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| 13713014667 | allegory | a narrative in which the characters, behavior, and even the setting demonstrate multiple levels of meaning and significance. Often allegory is a unified symbol or personified abstraction. | 0 | |
| 13713014668 | alliteration | the sequential repetition of a similar initial sound, usually applied to consonants, usually in closely proximate syllables. | 1 | |
| 13713014669 | allusion | a literary, historical, religious, or mythological reference. | 2 | |
| 13713014670 | anaphora | the regular repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases of clauses. | 3 | |
| 13713014671 | antithesis | the juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas in balanced or parallel words, phrases, grammatical structure, or ideas. | 4 | |
| 13713014672 | aphorism | a concise statement designed to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief. | 5 | |
| 13713014673 | apostrophe | an address or invocation to something inanimate. | 6 | |
| 13713014674 | appeals to...authority, emotion, or logic | rhetorical arguments in which the speaker claims to be an authority or expert in the field, or attempts to play upon the emotions, or appeals to the use of reason. | 7 | |
| 13713014675 | assonance | the repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds, usually in successive or proximate words. | 8 | |
| 13713014676 | asyndeton | a syntactical structure in which conjunctions are omitted in a series, usually producing more rapid prose. | 9 | |
| 13713014677 | attitude | the sense expressed by the tone of voice or the mood of a piece of writing; the author's feelings toward his or her subject, characters, events, or theme. It might even be his or her feelings for the reader. | 10 | |
| 13713014678 | begging the question | an argumentative ploy where the arguer sidesteps the question or conflict, evades or ignores the real question. | 11 | |
| 13713014679 | canon | that which has been accepted as authentic. | 12 | |
| 13713014680 | chiasmus | a figure of speech and generally a syntactical structure wherein the order of the terms in the first half of a parallel clause is reversed in the second. | 13 | |
| 13713014681 | claim | in argumentation, an assertion of something as fact. | 14 | |
| 13713014682 | colloquial | a term identifying the diction of the common, ordinary folk, especially in a specific region or area. | 15 | |
| 13713014683 | comparison and contrast | a mode of discourse in which two or more things are compared, contrasted, or both. | 16 | |
| 13713014684 | conceit | a comparison of two unlikely things that is drawn out within a piece of literature, in particular an extended metaphor within a poem. However, conceits can also be used in non-fiction and prose. | 17 | |
| 13713014685 | connotation | the implied, suggested, or underlying meaning of a word or phrase. It is opposite of denotation which is the "dictionary definition" of the word. | 18 | |
| 13713014686 | consonance | the repetition of two or more consonants with a change in the intervening vowel. | 19 | |
| 13713014687 | convention | an accepted manner, model, or tradition. | 20 | |
| 13713014688 | critique | an assessment or analysis of something such as a passage of writing, for the purpose of determining what it is, what its limitations are, and how it conforms to the standard of the genre. | 21 | |
| 13713014689 | deductive reasoning (deduction) | the method of arguing in which specific statements and conclusions are drawn from general principles: movement from the general to the specific, in contrast to inductive reasoning (induction.) | 22 | |
| 13713014690 | dialect | the language and speech idiosyncrasies of a specific area, region, or group. | 23 | |
| 13713014691 | diction | the specific word choice an author uses to persuade or convey tone, purpose, or effect. | 24 | |
| 13713014692 | didactic | writing or speech is didactic when it has an instructive purpose or a lesson. It is often associated with a dry, pompous presentation, regardless of its innate value to the reader/listener. | 25 | |
| 13713014693 | elegy | a poem or prose work that laments, or meditates upon the death of, a person or persons. Sometimes an elegy will end with words of consolation. | 26 | |
| 13713014694 | epistrophe | in rhetoric, the repetition of a phrase at the end of successive sentences. | 27 | |
| 13713014695 | epitaph | writing in praise of a dead person, most often inscribed on a tombstone. | 28 | |
| 13713014696 | ethos | in rhetoric, the appeal of a text to the credibility and character of the speaker, writer, or narrator. | 29 | |
| 13713014697 | eulogy | a speech or written passage in praise of a person; an oration in honor of a deceased person. (elegy laments; eulogy praises.) | 30 | |
| 13713014698 | euphemism | an indirect, kinder, or less harsh or less hurtful way of expressing unpleasant information. | 31 | |
| 13713014699 | exposition | the interpretation or analysis of a text. | 32 | |
| 13713014700 | extended metaphor | a series of comparisons within a piece of writing. If they are consistently one concept, this is known as a conceit. | 33 | |
| 13713014701 | figurative language/figure of speech | figurative (in contrast to literal) language has levels of meaning expressed through figures of speech such as personification, metaphor, hyperbole, irony, oxymoron, litote, etc... | 34 | |
| 13713014702 | flashback | (also known as retrospective) an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronology of the narration. | 35 | |
| 13713014703 | genre | a type or class of literature, such as epic, narrative, poetry, biography, history, etc... | 36 | |
| 13713014704 | homily | a sermon, but more contemporary uses include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual life. | 37 | |
| 13713014705 | hyperbole | overstatement characterized by exaggerated language, usually to make a point or draw attention. | 38 | |
| 13713014706 | imagery | broadly defined, any sensory detail or evocation in a work; more narrowly, the use of figurative language to evoke a feeling, to call to mind an idea, or to describe an object. Basically, imagery involves any or all of the five senses. A writer generally uses imagery in conjunction with other figures of speech, such as simile and metaphor. | 39 | |
| 13713014707 | inductive reasoning (induction) | the method of reasoning or argument in which general statements and conclusions are drawn from specific principles: movement from the specific to the general. In other words, a general supposition is made after investigating specific instances. | 40 | |
| 13713014708 | inference | a conclusion or proposition arrived at by considering facts, observations, or some other specific data. | 41 | |
