| Term | Definition |
|---|
| abstract | refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images |
| ad hominem | and attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas |
| allegory | a work that functions on a symbolic level |
| ambiguity | the multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage |
| anecdote | a story or brief episode told by the writer or a character to illustrate a point |
| antithesis | presentation of two contrasting images "To be or not to be..." |
| aphorism | terse statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or moral principal |
| apostrophe | directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or personified abstraction |
| atmosphere | emotional mood created by the entirety of a literary work |
| attitude | relationship an author has toward his or her subject |
| cacophony | harsh and discordant sounds in a line or passage in a literary work |
| classification | a form of division starting with many items and sorting them into categories |
| colloquial | use of slang in writing, often to create local color |
| comic relief | inclusion of a humorous character to contrast with tragic elements of a work |
| conceit | a fanciful expression, usually in the form of an extended metaphor or surprising analogy between seemingly dissimilar objects |
| concrete | words that describe things that exist and can be experienced through the senses |
| connotation | interpetive level of a word based on its associated images rather than its literal meaning |
| deduction | the process of moving from a general rule to a specific example |
| denotation | the literal or dictionary meaning of a word |
| epigraph | use of a quotation at the beginning of a work that hints at its theme |
| euphemism | a more acceptable and usually more pleasant way of saying something that might be inappropriate or uncomfortable |
| euphony | the pleasant, mellifluous presentation of sounds in a literary work |
| generalization | assertions or conclusions based on some specific instances |
| homily | term literally means "sermon," it can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice |
| induction | process that moves from a given series of specifics to a generalization |
| invective | a verbally abusive attack |
| metonymy | a representative term is used for a larger idea |
| motif | repetition of variations of an image or idea in a work used to develop theme or characters |
| pacing | movement of a literary piece from one point or one section to another |
| pathos | the aspects of a literary work that elicit pity from the audience |
| pedantic | a term used to describe writing that borders on lecturing |
| premise | in logic a proposition--a statement of truth--that is used to support or help support a conclusion |
| reduction ad absurdum | a technique useful in creating a comic effect and is also an argumentative technique, reduces an argument to an either/or choice |
| syllogism | format of a formal argument that consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion |
| synecdoche | utilizes a part as representative of the whole |
| tragedy | literary work having a disastrous ending brought about by fate or moral weakness in a character |
| comedy | literary work with humorous attitudes towards characters or situations and a non-tragic ending |
| melodrama | a romantic play with interspersed songs |
| archetype | a model to base literature on |
| naturalism | deterministic way of seeing human life |
| stream of consciousness | succession of ideas and images constantly moving through time |
| doppelganger | ghostly double of another person |
| diction | word choice, particularly as an element of style |
| ad hoc argument | an after-the-fact explanation which doesn't apply to other situations |
| black humor | humor that regards human suffering as absurd |
| noble savage | primitive human as described in literature |
| artistic unity | all apsects in a novel are there because they are neccessary |
| exposition | setting forth of facts |
| synaesthesia | two (or more) sensory details combined |
| consonance | repetition of consonant sounds within words |
| assonance | repeated use of vowel sounds |
| alliteration | repetition of initial consonant sounds |
| anachronism | an event in a story that is misplaced for the time period it is set in |
| dissonance | grating of incompatible sounds |
| enjambment | continuation of a syntactic unit from one line or couplet of a poem to the next with no pause |
| juxtaposition | act or instance of placing two things close together or side by side |
| litote | where the speaker or writer uses a negative of a word ironically, to mean the opposite |
| zeugma | use of a word to modify two or more words but used for different meanings "He closed the door and his heart on his lost love." |
Combine with other sets
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