| Term | Definition |
|---|
| parable | a story that instructs |
| paradox | a situation or statement that seems to contradict itself, but on closer inspection, does not |
| parallelism | repeated syntactical similarities used for effect |
| paraphrase | to restate phrases and sentences in your own words |
| parenthetical phrase | a phrase set off by commas that interrupts the flow of a sentence with some commentary or added detail |
| parody | the work that results when a specific work is exaggerated into ridiculousness |
| pastoral | a poem set in tranquil nature |
| pathos | when the writing of a scene evokes feelings of dignified pity and sympathy |
| periodic sentence | not grammatically complete until it has reached its final phrase |
| persona | the narrator in a non first-person novel |
| personification | when an inanimate object takes on human shape |
| plaint | a poem or speech expressing sorrow |
| point of view | the perspective from which the action of a novel is presented |
| prelude | an introductory poem to a longer work of verse |
| protagonist | the main character of a novel or play |
| pun | the usually humorous use of a word in such a way to suggest two or more meanings |
| refrain | a line or set of lines repeated several times over the course of a poem |
| requiem | a song of prayer for the dead |
| rhapsody | an intensely passionate verse or section of verse |
| rhetorical question | a question that suggests an answer |
Combine with other sets
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