| Term | Definition |
|---|
| allegory | the device of using characters &/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. |
| alliteration | the repetition of sounds, esp initial consonant sounds in 2+ neighboring words. |
| allusion | a direct or indirect reference to something which is commonly known. |
| aphorism | a terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle. |
| apostrophe | a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or abstraction. |
| assonance | the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by diff consonant sounds. |
| ballad | a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas. |
| blank verse | a verse without rhyme; uses iambic pentameter. |
| connotation | the implied, suggested meaning of a word. |
| convention | a way in which something is usually done. |
| couplet | 2 lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit. |
| denotation | the literal, dictionary definition of a word |
| device | a turn of phrase intended to produce a particular effect in speech or a literary work. |
| diction | a writer's word choice. |
| digression | leaving the main subject temporarily in speech/writing. |
| ellipsis | "..." - omitting words that aren't nec (partic in a quote) |
| epic | a long narrative poem; recounts the deeds of a hero. |
| euphemism | a less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word/concept. |
| free verse | poetry that doesn't conform to a reg meter or rhyme scheme. |
| heroic couplet | poem constructed from a sequence of rhyming pairs or iambic pentameter lines. |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech using deliberate exagg or overstatement. |
| imagery | sensory details or fig lang used to describe. helps to create a "mental picture" |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. |
| oxymoron | contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. ex: "its cold as hell, yo!" |
| parable | a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. |
| paradox | a statement that appears to be self-contradictory, but contains some degree of truth or validity. |
| parallelism/parallel structure | the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words/phrases/sentences/paragraphs to give structural similarity. |
| parody | a work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect &/or ridicule. |
| personification | a figure of speech in which the author describes animals/inanimate by giving them human traits. |
| satire | a work that targets human vices & follies for reform or ridicule. |
| scansion | the action of scanning a line of verse to determine its rhythm. |
| soliloquy | a long speech made by a character in a play alone. ex: "to be or not to be" |
| sonnet | a poem or fourteen lines using any combo of formal rhyme schemes. English: 10 syllables per line. Italian: more complex. |
| subordinate clause | contains subject & verb. cannot stand alone. |
| tone | describes the author's attitude toward his material, audience or both. |
| understatement | presenting something as less significant than it is. |
Combine with other sets
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