| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Allegory | a story where all of the major elements are symbolic |
| Alliteration | multiple words in a sentence starting with the same letter or sound |
| Allusion | indirect or passing reference to something that is widely known (like Martin Luther King or the Titanic) |
| Analogy | a comparison of two things, often for the purpose of explanation |
| Apostrophe | formal address of a person or thing |
| Assonance | repeating a vowel sound |
| Ballad | song or poem that tells a story |
| Connotation | the feeling that accompanies a word: "home" has positive connotations, while "house" is more neutral. |
| Consonance | repetition of consonant sounds |
| Denotation | literal meaning of a word |
| Diction | word choice |
| Epic | a long poem about a hero and his/her adventures. |
| Figurative Language | a metaphorical expression, non-literal |
| Hyperbole | extreme exaggeration |
| Imagery | using words to create a visual image or sensory experience |
| Inverted Sentence | a sentence where the normal word order is reversed |
| Irony | when the meaning of a text contradicts the literal words written. |
| Lyric | a rhythmic, rhyming, euphonious piece |
| Metaphor | comparison without the words 'like' or 'as' |
| Metonymy | a figure of speech where one word is used in place of another with the same meaning (Saying "Washington" when you are referring to the administration that resides in Washington.) |
| Motif | a main theme or recurring image running through a text |
| Narrative | story |
| Onomatopoeia | imitating sounds with words |
| Oxymoron | figure of speech where two adjacent words seem to contradict each other |
| Parable | a short simple story teaching a lesson or moral - often religious |
| Paradox | a seemingly-contradictory statement: (For example: "Sometimes, too much freedom can lead to imprisonment." |
| Parallelism | using the same sentence construction in corresponding clauses or phrases |
| Personification | to give human qualities to something inanimate |
| Point of View | First Person/Second Person/Third Person |
| Polysyndeton | using multiple conjunctions repeatedly |
| Repetition | repeating a sound, syllable, word, phrase, line or stanza |
| Simile | comparing things using 'like' or 'as' |
| Symbolism | when physical objects are used to represent abstract ideas |
| Synaesthesia | using one sense to convey the experience of another |
| Syntax | how words are arranged, their relationship; sentence structure |
| Tone | mood, attitude, atmosphere |
| Angst | feeling of anxiety, accompanied by depression |
| Bildungsroman | a novel about education, development and maturing of a protagonist |
| Farce | exaggerated comedy |
| Elegy | praise for the dead |
Combine with other sets
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