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9615095655allegorystory or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities0
9615096846ALLITERATIONrepetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are close together.1
9615099645allusionreference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference to something (usually from literature, etc.)2
9615100425ambiguitydeliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting, meanings in a work. An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way- this is done on purpose by the author, when it is not done on purpose, it is vagueness, and detracts from the work3
9615103345analogyComparison made between two things to show how they are alike4
9615103942anaphoraRepetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer's point more coherent.5
9615107022anastropheInversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a sentence. Purpose is rhythm or emphasis or euphony. It is a fancy word for inversion.6
9615108630anecdoteBrief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something, often shows character of an individual7
9615109298antagonistOpponent who struggles/blocks against the protagonist8
9615111700antimetaboleRepetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical order.9
9615114060antithesisBalancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted, often by means of grammatical structure.10
9615115023ANTIHEROCentral character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with heroes. may lack courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples.11
9615116238ANTHROPOMORPHISMattributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate object (Personification)12
9615117922APHORISMbrief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life, or of a principle or accepted general truth. Also called maxim, epigram.13
9615196938APOSTROPHEcalling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or thing, or a personified abstract idea. If the character is asking a god or goddess for inspiration it is called an invocation.14
9615198252APPOSITIONPlacing in immediately succeeding order of two or more coordinate elements, the latter of which is an explanation, qualification, or modification of the first (often set off by a colon). Paine: "These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it Now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."15
9615198928ASSONANCEthe repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant sounds especially in words that are together.16
9615200077ASYNDETONCommas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thus emphasizing the parts equally: instead of X, Y, and Z... the writer uses X,Y,Z.... see polysyndeton.17
9615203582BALANCEConstructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and importance. Sentences can be unbalanced to serve a special effect as well.18
9615204293CHARACTERIZATIONthe process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.19
9615204852INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATIONthe author reveals to the reader what the character is like by describing how the character looks and dresses, by letting the reader hear what the character says, by revealing the character's private thoughts and feelings, by revealing the characters effect on other people (showing how other characters feel or behave toward the character), or by showing the character in action. Common in modern literature20
9615207086DIRECT CHARACTERIZATIONthe author tells us directly what the character is like: sneaky, generous, mean to pets and so on. Romantic style literature relied more heavily on this form.21
9615207823STATIC CHARACTERis one who does not change much in the course of a story.22
9615208594DYNAMIC CHARACTERis one who changes in some important way as a result of the story's action23
9615209316FLAT CHARACTERhas only one or two personality traits. They are one dimensional, like a piece of cardboard. They can be summed up in one phrase.24
9615210935ROUND CHARACTERhas more dimensions to their personalities---they are complex, just a real people are.25
9615212076CHIASMUSIn poetry, a type of rhetorical balance in which the second part is syntactically balanced against the first, but with the parts reversed. Coleridge: "Flowers are lovely, love is flowerlike." In prose this is called antimetabole.26
9615215581CLICHEis a word or phrase, often a figure of speech, that has become lifeless because of overuse. Avoid clichés like the plague.27
9615216502COLLOQUIALISMa word or phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal writing but is inappropriate for formal situations.28
9615218574COMEDYin general, a story that ends with a happy resolution of the conflicts faced by the main character or characters.29
9615219206CONCEITan elaborate metaphor that compares two things that are startlingly different. Often an extended metaphor.30
9615220091CONFESSIONAL POETRYa twentieth century term used to describe poetry that uses intimate material from the poet's life.31
9615221533CONFLICTthe struggle between opposing forces or characters in a story.32
9615222557EXTERNAL CONFLICTconflicts can exist between two people, between a person and nature or a machine or between a person a whole society.33
9615223615INTERNAL CONFLICTa conflict can be internal, involving opposing forces within a person's mind.34
9615224620CONNOTATIONthe associations and emotional overtones that have become attached to a word or phrase, in addition to its strict dictionary definition.35
9615225937COUPLETtwo consecutive rhyming lines of poetry.36
9615228127DIALECTa way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of the inhabitants of a certain geographical area.37
9615229267DICTIONa speaker or writer's choice of words.38
9615229793DIDACTICform of fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model of correct behavior or thinking.39
9615230703ELEGYa poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died. A Eulogy is great praise or commendation, a laudatory speech, often about someone who has died.40
9615231906EPANALEPSISdevice of repetition in which the same expression (single word or phrase) is repeated both at the beginning and at the end of the line, clause, or sentence. Voltaire: "Common sense is not so common."41
9615233978EPICa long narrative poem, written in heightened language , which recounts the deeds of a heroic character who embodies the values of a particular society.42
9615235777EPIGRAPHa quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme.43
9615236992EPISTROPHEDevice of repetition in which the same expression (single word or phrase) is repeated at the end of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences (it is the opposite of anaphora).44
9615238861EPITHETan adjective or adjective phrase applied to a person or thing that is frequently used to emphasize a characteristic quality. "Father of our country" and "the great Emancipator" are examples. A Homeric epithet is a compound adjective used with a person or thing: "swift-footed Achilles"; "rosy-fingered dawn."45
9615241068ESSAYa short piece of nonfiction prose in which the writer discusses some aspect of a subject.46
9615242565ARGUMENTATIONone of the four forms of discourse which uses logic, ethics, and emotional appeals (logos, ethos, pathos) to develop an effective means to convince the reader to think or act in a certain way.47
9615245517PERSUASIONrelies more on emotional appeals than on facts48
9615246561ARGUMENTform of persuasion that appeals to reason instead of emotion to convince an audience to think or act in a certain way.49
9615248059CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPForm of argumentation in which the writer claims that one thing results from another, often used as part of a logical argument.50
9615249966DESCRIPTIONa form of discourse that uses language to create a mood or emotion.51
9615251248EXPOSITIONone of the four major forms of discourse, in which something is explained or "set forth."52
9615252205NARRATIVEthe form of discourse that tells about a series of events.53
9615253991EXPLICATIONact of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text, usually involves close reading and special attention to figurative language.54
9615256108fablea very short story told in prose or poetry that teaches a practical lesson about how to succeed in life.55
9615256609FARCEa type of comedy in which ridiculous and often stereotyped characters are involved in silly, far-fetched situations.56
9615256896FIGURATIVE LANGUAGEWords which are inaccurate if interpreted literally, but are used to describe. Similes and metaphors are common forms.57
9615258520FLASHBACKa scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time.58
9615259536FOILA character who acts as contrast to another character. Often a funny side kick to the dashing hero, or a villain contrasting the hero.59
9615260773FORESHADOWINGthe use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot.60
9615261630FREE VERSEpoetry that does not conform to a regular meter or rhyme scheme.61
9615262869HYPERBOLEa figure of speech that uses an incredible exaggeration or overstatement, for effect. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times...."62
9615263468HYPOTACTICsentence marked by the use of connecting words between clauses or sentences, explicitly showing the logical or other relationships between them. (Use of such syntactic subordination of just one clause to another is known as hypotaxis). I am tired because it is hot.63
9615268107IMAGERYthe use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person , a thing, a place, or an experience.64
9615269719INVERSIONthe reversal of the normal word order in a sentence or phrase65
9615270669IRONYa discrepancy between appearances and reality.66

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