lit terms 3

free verse

poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter

euphony

the tendency to make sound changes for the ease of pronouncing a word

periodic sentence

a sentence that has been deliberately structured to place the main point at the end

foil

A character who contrasts and parallels the main character in a play or story. to highlight the qualities of the other character

foot

the most basic unit of a poem's meter; a combination of stressed and unstressed syllables

appositive

a noun or pronoun, often with modifiers, set beside another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it.

epigram

a short but insightful statement, often in verse form, which communicates a thought in a witty or funny way

loose sentence

a type of sentence in which the main idea is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases

fable

a narrative, usually featuring animals that behave and speak as human beings, told in order to highlight human folly and weaknesses

hyperbole

A figure of speech that creates heightened effect through deliberate exaggeration

iamb

a literary device that can be defined as a foot containing one unaccented and short syllable, followed by a long and accented syllable in a single line of a poem.

in media res

narrating a story from the middle after supposing that the audiences are aware of past events

synthesia

A technique adopted by writers to present ideas, characters, or places in such a manner that they appeal to more than one sense, like hearing, sight, smell, and touch at a given time

litotes

a figure of speech featuring a phrase that utilizes negative wording or terms to express a positive assertion or statement

euphemism

a figure of speech commonly used to replace a word or phrase that is related to a concept which might make others uncomfortable

epizeuxis

A rhetorical device in which the words or phrases are repeated in quick succession, one after another, for emphasis.

epiphany

that moment in the story where a character achieves realization, awareness, or a feeling of knowledge, after which events are seen through the prism of this new light in the story.

epistolary novel

A novel told through the medium of letters by one or more of the characters

juxtaposition

The fact of two things being seen or placed close together with contrasting effect

farce

A comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations

heroic couplet

A pair of rhyming iambic pentameters

jargon

Special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand

kenning

A compound expression in Old English and Old Norse poetry with metaphorical meaning

tragicomedy

A play or novel containing elements of both comedy and tragedy

epithet

An adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned