Terms : Hide Images
| 212112741 | Absolute | A word free from limitations or qualifications. | |
| 212112742 | Adage | a familiar proverb or wise saying | |
| 212112743 | Ad Hominem Argument | an argument attacking an individual's character rather than his or her position on an issue. | |
| 212112744 | Allegory | A literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions | |
| 212112745 | Alliteration | the repetition of initial consonant sounds | |
| 212112746 | Allusion | a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize | |
| 212112747 | Analogy | a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way | |
| 212112748 | Anaphora | the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences | |
| 212112749 | Anecdote | a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event | |
| 212112750 | Antecedent | the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers. | |
| 212112751 | Antithesis | a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced | |
| 212112752 | Aphorism | A concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance | |
| 212112753 | Apostrophe | a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction | |
| 212112754 | Archetype | A detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response | |
| 212112755 | Argument | A statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work | |
| 212112756 | Asyndeton | a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions | |
| 212112757 | Balanced Sentence | a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast | |
| 212112758 | Bathos | insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity | |
| 212112759 | Chiasmus | a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed | |
| 212112760 | Cliche | an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off | |
| 212112761 | Climax | the point of highest interest in a literary work | |
| 212112762 | Colloquialism | informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing | |
| 212112763 | Complex Sentence | A sentence that includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. | |
| 212112764 | Compound Sentence | a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions | |
| 212112765 | Conceit | a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor | |
| 212112766 | Concrete Details | Details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events | |
| 212112767 | Connotation | The implied or associative meaning of a word. | |
| 212112768 | Cumulative Sentence | A sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases. | |
| 212112769 | Declarative Sentence | A sentence that makes a statement or declaration. | |
| 212112770 | Deductive Reasoning | Reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning.) | |
| 212112771 | Denotation | The literal meaning of a word. | |
| 212112772 | Dialect | A variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region. | |
| 212112773 | Dialogue | Conversation between two or more people. | |
| 212112774 | Diction | The word choices made by a writer. | |
| 212112775 | Didactic | Having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing. | |
| 212112776 | Dilemma | A situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives. | |
| 212112777 | Dissonance | harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds. | |
| 212112778 | Elegy | A formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme. | |
| 212112779 | Ellipsis | The omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context. ("Some prefer cats; others, dogs.") | |
| 212112780 | Epic | a long narrative poem written in elevated style which present the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation | |
| 212112781 | Epigram | A brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying. | |
| 212112782 | Epigraph | A saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work. | |
| 212112783 | Epiphany | A moment of sudden revelation or insight. | |
| 212112784 | Epitaph | An inscription on a tombstone or burial place. | |
| 212112785 | Epithet | a term used to point out a characteristic of a person. Homeric epithets are often compound adjectives ("swift-footed Achilles") that become an almost formulaic part of a name. Epithets can be abusive or offensive but are not so by definition. For example, athletes may be proud of given epithets ("The Rocket"). | |
| 212112786 | Eulogy | A formal speech praising a person who has died. | |
| 212112787 | Euphemism | An indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant. | |
| 212112788 | Exclamatory Sentence | A sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark. | |
| 212112789 | Expletive | An interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity. | |
| 212112790 | Fable | A brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters. | |
| 212112791 | Fantasy | A story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters; a fantasy may be merely whimsical, or it may present a serious point. | |
| 212112792 | Figurative Language | Language employing one or more figures of speech (similie, metaphor, imagery, etc.) | |
| 212112793 | Flashback | The insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative. | |
| 212112794 | Flat Character | A character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story. | |
| 212112795 | Foreshadowing | The presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work. | |
| 212112796 | Frame Device | A story within a story. (Ex.: "Canterbury Tales.") | |
| 212112797 | Genre | A major category or type of literature. | |
| 212112798 | Homily | A sermon, or moralistic lecture. | |
| 212112799 | Hubris | Excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tagedy. | |
| 212112800 | Hyperbole | Intentional exxageration to create an effect. | |
| 212112801 | Hypothetical Question | A question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture, or supposition. | |
| 212112802 | Idiom | An expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect. | |
| 212112803 | Imagery | The use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses. | |
| 212112804 | Implication | A suggestion an author or speaker makes (implies) without stating it directly. | |
| 212112805 | Inductive Reasoning | Deriving general principles from particular facts or instances ("Every cat I have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals.") | |
| 212112806 | Inference | A conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence. | |
| 212112807 | Invective | An intenselt vehement, highly emotional verbal attack. | |
| 212112808 | Irony | The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs. | |
| 212112809 | Jargon | The specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession. | |
| 212112810 | Juxtaposition | Placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast. | |
| 212112811 | Legend | A narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements. | |