| 13713014709 | irony (ironic) | the contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant. The intended meaning is often the opposite of what is stated, often suggesting light sarcasm. | 42 | |
| 13713014710 | verbal irony | what the author/narrator says is actually the opposite of what is meant. | 43 | |
| 13713014711 | situational irony | when events end up the opposite of what is expected. | 44 | |
| 13713014712 | dramatic irony | in drama and fiction, facts or situations are known to the reader or audience but not to the character. | 45 | |
| 13713014713 | isocolon | parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar not only in grammatical structure, but also in length. | 46 | |
| 13713014714 | jargon | specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group. | 47 | |
| 13713014715 | juxtaposition | the location of one thing adjacent to or juxtaposed with another to create an effect, reveal an attitude, or accomplish some other purpose. | 48 | |
| 13713014716 | litote | a figure of speech that emphasizes its subject by conscience understatement, for instance, the understated "not bad" as a comment about something especially well done. | 49 | |
| 13713014717 | loose sentence | (a term of syntax) a long sentence that starts with its main clause, which is followed by several independent clauses and modifying phrases. | 50 | |
| 13713014718 | metaphor | one thing pictured as if it were something else, suggesting a likeness or analogy. Metaphor is an implicit comparison or identification of one thing with another, without the use of a verbal signal such as "like" or "as." | 51 | |
| 13713014719 | metonymy | a figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something. | 52 | |
| 13713014720 | mode of discourse | the way in which information is presented in written or spoken form. The Greeks believed there were only four modes of discourse: narration, description, exposition (cause and effect, process analysis, comparison/contrast,) and argumentation. Contemporary thought often includes other modes, such as personal observation and narrative reflection. | 53 | |
| 13713014721 | mood | a feeling or ambiance resulting from the tone of a piece as well as the writer/narrator's attitude and point of view. It is a "feeling" that establishes the atmosphere in a work of literature or other discourse. | 54 | |
| 13713014722 | narrative | a mode of discourse that tells a story of some sort and it is based on sequences of connected events, usually presented in a straightforward, chronological framework. | 55 | |
| 13713014723 | onomatopoeia | a word capturing and approximating the sound of what it describes; "buzz" is a good example. The purpose of these words is to make a passage more effective for the reader or listener. | 56 | |
| 13713014724 | oxymoron | a figure of speech that combines two apparently contradictory elements as in "wise fool," "baggy tights," or "deafening silence." | 57 | |
| 13713014725 | paradox | a statement that seems contradictory but may probably be true. | 58 | |
| 13713014726 | parallel structure | the use of similar forms in writing for nouns, verbs, phrases, or thoughts. In prose, parallel, recurrent syntactical similarities, where several parts of a sentence or several sentences are expressed alike, show that their ideas are equal in importance. | 59 | |
| 13713014727 | pathos | that element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow. In argument or persuasion it tends to be the evocation of pity from the reader/listener. | 60 | |
| 13713014728 | periodic sentence | a long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end. | 61 | |
| 13713014729 | personification | treating an abstraction or nonhuman object as if it were a person by endowing it with human features or qualities. | 62 | |
| 13713014730 | point of view | the relation in which the narrator/author stands to a subject of discourse. Point of view in nonfiction requires the reader to establish the historical perspective of what is being said. | 63 | |
| 13713014731 | prose | the ordinary form of written language without metrical structure in contrast to verse and poetry. | 64 | |
| 13713014732 | Realism | attempting to describe nature and life without idealization and with attention to detail. | 65 | |
| 13713014733 | rebuttal/refutation | an argument technique wherein opposing arguments are anticipated and countered. | 66 | |
| 13713014734 | rhetoric | the art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking. All types of writing may seek to persuade and rhetoricians study these genres for their persuasive qualities. | 67 | |
| 13713014735 | rhetorical question | a question that is asked simply for the sake of stylistic effect and is not expected to be answered. | 68 | |
| 13713014736 | sarcasm | a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually critical. Sarcasm can be light, and gently poke fun at something, or it can be harsh, caustic, and mean. | 69 | |
| 13713014737 | satire | a literary work that holds up human failings to ridicule and censure. | 70 | |
| 13713014738 | simile | a direct, explicit comparison of one thing to another, usually using the words "like" or "as" to draw the connection. | 71 | |
| 13713014739 | style | the manner in which the writer combines and arranges words, shapes ideas, and utilizes syntax and structure. It is the distinctive manner of expression that represents that author's typical writing style. | 72 | |
| 13713014740 | symbolism | use of person, place, thing, event, or pattern that figuratively represents or "stands for" something else. Often the thing or idea represented is more abstract or general than the symbol, which is concrete. | 73 | |
| 13713014741 | synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part signifies the whole. | 74 | |
| 13713014742 | syntax | the way words are put together to form phrases, clauses, and sentences. Syntax is sentence structure and how it influences the way the reader receives a particular piece of writing. It is important in establishing the tone of a piece and the attitude of the author/narrator. | 75 | |
| 13713014743 | theme | the central or dominant idea or focus of a work. The statement a passage makes about its subject. | 76 | |
| 13713014744 | tone | the attitude the narrator/writer takes toward a subject and theme; the tenor of a piece of writing based on particular stylistic devices employed by the writer. Tone reflects the narrator/author's attitude. | 77 | |
| 13713014745 | voice | the acknowledged or unacknowledged source of the words of the story; the speaker's or narrator's particular "take" on an idea based on a particular passage and how all the elements of the style of the piece come together to express his or her feelings. | 78 | |
| 13713014746 | zeugma | a grammatically correct construction in which a word, usually a verb or adjective, is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated, often used to comic effect. | 79 |
