| Term | Definition |
|---|
| inference | To draw a reasonable conclusion from the information presented |
| invective | an emotionally violent, verbal denunciation or attack using strong, abusive language |
| irony | The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true. Often used to create poignancy or humor. Three types: verbal, situational, and dramatic. |
| loose/non-periodic sentence | A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses. If a period were placed at the end of the independent clause, the clause would be a complete sentence. A work containing many of these often seems informal, relaxed, or conversational. The opposite is the periodic sentence. |
| metaphor | A figure of speech using implied comparison of seemingly unlike things or the substitution of one for the other, suggesting some similarity |
| metonymy | A term from the Greek meaning "changed label" or "substitute name," it is a figure of speech in which the name of one object is substituted for that of another closely associated with it. For example, a news release that claims "the White House declared" rather than "the President declared" |
| mood | The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work. Setting, tone, and events can affect the mood. Similar to tone and atmosphere |
| narrative | The telling of a story or an account of an event or series of events |
| onomatopoeia | A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words. Simple examples include such words as buzz, hiss, hum, crack, whinny, and murmur |
| paradox | From the Greek for "pointedly foolish," it is a figure of speech wherein the author groups apparently contradictory terms to suggest a paradox. Simple examples include "jumbo shrimp" and "cruel kindness." |
| parallelism | Comes from Greek roots meaning "beside one another." It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity. This can involve, but is not limited to, repetition of a grammatical element such as a preposition or verbal phrase |
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