| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Consonance | the repetition of consonants, especially at the ends of words |
| Deduction | drawing a conclusion through reasoning |
| Denotation | literal meaning of a word |
| Diction | style of speaking, writing/word choice |
| Didactic | morally instructing |
| Epigraph | inscription or motto at the beginning of a literary piece |
| Ethos | characteristics that belong to a particular person, people, culture, or movement |
| Euphemism | substitution of a mild or indirect expression; offensive, harsh, blunt |
| Euphony | pleasantly spoken sound |
| Explication | the art of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text |
| Exposition | writing/speech that informs the reader |
| False analogy | informal fallacy applying to indicative arguments |
| Figurative language | language not meant to be taken literally and effective on the reader |
| Figures of speech | words that use language in a non-literal and employs sound |
| Genre | class or category of an artistic endeavor |
| Hyperbole | obvious and intentional exaggeration; not literal |
| Imagery | formation of mental images, figures, or likeness of things |
| Induction | series of events or information to make a logical conclusion about entire series or information |
| Inference/Infer | draw logical conclusions for what is known to be true |
| Invective | insults person, topic, or institution; negative emotional language |
| Inversion (anastrophe) | reversal of the customary placement of words (subject, verb, then complement) |
| Irony | use of words to convey meaning opposite of literal meaning |
| Juxtaposition | placing or describing contrasting objects, images, or ideas; differences |
| Logical fallacy | clearly defined error in reasoning |
| Logos | appeal based on logic or reason |
| Metonymy | substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself |
| Mood | prevailing emotional tone or general attitude |
| Motif | a recurring subject, theme, or idea |
| Narrative | story or account of events (true/fictional) |
| Non sequitur | statement with illogical conclusion |
| Onomatopoeia | formation that imitate the sound associated with something |
| Oxymoron | figure of speech by which self-contradictory effect is produced |
| Pacing | based on syntax or movement of a literary piece from one point to another |
| Paradox | statement that's truth is self-contradictory |
| Parallelism | agreement in direction, tendency, or character; being parallel |
| Parody | humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing |
| Pathos | appeal to human emotion |
| Pedantic | overly concerned with minute details |
| Periodic sentence | leaving completion of its main clause to the end; makes an effect of suspense |
| Point of view | perspective from with a speaker or writer tells a story or presents information |
| Polysyndeton | repetition of conjunctions in close succession |
| Repetition | the repeated use of the same word or word pattern |
| Rhetoric | insincere eloquence intended to win points and manipulate others |
| Sarcasm | remarks that mean the opposite of what they seem to say or are intended to mock |
| Satire | use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to criticize faults |
| Shift | to change place, position, or direction of something |
| Syllogism | form of reasoning in which two statements are made and a conclusion is drawn from that |
| Style | the way something is spoken, written or performed |
| Synecdoche | using a part of something to represent the whole thing |
| Syntax | intentional structure done for emphasis |
| Thesis | new point of view resulting from research (thesis statement) |
| Tone | style or manner in writing, speech or mood |
| Understatement | lack of emphasis in a statement or point |
| Unity (coherence) | all parts of writing contribute to development of central idea |
| Wit | clever expression; either aggressive or harmless |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace