Terms : Hide Images
| 14361343703 | absolute | a word free from limitations or qualifications ("best," "all," "unique," "perfect") | 0 | |
| 14361348395 | adage | a familiar proverb or wise saying | 1 | |
| 14361349814 | allegory | a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstrations | 2 | |
| 14361352231 | alliteration | the repetition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words | 3 | |
| 14361354974 | allusion | a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize | 4 | |
| 14361358281 | analogy | a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way | 5 | |
| 14361360269 | anaphora | the repetition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences | 6 | |
| 14361362087 | anecdote | a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event | 7 | |
| 14361363748 | antecedent | the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers | 8 | |
| 14361366093 | antithesis | a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced | 9 | |
| 14361367320 | aphorism | a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance | 10 | |
| 14361371198 | apostrophe | a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction | 11 | |
| 14361373130 | 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 | 12 | |
| 14361378149 | argument | a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work | 13 | |
| 14361379713 | asyndeton | a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjunctions | 14 | |
| 14361381709 | balanced sentence | a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast | 15 | |
| 14361385109 | bathos | insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity | 16 | |
| 14361387470 | bildungsroman | a novel that deals with the formative years of the main character: in particular, his or her psychological development and moral education | 17 | |
| 14361391339 | chiasmus | a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed (Ex: "Fair is foul and foul is fair.") | 18 | |
| 14361395492 | cliche | an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off | 19 | |
| 14361402687 | climax | the point of highest interest in a literary work | 20 | |
| 14361403647 | colloquialism | informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing | 21 | |
| 14361404680 | complex sentence | a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjunctions | 22 | |
| 14361407288 | conceit | a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor | 23 | |
| 14361408900 | concrete details | details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events | 24 | |
| 14361411538 | connotation | the implied or associative meaning of a word | 25 | |
| 14361413075 | cumulative sentence | a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifying clauses or phrases | 26 | |
| 14361423924 | declarative sentence | a sentence that makes a statement or declaration | 27 | |
| 14361424898 | 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.) | 28 | |
| 14361429232 | denotation | the literal meaning of a word | 29 | |
| 14361429836 | dialect | a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region | 30 | |
| 14361435069 | dialogue | conversation between two or more people | 31 | |
| 14361435070 | diction | the word choices made by a writer | 32 | |
| 14361436271 | didactic | having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing | 33 | |
| 14361437695 | dilemma | a situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives | 34 | |
| 14361439951 | dissonance | harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds | 35 | |
| 14361441425 | elegy | a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme | 36 | |
| 14361442847 | ellipsis | the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but ban be deduced from the context ("Some people refer cats; others, dogs.") | 37 | |
| 14361446867 | epic | a long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation | 38 | |
| 14361452029 | epigram | a brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying | 39 | |
| 14361455122 | 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 | 40 | |
| 14361456052 | epiphany | a moment of sudden revelation or insight | 41 | |
| 14361456053 | epitaph | an inscription on a tombstone or burial place | 42 | |
| 14361457233 | 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 their given epithets (Ex: "The Rocket") | 43 | |
| 14361470316 | eulogy | a formal speech praising a person who has died | 44 | |
| 14361471431 | euphemism | an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant | 45 | |
| 14361472885 | exclamatory sentence | a sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark | 46 | |
| 14361472886 | expletive | an interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity | 47 | |
| 14361474222 | fable | a brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters | 48 | |
| 14361475693 | figurative language | language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.) | 49 | |
| 14361478644 | flashback | the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative | 50 | |
| 14361479418 | flat character | a character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story | 51 | |
| 14361481471 | foreshadowing | the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work | 52 | |
| 14361482943 | frame device | a story within a story. An example is Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, in which the primary tales are told within the "frame story" of the pilgrimage to Canterbury | 53 | |
| 14361483729 | genre | a major category or type of literature | 54 | |
| 14361483730 | homily | a sermon, or a moralistic lecture | 55 | |
| 14361494661 | hubris | excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy | 56 | |
| 14361496658 | hyperbole | intentional exaggeration to create an effect | 57 | |
| 14361497853 | hypothetical question | a question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture, or supposition | 58 | |
| 14361499516 | idion | 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 | 59 | |
| 14361501717 | imagery | the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses | 60 | |
| 14361503472 | implication | a suggestion an author or speaker makes (implies) without stating it directly Note: the author/sender implies the reader/ audience infers | 61 | |
| 14361510165 | inductive reasoning | deriving general principles from particular facts or instances ("Every cat I have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals") | 62 | |
| 14361512836 | inference | a conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence | 63 | |
| 14361514391 | invective | an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack | 64 | |
| 14361516704 | irony | the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs | 65 | |
