cliche

a trite, overused expression

vernacular

the everyday, common, spoken language as opposed to an official, formal language

colloquialism

an informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing

dialogue

the lines spoken by the characters in a play or narrative

end-stopped line

when poetry contains a pause in meaning (thus in reading) at the end of a line or a couplet; often marked by punctuation but not always

enjambment

the continuation of meaning, without pause or break, from one line of poetry to the next

euphemism

an indirect figure of speech, usually in order to avoid offense (e.g., saying "passed on" instead of "died")

figurative language

writing that uses one or more figures of speech (irony, metaphor....)

generalization

a broad, all-encompassing statement

genre

type or category of literary work (e.g., poetry, essay, short story, novel, drama)

hyperbole

exaggeration for effect

interior monologue

when a character relates his/her internal, emotional experience (i.e., "getting inside his/her head")

juxtaposition

the placement of two or more things together, especially in order to suggest a link between them or emphasize the contrast between them

metonymy

a figure of speech where the name of something is substituted by something closely associated with it (the pen is mightier than the sword)

motivation

the reasons, justifications, explanations for a character's actions

narrative

an account of an actual or fictional event

nemesis

agent of retribution (the person who punishes)

paradox

a phrase or statement that seems contradictory but may be true (e.g., less is more)

parallelism

phrases or sentences of a similar construction/meaning placed side by side, balancing each other

poetic justice

the operation of justice in a play with fair distribution of rewards for good deeds and punishment for wrongdoing

protagonist

the most important character in a play or story

pathetic fallacy

the attribution of human feelings or responses to inanimate things or objects (especially the weather)

pathos

the quality which evokes from the reader feelings of pity, tenderness, and sympathy

satire

the use of ridicule, sarcasm, wit, or irony in order to expose, set right, destroy, or laugh at a vice, human folly, or social evil

sentiment

honest emotion

sentimentality

excessive or artificial emotion, emotion unjustified by events

stock character

caricatures having no real personality other than the emotions and actions that correspond to the type they represent

structure

the arrangement of the text--paragraphs, stanzas; linear or nonlinear

style

the arrangement of words in a way that best expresses the author's individuality, idea, intent

syntax

sentence construction

tragic flaw

the defect in the tragic hero or heroine that leads to a downfall

understatement

the opposite of hyperbole

synecdoche

a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa

deus ex machina

an unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, esp. as a contrived plot device in a play, novel, or short story