First 54 literary terms
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| 216573207 | ad hominem | In an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas | |
| 216573208 | allusion | a reference to a well-known person, place, or thing from literature, history, etc. | |
| 216573209 | anachronism | a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place | |
| 216573210 | anaphora | the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines | |
| 216573211 | anecdote | a short, simple narrative of an incident; often used for humorous effect or to make a point | |
| 216573212 | antecedent | a preceding event, condition, or cause | |
| 216573213 | antithesis | the presentation of two contrasting images. The ideas are balanced by word, phrase, clause, or paragraphs | |
| 216573214 | apostrophe | the device of calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person or to a place, thing, or personified abstraction | |
| 216573215 | asyndeton | lack of conjunctions between coordinate phrases, clauses, or words | |
| 216573216 | begging the question | when a proposition which requires proof is assumed without proof | |
| 216573217 | clause | a group of words having its own subject and predicate but forming only part of a compound or complex sentence | |
| 216573218 | connotation | implied or suggested meaning of a word because of its association in the reader's mind | |
| 216573219 | colloquial | a word or phrase (including slang) used in everyday conversation and informal writing | |
| 216573220 | denotation | literal meaning of a word as defined | |
| 216573221 | diction | word choice, an element of style | |
| 216573222 | discourse | spoken or written language, including literary works | |
| 216573223 | dramatic irony | when the reader is aware of an inconsistency between a fictional or nonfictional character's perception of a situation and the truth of that situation | |
| 216573224 | epistrophe | repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences | |
| 216573225 | ethos | disposition, character, or fundamental values peculiar to a specific person, people, culture, or movement | |
| 216573226 | euphemism | a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable | |
| 216573227 | exposition | the immediate revelation to the audience of the setting and other background information necessary for understanding the plot | |
| 216573228 | false analogy | when two cases are not sufficiently parallel to lead readers to accept a claim of connection between them | |
| 216573229 | figurative language | language that contains figures of speech, such as similes and metaphors, in order to create associations that are imaginative | |
| 216573230 | hubris | the excessive pride of ambition that leads a tragic hero to disregard warnings of impending doom, eventually causing his or her downfall | |
| 216573231 | hyperbole | deliberate exaggeration in order to create humor or emphasis | |
| 216573232 | imagery | words or phrases that use a collection of images to appeal to the senses | |
| 216573233 | inference | a conclusion one can draw from the presented details | |
| 216573234 | irony | a situation or statement in which the actual outcome or meaning is opposite to what was expected | |
| 216573235 | jargon | the special language of a profession or group | |
| 216573236 | juxtaposition | the placement of two things (usually abstract concepts, though it can refer to physical objects) near each other | |
| 216573237 | litotes | rhetorical effect when an idea is expressed by a denial of its opposite | |
| 216573238 | logos | the divine wisdom manifest in the creation, government, and redemption of the world (often identified with Jesus) | |
| 216573239 | metonymy | substitution of one word for another which it suggests | |
| 216573240 | mode | the method or form of a literary work | |
| 216573241 | non sequitur | when one statement isn't logically connected to another | |
| 216573242 | oxymoron | a figure of speech composed of contradictory words or phrases, such as "wise fool," | |
| 216573243 | paradox | a statement that seems to contradict itself but that turns out to have a rational meaning | |
| 216573244 | parallelism | the technique of arranging words, phrases, clauses, or larger structures by placing them side by side and making them similar in form | |
| 216573245 | pathos | an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion | |
| 216573246 | periodic sentence | a long and frequently involved sentence, in which the sense is not completed until the final word | |
| 216573247 | polysyndeton | sentence which uses AND or another conjunction (with no commas) to separate ALL the items in a series. | |
| 216573248 | predicate | a subsequent description of the subject, headed with a verb | |
| 216573249 | rhetoric | the art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse | |
| 216573250 | sarcasm | harsh, caustic personal remarks to or about someone | |
| 216573251 | satire | a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it in an extreme way | |
| 216573252 | sentiment | an attitude, thought, or judgment prompted by a feeling or emotion | |
| 216573253 | straw man argument | when a writer argues against a claim that nobody actually holds or is universally considered weak | |
| 216573254 | style | an author's characteristic manner of expression | |
| 216573255 | syllogism | A form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from them | |
| 216573256 | synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part of something is used to represent a whole | |
| 216573257 | syntax | the grammatical structure of a sentence; the arrangement of words in a sentence. It includes length of sentence, and kinds of sentences | |
| 216573258 | tone | the characteristic emotion or attitude of an author toward the characters, subject, and audience | |
| 216573259 | understatement | the opposite of exaggeration. it is a technique for developing irony and/or humor where one writes or says less than needed | |
| 216573260 | wit | clever or apt humor |