| 212112812 | Limerick | Light verse consisting of five lines of regular rhythm in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme, and the second and third lines rhyme. | |
| 212112813 | Limited Narrator | A narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts information to what is seen, heard, thought, or felt by that one character. | |
| 212112814 | Literary License | Deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect. (EX.: intentional fragment sentences.) | |
| 212112815 | Litotes | A type of understatment in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite. (Describing a particularly horrific scene by saying, "It was not a pretty picture.") | |
| 212112816 | Malapropism | A mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar. | |
| 212112817 | Maxim | A concise statement, often offerin advice; an adage. | |
| 212112818 | Metaphor | A direct comparison of two different things. | |
| 212112819 | Metonymy | Sustituting the name of one object for another closely associated with it. | |
| 212112820 | Mood | The emotional atmosphere of a work. | |
| 212112821 | Motif | A standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works | |
| 212112822 | Motivation | A character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a character to act. | |
| 212112823 | Myth | A traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events. | |
| 212112824 | Narrative | A story or narrated account. | |
| 212112825 | Narrator | The one who tells the story; may be first- or third- person, limited or omniscient. | |
| 212112826 | Non sequitur | An inference that does not follow logically from the premises. | |
| 212112827 | Omniscient Narrator | A narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters. | |
| 212112828 | Onomatopoeia | A word formed from the imitation of natural sounds | |
| 212112829 | Oxymoron | An expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined. | |
| 212112830 | Parable | A simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson | |
| 212112831 | Paradox | An apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth. | |
| 212112832 | Parallelism | The use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms. | |
| 212112833 | Paraphrase | A restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity. | |
| 212112834 | Parody | A humorous imitation of a serious work. | |
| 212112835 | Parenthetical | A comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain. | |
| 212112836 | Pathos | The quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity. | |
| 212112837 | Pedantic | Characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship. | |
| 212112838 | Personification | Endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics. | |
| 212112839 | Philippic | A strong verbal denunction. The term comes from the orations of Demosthenes ahainst Philip of Macedonia in the fourth century. | |
| 212112840 | Plot | The action of a narrative or drama. | |
| 226054460 | Point of View | The vantage point from which a story is told. | |
| 226054461 | Polysyndeton | The use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural. | |
| 226054462 | Pun | A play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds but different meanings. | |
| 226054463 | Resolution | The falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax. | |
| 226054464 | Rhetoric | The art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner. | |
| 226054465 | Rhetorical Question | A question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer. | |
| 226054466 | Rhetorical Devices | Literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression. | |
| 226054467 | Riddle | A question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum. | |
| 226054468 | Romantic | a term describing a character or literary work that reflects the characteristics of Romanticism, the literary movement beginning in the late 18th century that stressed emotion, imagination, and individualism | |
| 226054469 | Round Character | A character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work. | |
| 226054470 | Sarcasm | Harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule. | |
| 226054471 | Satire | The use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions. | |
| 226054472 | Scapegoat | A person or group that bears the blame for another | |
| 226054473 | Scene | A real or fictional episode; a division of an act in a play. | |
| 226054474 | Setting | The time, place, and environment in which action takes place. | |
| 226054475 | Simile | A comparison of two things using "like" or "as," or other specifically comparative words. | |
| 226054476 | Simple Sentence | A sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause. | |
| 226054477 | Solecism | Nonstandard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules. | |
| 226054478 | Structure | The arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work. | |
| 226054479 | Style | The choices a write makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work. | |
| 226054480 | Surrealism | An artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongrous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control. | |
| 226054481 | Syllepsis | A construction in which one word is used in two different senses. {"After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.") | |
| 226054482 | Syllogism | A three-part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and a minor premise. ("All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore, Socrates is mortal.") | |
| 226054483 | Symbol | An object that is used to represent something else. | |
| 226054484 | Synecdoche | Using one part of an object to represent the entire object (Referring to a car simply as wheels.) | |
| 226054485 | Synesthesia | Describing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color" or "a sweet sound") | |
| 226054486 | Syntax | A manner in which words are arranged into sentences. | |
| 226054487 | Tautology | Needless repitition which adds no meaning or understanding ("widow woman," "free gift") | |
| 226054488 | Theme | A central idea of a work | |
| 226054489 | Thesis | The primary position taken by a writer or speaker. | |
| 226054490 | Tone | The attitude of a writer, usually implied toward the subject or audience. | |
| 226054491 | Topic | The subject treated in a paragraph or work. | |
| 226054492 | Tragedy | A work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant stuggle and which ends in ruin or destruction. | |
| 226054493 | Trilogy | A work in three parts, each of which is a complete work in itself. | |
| 226054494 | Trite | Overused and hackneyed | |
| 226054495 | Turning Point | The point in a work in which a very significant change occurs | |
| 226054496 | Understatement | The deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis. | |
| 226054497 | Usage | The customary way language or its elements are used. | |
| 226054498 | Vernacular | The everyday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage. |
