| Term | Definition |
|---|
| abstract language | language describing ideas and qualities rather than observable or specific things, people, or places. The observable or "physical" is usually described in concrete language |
| active voice | the subject of the sentence performs the action. This is a more direct and preferred style of writing in most cases. "Anthony drove while Toni searched for the house." |
| allusion | an indirect reference to something (usually a literary text, although it can be other things commonly known, such as plays, songs, historical events) with which the reader is supposed to be familiar |
| ambiguity | an event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way. also, the manner of expression of such an event or situation may be ambiguous. Artful language may be ambiguous. |
| analogy | a comparison to a directly parallel case. |
| anecdote | a breif recounting of a relevant episode. Often inserted into fictional or non-fictional texts as a way of developing a point or injecting humor. |
| annotation | explanatory notes added to a text to explain, clarify, or prompt further thought. |
| antecedent | the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. |
| Apostrophe | a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. |
| attitude of the author | tone |
| classicism | art or literature characterized by a realistic view of people and the world, sticks to traditional themes and structures |
| concrete language | language that describes specific, observable things, people or places, rather than ideas or qualities. |
| diction | word choice, particularly as an element of style.Different types of words have different effects of meaning. |
| colloquial | ordinary or familiar type of conversation |
| connotation | the associations suggested by a word. Implied meaning rather than literal meaning |
| denotation | the literal, explicit meaning of a word, without it's connotations |
| jargon | the diction used by a group which practices a similar profession or activity. |
| vernacular | Language or dialect or a particular country, regional clan, group, or just everyday speech |
| didactic | a term used to describe fiction, nonfiction, or poetry that teaches a specific lesson or moral or provides a model or correct behavior or thinking |
| adage | a folk saying with a lesson, ex "a rolling stone gathers no moss" |
| allegory | a story, fiction or non fiction, in which characters, things, and events represent qualities or concepts. The interaction of these elements is meant to reveal an abstraction or a truth. |
| aphorism | a terse statement which expresses a general truth or moral principle. It can be a memorable summation of the author's point. |
| homily | literally means "sermon" but more informally, it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice. |
| ellipsis | the deliberate omission of a word or phrase from prose done for effect by the author. "The whole day, rain, torrents of rain." |
| epigram | a short poem with a clever twist at the end, or a concise and witty statement. "Little strokes/ fell great oaks." |
| epigraph | a quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of theme |
| euphemism | a more agreeable or less offensive substitute for generally unpleasant words or concepts. Sometimes they are used for political correctness. |
| explication | the act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text. Attention to close reading and the use of rhetorical devices. |
| figurative language | the opposite of literal language, which is writing that makes complete sense when you take it at face value. So, this term is not mean to be taken literally |
| hyperbole | exaggeration |
| idiom | a common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you use it literally |
| metaphor | making an implied comparison not using like or as |
| simile | using words such as like or as to make a direct comparison between two different things |
| personification | giving human like qualities to something that is not human |
| genre | the major category into which a literary work fits. The basic divisions of literature are prose, poetry, and drama. |
| gothic | writing characterized by gloom, mystery, fear, or death. Also refers to an architectual style of the middle ages, often seen in cathedrals of this period |
| imagery | word or words that create a picture in the readers mind. |
| Invective | an emotionally violent, verbal denunication or attack using strong, abusive language. |
| irony | when the opposite of what you expect happens |
| verbal irony | when you say something and mean the opposite/something different |
| dramatic irony | when the audience of a drama, play, or movie knows something that the character doesn't and would be surprised to find out |
| situational irony | found in the plot (or story line) of a book, story, or movie. |
| juxtaposition | placing things side by side for the purposes of comparison. |
| Mood | the atmosphere created by the literature and accomplished through word choice (diction). Syntax is often a creator of mood. |
| objectivity | an author's stance that distances himself from personal involvement |
| oxymoron | when apparently contradictory terms are grouped together and suggest a paradox- "wise fool" |
| paradox | a seemingly contradictory statement which is actually true. an idea that embeds contradiction. |
| parallelism | also known as parallel structure. Sentence construction which places equal grammatical construction near each other, or repeats identical grammatical patterns. |
| anaphora | repetition of a word, phrase, or clauses, or even ideas, with parallel structure. |
| antithesis | two opposite contrasting words, phrases, or clauses with parallel structure |
| parenthetical idea | used to set off an idea from the rest of the sentence |
| parody | an exaggerated imitation of a serious word for humorous purposes. It borrows words or phrases from an original, and pokes fun at it. |
| Passive voice | the subject of the sentence receives the action. Is often overuses, leaving writing to seem lifeless. |
| pedantic | observing strict adherence to formal rules or literal meaning at the expense of a wider view. Can be also referred to as the author's tone, as overly scholarly and academic. |
| persona | the fictional mast or narrator that tells a story. |
| rhetoric | the art of effective communication |
| rhetorical question | a question not asked for information but for effect |
| Romanticism | art or literature characterized by an idealistic, perhaps unrealistic view of people and the world, and an emphasis on nature. |
| sarcasm | a generally bitter comment that is ironically worded. Is usually a way to ridicule something, while irony isn't |
| satire | a work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of life to a humorous effect. It targets human vices and follies, or social institutions and conventions. It usually uses wit, irony, parody, hyperbole, caricature, and sarcasm. |
| sentence | a group of words that express a complete thought. |
| appositive | a word or group of words placed beside a noun or noun substitute to supplement its meaning. |
| clause | a grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb. |
| simple sentence | contains one independent clause |
| compound sentence | contains at least two independent clauses, but no dependent clauses. |
| complex sentence | contains only one independent clause and and least one dependent clause. |
| balanced sentence | one in which two parallel elements are set off against eachother like equal weights on a scale. "If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich." |
| Loose sentence | a complex sentence in which the main clause comes first and the subordinate clause follows. "I do not wish to go to school, even though I might learn something interesting." |
| periodic sentence | when the main idea is not completed until the end of the sentence. The writer begins with subordinate elements and postpones the main clause. |
| declarative sentence | states and idea. It does not give a command or request, nor does ask a question. "The ball is round." |
| imperative sentence | issues a command. "Kick the ball." |
| Interrogative sentence | Sentences including interrogative pronouns (what, which, whom, who, whose). "To whom did you kick the ball?" |
| style | the choices in diction, tone, and syntax that a writer makes. |
| symbol | anything that represents or stands for something else. Usually us something concrete such as an object, actions, character, that represents something more abstract. |
| syntax | grammatical arrangement of words. |
| theme | the central idea or message of a work. It may be directly stated in nonfiction works, although not necessarily. It is rarely stated directly in fiction. |
| thesis | the sentence or groups of sentences that directly express the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or proposition. It should be short and clear. |
| tone | a writer's attitude toward his or her subject matter revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization. |
| transition | smooth movement from one paragraph or idea to another. |
| Understatement | the ironic minimizing of fact. Presents something as less significant than it is. |
| Litotes | a particular form of understatement, generated by denying the opposite of the statement which otherwise would be used. They either retain the effect of understatement or become an intensifying expression. |
Combine with other sets
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