allegory
A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions (Ex: Lord of the Flies)
alliteration
Repetition of initial consonant sounds (Ex: She sells sea shells by the sea shore.)
allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event (Ex: The Fall, thirty pieces of silver)
ambiguity
An element of uncertainty in a text, in which something can be interpreted in a number of different ways (Ex: The man helps dog bite victim.)
analogy
A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way (Ex: Just as a caterpillar comes out of its cocoon, so we must come out of our comfort zone.
antecedent
A word, phrase, or clause to which a following pronoun refers (Ex: ALVIN tried, but HE couldn't find the book.)
antithesis
A person or thing that is the direct opposite of someone or something else (Ex: democracy is the ____ of a dictatorship)
aphorism
A brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life (Ex: The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.)
apostrophe
A figure of speech in which someone absent or dead or something nonhuman is addressed as if it were alive and present and could reply (Ex: O life! You and I have not been on the best of terms these past few years.)
atmosphere
Describes the general feeling of the story itself (Ex: The __________ in 1984 is dreary and mundane.)
antagonist
A character or force in conflict with the main character (Ex: Jack in LOTF)
archetype
A character, situation, or symbol that is familiar to people from all cultures because it occurs frequently in literature, myth, religion, or folklore (Ex: the hero, the mother figure, the villain, the scapegoat, etc.)
ballad
A narrative poem written in four-line stanzas, characterized by swift action and narrated in a direct style (Ex: Rime of an Ancient Mariner:
Day after day, day after day
We stuck nor breathe, nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean)
blank verse
Un-rhymed verse written in iambic pentameter, or ten-syllable lines in which every second syllable is stressed. (Ex: Mending Walls
Something there is that doesn't love a wall.
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in t
caricature
A portrait (verbal or otherwise) that exaggerates a facet of personality (Ex: Mr. Chadband is a large yellow man, with a fat smile, and a general appearance of having a good deal of train oil in his system.)
clause
A grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb (Ex: He ran.)
clich�
A worn-out idea or overused expression (Ex: They all lived happily ever after.)
colloquialism
A word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing but that is often inappropriate in formal writing (Ex: y'all, ain't)
conceit
A fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects (Ex: The war veteran's smile was a rainbow in the desert.)
characterization (direct or indirect)
information provided by narrator about characters (direct: this is done explicitly) (indirect: this is done through contextual clues and implicit details) (Ex: John was enthusiastic about school. VS. John's eyes lit up and smile grew wide as he stepped on
connotation
All the meanings, associations or emotions that a word suggests (Ex: For "snake," it would be an untrustworthy person.)
denotation
Literal meaning of a word, as opposed to symbolic or representative meanings (Ex: For "snake," it would be a long legless creature)
conflict
A struggle between two opposing forces, usually a protagonist and antagonist (Ex: The relationship between Jack and Ralph in LOTF)
diction
The style of speaking or writing determined by the choice of words by a speaker or a writer (Ex: The sky was cloudy and blue vs. The blue of the summer sky, adorned with clouds like cotton, lit up the otherwise dreary courtyard.)
didactic
Describes writing that teaches a specific lesson or moral (Ex: The Turtle and the Hare: "Slow and steady always wins the race.")
euphemism
An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant (Ex: Passed away instead of died)
extended metaphor
A metaphor developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work (Ex: The fog comes in on little cat feet. It sits looking over the harbor and city on silent haunches and then, moves on.)
figurative language
Language that cannot be taken literally since it was written to create a special effect or feeling (Ex: Her head was SPINNING from all the new information.)
figure of speech
A device used to produce figurative language. Many compare dissimilar things. (Ex: apostrophe, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, synecdoche, and understatement)
genre
A category used to classify literary works, usually by form, technique or content (Ex: prose, poetry, historical fiction, non-fiction, dystopian novel, allegory, etc.)
homily
a sermon that cites and interprets biblical texts in reference to Jesus (Ex: preacher giving sermon at church)
hyperbole
purposeful exaggeration for effect (Ex: Your suitcase weighs a ton!
imagery
description that appeals to the senses such as sight, sound, smell, touch, taste (Ex: The iridescent flowers gave off a luscious scent that reminded me of my mother's garden.)
inference
a conclusion that is drawn from something you observe (Ex: "He walked with a skip in his step." -> He's happy)
invective
an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language (Ex: Rap battles OR calling a person a chicken when they are unwilling to jump off the top of a building)
irony
the use of contradictory statements or situations to reveal a reality different from what appears to be true (Ex: Watching horror movies and knowing the killer is behind that door the unaware character is about to open.)
litote
A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its opposite (Ex: "The ice cream wasn't too bad" instead of "The ice cream was good")
juxtaposition
Placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts (Ex: Good and bad, young and old, beautiful and ugly)
loose sentence (non-periodic sentence)
type of sentence in which the main idea comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units (Ex: The game was fun, even though Kimball lost really badly.)
metaphor
A comparison that establishes a figurative identity between objects being compared (Ex: The assignment was a breeze.)
meter
A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry (Ex: iambic)
metonymy
A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated (Ex: "crown" for "royalty")
mood
Feeling or atmosphere that a writer creates for the reader (Ex: 1984 is "gloomy" and "depressing")
motif
Recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text's major themes (Ex: doublethink in 1984)
narrative
Report of related events presented to the listeners or readers in words arranged in a logical sequence (Ex: synonymous for story)
onomatopoeia
A word that imitates the sound it represents (Ex: Woof, boom, splat)
oxymoron
A figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a brief phrase (Ex: bitter sweet, civil war, crash landing)
paradox
A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth (Ex: "You can save money by spending it." or "Deep down, you're really shallow.")
