| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Imagery | the use of vivid language that appeals to the senses |
| Tragedy | a dramatic work of serious action that results in the downfall of the protagonist |
| Diction | word choice |
| Syntax | word order |
| Voice | the personality of the writer coming through on the page |
| Peripeteia | a reversal of fortune |
| âte | extreme rashness |
| Hubris | extreme pride |
| Hamartia | tragic flaw |
| Alliteration | the repetition of initial consonant sounds in consecutive words |
| Oxymoron | two contradictory words used in conjunction to make sense |
| Personification | to give a non-human thing human characteristics |
| Simile | a comparison of two unlike things using "like" or "as" |
| Synesthesia | the description of one sense through another sense |
| Apostrophe | direct or explicit address to an absent person or abstract entity |
| Hyperbole | extreme exaggeration |
| Metaphor | the representation of one thing by calling it something else |
| Onomatopoeia | a word that mimics the sound it represents |
| Consonance | repetition of internal consonant sounds in consecutive words |
| Symbol | a person, object, thing, or idea that represents something else |
| Paradox | contradictory ideas that exist together |
| Foreshadowing | hints of things to come |
| Point of view | the perspective from which a story is told |
| Conceit | an elaborate, fanciful metaphor |
| Litotes | understatement, especially that in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of its contrary |
| Pun | the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words |
| Synecdoche | a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part (a type of metonymy) |
| Metonymy | a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part |
| Allegory | A story that has a deeper or more general meaning in addition to its surface meaning; a symbolical narrative |
| Euphony | agreeableness of sound; pleasing effect to the ear, especially a pleasant sounding or harmonious combination or succession of words |
| Cacophony | harsh discordance of sound of words |
| Assonance | The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds within successive words |
| Situational Irony | an outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected, the difference between what is expected to happen and what actually does |
| Verbal Irony | a figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant; sarcasm |
| Dramatic Irony | The dramatic effect achieved by leading an audience to understand an incongruity between a situation and the accompanying speeches, while the characters in the play remain unaware of the incongruity |
| Tension | writing that creates mental or emotional strain; intense, suppressed suspense, anxiety, or excitement for or between characters or for the readers |
| Theme | an implicit, unifying or recurrent idea in written work |
| Shift | a change in style, mood, plot, point of view, etc. in writing |
| Mood | a prevailing emotional tone in literature |
| Tone | a particular style or manner, as of writing or speech; mood |
| Dichotomy | Division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions |
| Ambiguity | doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention; an unclear, indefinite, or equivocal word, expression, meaning, etc. |
| Motif | a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work |
| Subtext | the underlying or implicit meaning, as of a literary work |
| Epiphany | a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something |
| Verisimilitude | the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability |
| Atmosphere | the dominant mood or emotional tone of a work of art, as of a play or novel; a surrounding or pervading mood, environment, or influence |
| Setting | the surroundings or environment of anything; the locale or period in which the action of a novel, play, film, etc., takes place |
| DynamicCharacter | in literature or drama, a character who undergoes a permanent change in outlook or character during the story |
| StaticCharacter | a literary character who remains basically unchanged throughout a work |
| Flashback | a device in the narrative of a motion picture, novel, etc., by which an event or scene taking place before the present time in the narrative is inserted into the chronological structure of the work |
| 1st Person Point of View | the perspective of a story told from a narrator who is usually involved in the action; uses pronouns I, me, my, etc. |
| 3rd Person Limited Point of View | the perspective of a story told from a narrator who reveals the thoughts of only one character |
| 3rdPersonOmniscientPointofView | the perspective of a story told from a narrator who reveals the thoughts of many characters |
| Suspense | a state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety |
| Resolution | the outcome of a story |
| Cliché | a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse |
| Connotation | the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning |
| Juxtaposition | an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast |
| Stream of Consciousness | an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, esp. for comparison or contrast |
| Anaphora | repetition of a word or words at the beginning of two or more successive verses, clauses, or sentences |
| Repetition | the act of repeating words or phrases for a desired effect |
| Tragic Hero | a literary character who makes an error of judgment or has a fatal flaw that, combined with fate and external forces, brings on a tragedy |
| Unity of Time | the Greek concept in dramatic tragedy that all action must take place on a single day |
| Unity of Place | the Greek concept in dramatic tragedy the play must take place at a single location |
| Unity of Action | the Greek concept in dramatic tragedy that everything that takes place, occurs, or is described, relates to the central, over-arching idea |
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