| Term | Definition |
|---|
| parody | A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule. It exploits peculiarities of an author's expression (propensity to use too many parentheses, certain favorite words, etc.) |
| pedantic | An adjective that describes words, phrases, or general tone that is overly scholarly, academic, or bookish (language that might be described as "show-offy"; using big words for the sake of using big words) |
| periodic sentence | The opposite of loose sentence, a sentence that presents its central meaning in a main clause at the end. This independent clause is preceded by a phrase or clause that cannot stand alone |
| personification | A figure of speech in which the author presents or describes concepts, animals, or inanimate objects by endowing them with human attributes or emotions |
| point of view | In literature, the perspective from which a story is told |
| prose | one of the major divisions of genre, prose refers to fiction and nonfiction, including all its forms |
| repetition | The duplication, either exact or approximate, of any element of language, such as a sound, word, phrase, clause, sentence, or grammatical pattern |
| rhetoric | From the Greek for "orator," this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively |
| rhetorical modes | This flexible term describes the variety, the conventions, and the purposes of the major kinds of writing. Exposition, argumentation, narration, and description are most common. Sometimes referred to as "modes of discourse" |
| sarcasm | From the Greek meaning "to tear flesh," sarcasm involves bitter, caustic language that is meant to hurt or ridicule someone or something. It may use irony as a device, but not all ironic statements are it (that is, intended to ridicule). When well done, it can be witty and insightful; when poorly done, it is simply cruel |
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