| 14361518997 | jargon | the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession | 66 | |
| 14361520018 | juztaposition | placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast | 67 | |
| 14361530072 | legend | a narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements | 68 | |
| 14361532569 | 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 | 69 | |
| 14361538024 | 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 | 70 | |
| 14361539181 | literary license | deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect (intentional sentence fragments, for example.) | 71 | |
| 14361541562 | litotes | a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (describing a particularly horrific scene by saying, "It was not a pretty picture.") | 72 | |
| 14361548190 | malapropism | the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar ("The doctor wrote a subscription.") | 73 | |
| 14361551471 | maxim | a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage | 74 | |
| 14361552295 | metaphor | a direct comparison of two different things | 75 | |
| 14361552296 | metonymy | substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it ("The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting].") | 76 | |
| 14361560840 | mood | the emotional atmosphere of a work | 77 | |
| 14361582492 | motif | a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works | 78 | |
| 14361583763 | motivation | A character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a character to act | 79 | |
| 14361583765 | myth | a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events | 80 | |
| 14361584523 | narrative | a story or narrated account | 81 | |
| 14361586540 | non sequitur | an inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, "does not follow.") | 82 | |
| 14361588239 | omniscient narrator | a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters | 83 | |
| 14361589116 | onomatopoeia | a word formed form the limitation of natural sounds | 84 | |
| 14361591362 | oxymoron | an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined | 85 | |
| 14361592374 | parable | a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson | 86 | |
| 14361593542 | paradox | an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth | 87 | |
| 14361593549 | parallelism | the use of corresponding grammatical or syntactical forms | 88 | |
| 14361595835 | paraphrase | a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity | 89 | |
| 14361596863 | parody | a humorous imitation of a serious work | 90 | |
| 14361598314 | parenthetical | a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain | 91 | |
| 14361599737 | pastoral | literature that deals with living off the land, revealing the challenges and blessings of nature | 92 | |
| 14361602180 | pathos | the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity | 93 | |
| 14361603604 | pedantic | characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship | 94 | |
| 14361605069 | personification | endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics | 95 | |
| 14361606149 | philippic | a strong verbal denunciation | 96 | |
| 14361606955 | point of view | the vantage point from which a story is told | 97 | |
| 14361607607 | polysyndeton | the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural | 98 | |
| 14361608853 | pun | a play on words, often using words with similar sounds but different meanings | 99 | |
| 14361614509 | resolution | the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax | 100 | |
| 14361614510 | rhetoric | the art of presenting ideas in a clear, effective, and persuasive manner | 101 | |
| 14361617796 | rhetorical question | a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer | 102 | |
| 14361618649 | rhetorical devices | literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression | 103 | |
| 14361619606 | riddle | a question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum | 104 | |
| 14361620394 | 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 | 105 | |
| 14361622319 | round character | a character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work | 106 | |
| 14361623717 | sarcasm | harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule | 107 | |
| 14361625225 | satire | the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions | 108 | |
| 14361625809 | scapegoat | a person or group that bears the blame for another | 109 | |
| 14361626849 | simile | A comparison using "like" or "as," or other specifically comparative words | 110 | |
| 14361629143 | simple sentence | a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause | 111 | |
| 14361630400 | solecism | nonstandard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules | 112 | |
| 14361632837 | style | the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work | 113 | |
| 14361634943 | surrealism | an artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongruous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control | 114 | |
| 14361636348 | syllepsis | a construction in which one word is used in two different senses ("After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.") | 115 | |
| 14361637305 | 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.") | 116 | |
| 14361638207 | symbol | an object that is used to represent something else | 117 | |
| 14361639318 | synecdoche | using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to a car simply as "wheels.") | 118 | |
| 14361641202 | synesthesia | describing one kind of sensation in terms of another ("a loud color", "a sweet sound") | 119 | |
| 14361644196 | syntax | the manner in which words are arranged into sentences | 120 | |
| 14361645088 | tautology | needless repetition which adds no meaning or understanding ("widow woman," "free gift.") | 121 | |
| 14361647228 | theme | a central idea of work | 122 | |
| 14361648084 | thesis | the primary position taken by a writer or speaker | 123 | |
| 14361649741 | tone | the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience topic-- the subject treated in a paragraph or work | 124 | |
| 14361653194 | tragedy | a work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin or destruction | 125 | |
| 14361654760 | trilogy | a work in three parts, each of which is a complete work in itself | 126 | |
| 14361655625 | trite | overused and hackneyed | 127 | |
| 14361655626 | turning point | the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs | 128 | |
| 14361657146 | understatement | the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis | 129 | |
| 14361658513 | usage | the customary way language or its elements are used | 130 | |
| 14361659217 | vernacular | the everyday speech of a particular county or region, often involving nonstandard usage | 131 |
