| Term | Definition |
|---|
| allegory | the device of using character and/or short story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning |
| alliteration | repetition of sounds |
| allusion | direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably known |
| ambiguity | the multiple meanings, intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage |
| analogy | a similarity or comparison between two different things |
| antecedent | the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun |
| antithesis | the opposition or contrast of ideas; the direct opposite |
| aphorism | statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth |
| atmosphere | emotional nod created by the entirety of a literary work |
| clause | grammatical unit that contains both a subject and a verb |
| colloquial | the use of slang or informalities in speech or writing |
| connotation | non-literal, associative meaning of a word |
| denotation | strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word |
| diction | writer's word choices with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness |
| didactic | words that have the primary aim of teaching or instructing |
| euphemism | less offensive substitute for a generally unpleasant word |
| extended metaphor | a metaphor developed at great length |
| figurative language | writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning usually meant to be imaginative and vivid |
| figure of speech | device used to produce fig. lang. |
| genre | the major category into which a literary work fits |
| homily | can include any serious talk, speech, or lecture involving moral or spiritual advice |
| hyperbole | a figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement |
| imagery | sensory details or fig. lang. used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions |
| inference/infer | to draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented |
| irony | the contrast between what is stated and what is really meant |
| metaphor | a figure of speech using implied comparison of unlike things |
| mood | the prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work |
| narrative | the telling of a story or an account of an event |
| onomatopoeia | a figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words |
| oxymoron | figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox |
| paradox | statement that appears to be self contradictory |
| parallelism | grammatical or rhetorical framing or words |
| pedantic | an adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly |
| personification | figure of speech in which the author gives human quality to non-living things |
| point of view | the perspective from which a story is told |
| prose | one of the major divisions of genre, refers to fiction and nonfiction |
| rhetoric | the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively |
| rhetorical modes | major kinds of writing; exposition, argumentation, description, and narration |
| sarcasm | bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something |
| satire | targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule |
| semantics | the study of words |
| style | evaluation of the sum of choices an author makes or; classification of authors to a group and comparison of an author to similar authors |
| symbol | anything that represents itself and stands for something else |
| syntax | the way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences |
| theme | the central idea or message of a work, the insight it offers into life |
| thesis | directly expresses the author's opinion, purpose, meaning, or position |
| tone | describes the author's attitude toward his material |
| transition | a word or phrase that links different ideas; shifts from one idea to another |
| understatement | presents something as less significant than it is; opposite of hyperbole |
| wit | language that surprises and delights; humorous |
Combine with other sets
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