolve complications |
| in medias res | the technique of starting the story in the middle and using flashback to tell what happened earlier |
| carpe diem | a latin phrase which means "Seize the Day" |
| stream of consciousness | writing which represents an author's free-flowing thoughts and feelings |
| analogy | a comparison between 2 things showing how they are alike |
| aphorism | a short, pointed statement that expresses wise or clever observations about life |
| parallelism | the repetition of words or phrases with similar tenses or grammatical forms |
| octave | the first eight lines of an Italian sonnet |
| epitaph | a tombstone inscription or a brief poem in memory of someone who has died |
| epigram | a short, witty poem or saying |
| pun | a play on words that sound alike but have very different meanings; a type of "corny" joke |
| soliloquy | a long speech in which a character alone onstage expresses private thoughts and feelings |
| canto | a large division of a long poem |
| motif | a significant phrase or image which is repeated throughout the literary work and related to the theme |
| comedy | a drama that is humorous with an upbeat ending |
| tragedy | a play in which the main character suffers a downfall due to error in character or judgment |
| romance | a long narrative work about the loves and exploits of the main character or chivalric hero |
| atmosphere | the general mood or emotional quality of a literary work |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech which uses exaggeration to express strong emotions or to express comedy |
| quatrain | a four line stanza or poem unified by a rhyme scheme |
| couplet | two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme |
| epiphany | in a literary work, this is a moment of sudden insight or revelation |
| parody | an imitation of literature, music, or art for amusement or enjoyment |
| imagery | language that appeals to the senses |
| epic | a long, narrative poem that relates the great deeds of a larger than life hero |
| caesura | a pause or break within a line of poetry |
| kenning | a descriptive figure of speech that takes the place of a common noun - often used in Norse poetry |
| pastoral | s poem that depicts rustic life in idyllic, idealized terms |
| aside | the private words that a character in a play speaks to the audience or another character which aren't supposed to be overheard by others onstage |