parallelism
Elements in sentences that are grammatically similar or identical in structure, sound, meaning, or meter (Ex: "Like father, like son." or "What goes around comes around.")
paratactic sentence
juxtaposes clauses or sentences (Ex: I came; I saw; I conquered)
parody
A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule (Ex: Scary Movie is a ____ of horror movies)
pedantic
Words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish (Ex: excessively detailed response to a simple question)
periodic sentence
A sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end (Ex: "In spite of heavy snow and cold temperatures, the game continued.")
periphrasis
The use of excessive and longer words to convey a meaning which could have been conveyed with a shorter expression or in a few words (Ex: Your outfit greatly displeases me.)
polysyndeton
Deliberate use of many conjunctions in succession (Ex: "He ran and jumped and shouted for joy.")
personification
A figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human feelings, thoughts, or attitudes (Ex:"The wind screamed through my ears.")
point of view
the perspective from which a story is told (Ex: 1st-person, 3rd-person omniscient, etc.)
quatrain
4 line stanza (Ex: Shakespeare's famous "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" poem)
prose
Any writing that is not poetry (Ex: everyday speech and writing)
rhetoric
effective writing or speaking (Ex: ethos, logos, pathos)
sarcasm
harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule (Ex: When something bad happens, "Great, just what we needed.")
satire
A literary work that criticizes human misconduct and ridicules vices, stupidities, and follies (Ex: Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" about eating babies)
soliloquy
A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener (Ex: Shakespeare's "To be or not to be.")
semantics
The analysis of the meaning of language, especially of individual words (Ex: One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I'll never know.)
style
The technique which an individual author uses in his writing (Ex: expressive, journalistic, expository, persuasive, narrative)
subject complement
Noun or adjective that renames or modifies the subject; connected by a linking verb (Ex: The name of the game is GO FISH.)
subordinate clause
Does not express a complete thought and cannot stand alone, also known as a dependent clause (Ex: WHEN YOU FIND A PHONE, you should give it to the lost and found.)
syllogism
A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion (Ex: All horses have hooves.
No humans have hooves.
No humans are horses.)
symbol
A thing that represents or stands for something else, esp. a material object representing something abstract (Ex: The conch in LOTF is a ____ for civilization and order.)
synecdoche
A figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole (Ex: The one who puts BREAD (food) on the table.)
synesthesia
describing one kind of sensation in terms of another (Ex: "a loud color", "a sweet sound")
syntax
Arrangement of words in phrases and sentences (Ex: "Unending rain fell from the sky" v. "The sky poured down unending rain.")
theme
Central idea of a work of literature (Ex: In 1984, "The dangers of totalitarianism.
thesis
A position taken in an argument supported by a set of reasons. (Ex: "I believe school uniforms should be mandatory because...")
tone
Authors attitude towards the character or situation. (Ex: "Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?' has an aggressive ____.)
transition
A word or phrase that links one idea to the next and carries the reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph. (Ex: consequently, therefore, however, nevertheless, etc.)
understatement
A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker says less than what he or she means; the opposite of exaggeration. (Ex: "It's a little bit warm today" when it's 105�F)
wit
The ability to express oneself in interesting and frequently amusing and concise ways, often describing people, situations and events in terms one might not generally use in the context (Ex: "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than stan
tricolon
Sentence consisting of three parts of equal importance and length, usually three independent clauses (Ex: "You are talking to a man who has laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe.")
vernacular
Everyday language of a specific nation (Ex: all y'all, "pop" instead of soda, "hoagie" instead of sandwich)
anaphora
Repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive verses, clauses, or sentences (Ex: "I have a dream ... ")
asyndeton
A construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions (Ex: "Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure?")
chiasmus
A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed (Ex:"Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary.")
foil
A character who acts as a contrast to another character (Ex: Mr. Darcy is a ____ to Mr. Bingley)
voice
A writers distinctive use of language
absolutes
a choice in which something must be one way or the other- there is no middle ground (Ex: "always", "never", "most", "all")
denouement
an outcome or solution; the unraveling of a plot (Ex: in 1984, it is when Wentinn got caught)
deus ex machina
an implausible concept or a divine character is introduced into a storyline for the purpose of resolving its conflict and procuring an interesting outcome (Ex: Greek poems where gods show up)
refrain
A line or set of lines repeated several times over the course of a poem (Ex: He huffed and he puffed and he blew the house down.)
hubris
Excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy (Ex: Oedipus, with hubris, tried to defy godly prophecies that he would kill his father and marry his mother.)
elegy
a sorrowful poem or speech
epistrophe
Repetition of the same word or group of words at the ends of successive clauses (Ex: "And that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth")
lyric poem
A type of poem characterized by brevity, compression, and the expression of feeling (Ex: sonnets, Shakespeare's Sonnet Number 18 "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?")
epistolary
A piece of literature contained in or carried on by letters (Ex: The Color Purple by Alice Walker)
free verse
Poetry that does not have a regular meter or rhyme scheme (Ex: Fog by Carl Sandburg)
euphony
A succession of harmonious sounds used in poetry or prose; the opposite of cacophony (Ex: "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness")
cacophony
A harsh, discordant, unpleasant sounding choice and arrangement of sounds (Ex: I detest war because cause of war is always trivial.)
caesura
A natural pause or break in a line of poetry, usually near the middle of the line.
end-stopped
A line that ends with a natural speech pause, usually marked by punctuation. (Ex: "A little learning is a dangerous thing | Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.")
enjambed
The running over of a sentence or thought into the next couplet or line without a pause at the end of the line; a run-on line (Ex: "Its loveliness increases; it will never |
Pass into nothingness but still will keep | A bower quiet for us, and asleep")