 | Term | Definition |
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allegory |
The device of using character and/or story elements symbolically to represent an abstraction in addition to the literal meaning. In some allegories, for example, an author may intend the characters to personify an abstraction like hope or freedom. The allegorical meaning usually deals with moral truth or a generalization about human existence. |
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alliteration |
the repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words |
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ambiguity |
The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage |
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anadiplosis |
the repetition of a key word, especially the last one, at the beginning of the next sentence or clause |
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analogy |
a similarity or comparison between two different things or the relationship between them |
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anaphora |
repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences for emphasis and rhythm |
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anathema |
a thing or person accursed or damned; a thing or person greatly detested; a formal curse or condemnation excommunicating a person from a church or damning something; any strong curse |
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antecedent |
the word, phrase, or clause referred to by a pronoun. |
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anticlimax |
Using a sequence of ideas that abruptly diminish in dignity or importance at the end of a sentence, generally for satirical effect. |
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antimetabole |
repeating words in reverse order for surprise and emphasis |
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antithesis |
a contrast or opposition of thoughts, usually in two phrases, cluases, or sentences; the exact opposite |
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aphorism |
a concise statement of known authorship which expresses a general truth or a moral principle. (if the authorship is unknown, the statement is generally considered to be a folk proverb); can be a memorable summation of the author's point |
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apostrophe |
a figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty or love. The effect may add familiarity or emotional intensity. |
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archetype |
the original pattern, or model from which all other things of the same kind are made; a perfect example of a type or group |
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assonance |
the repetition of vowel sounds in a series of words |
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asyndeton |
omission of conjunctions |
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atmosphere |
the emotional mood created by a literary work |
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attitude |
the position or posture assumed in connection with an action, feeling, mood. A manner of acting, feeling, or thinking that shows one's disposition, opinion, or mental set, etc. |
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allusion |
a direct or indirect reference to something which is presumably commonly known, such as an event, book, myth, place, or work of art. (historical, literary, religious, or mythical) |
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balanced sentence |
when the phrases or clauses balance each other by virtue of their likeness of structure, meaning or length |
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bathos |
an abrupt change from the lofty to the ordinary or trivial in writing or speech; anticlimax |
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cacophony |
harsh sounding, jarring sound; dissonance |
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chiasmus |
similar to antimetabole, but reversing the grammatical elements rather than just words, for emphasis |
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clause |
a grammatical unit containing both a subject and a verb; an independent, or main, clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence; a dependent, or subordinate, clause cannot and must be accompanied by an independent clause |
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cliché |
an overused, worn-out, hackneyed expression that used to be fresh but is no more |
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climax |
arranging words, clauses, or sentences in the order of their importance, the least forcible coming first and the others rising in power until the last |
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colloquialism |
the use of slang or informalities in speech or writing; give a conversational, familiar tone |
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complex sentence |
contains one or more principal clauses and one or more subordinate clauses |
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compound sentence |
contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinate conjunction (and, but, or) or by a semicolon |
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compound-complex sentence |
contains two or more principal clauses and one or more subordinate clauses |
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conceit |
a surprising analogy or extended metaphor between two unlike things |
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connotation |
the non-literal, associative meaning of a word; the implied, suggested meaning; may involve ideas, emotions, or attitudes |
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consonance |
repetition of a consonant sound within a series of words to produce a harmonious effect |
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cumulative sentence |
sentence that begins with the main idea and adds additional information, usually for description; also called a loose sentence |
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declarative sentence |
a sentence that makes a statement |
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denotation |
the strict, literal, dictionary definition of a word, devoid of any emotion, attitude, or color |
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device |
a plan; something used to gain an artistic effect |
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diction |
related to style; refers to the writer's word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness; combined with syntax, figurative language, literary devices, etc., creates an author's style |
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didactic |
literally means "teaching"; these works have the primary aim of teaching or instructing, especially the teaching or moral or ethical principles |
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dirge |
a funeral hymn; a slow, sad song, poem, or musical composition expressing grief or mourning |
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elegy |
a poem or song of lament and praise for the dead |
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ellipsis |
the omission of a word or words |
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epanalepsis |
opening and closing a sentence with the same word or phrase |
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epic |
a long narrative poem in a dignified style about the deeds of a hero |
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epigram |
a short poem with a witty or satirical point |
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epistle |
a formal letter addressed to a distant person or group of people; carefully-crafted works of literature, intended for a general audience |
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epitaph |
an inscription on a tomb or gravestone in memory of the person buried there; written as a tribute to a dead person |
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euphemism |
polite substitutes for unpleasant words or concepts |
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euphony |
the quality of having a pleasing sound |
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extended parallelism |
the repetition of words or grammatical elements for cumulative force and rhythm |
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extended metaphor |
a metaphor developed throughout a work |
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fable |
a brief story that teaches a lesson or moral |
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figurative language |
many compare dissimilar things |
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genre |
kind or type of literature |
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homily |
a sermon or morally instructive lecture |
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hyperbole |
exaggeration |
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imagery |
anything in a literary work that calls up sensations of sight, taste, smell, touch, heat, pressure |
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inference/infer |
derive by reasoning |
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invective |
a violent verbal attack |
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sentence inversion |
predicate comes before the subject |
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irony |
an implied contrast |
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juxtaposition |
a device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another |
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language |
the entire body of words used in a text |
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literal |
language that employs words in their ordinary meanings |
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figurative |
language that is not literally true but uses words metaphorically |
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litotes |
understatements employed for the purpose of enhancing the effect of the ideas expressed |
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loose sentence |
sentence that begins with the main idea and adds additional information |
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metaphor |
a comparison like a simile but usually implied and without a comparative word such as "like" or "as" |
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metonymy |
the use of the name of one thing for that of another associated with or suggested by it |
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mock heroic |
burlesquing or mocking heroic manner, action, or character |
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mood |
the atmosphere of the literary work; in verbs, an expression of the manner in which the action is done; 3 of these: indicative, which states the action as an actual fact; imperative, stating a command; subjunctive, expressing a wish or a conditional statement |
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motif |
a main theme or subject |
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myth |
a fictional tale that explains the actions of gods or heroes or the causes of natural phenomena |
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narrative |
the telling of any story, or the story itself, the plot |
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natural order of a sentence |
this involves constructing a sentence so the subject comes before the predicate |
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novel |
a fictional prose narrative, usually long enough to be published in a book by itself |
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onomatopoeia |
the use of words that sound like what they mean |
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oxymoron |
a figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory ideas or terms are combined |
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parable |
a brief story, usually with human characters, that teaches a moral lesson |
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paradox |
a statement that seems contradictory, unbelievable, or absurd but that may actually be true in fact |
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parallelism (1) |
grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence |
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parallelism (2) |
refers to the repeated use of phrases, clauses, or sentences that are similar in structure and meaning |
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parody |
a literary work that makes fun of another work, type of work, or specific author, usually by imitating and exaggerating the qualitis of its subject |
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pedantic |
an unnecessary display of scholarship lacking in judgement or sense of proportion |
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periodic sentence |
sentence that postpones the main idea to the end, adding information at the beginning to build interest or tension |
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personification |
the treatment of an object or an abstract idea as if it were a person |
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point of view |
in fiction, it is the person or intelligence the writer creates to tell the story to the reader |
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prose |
the ordinary form of written or spoken language, without rhyme or meter; speech or writing that is not poetry |
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prosody |
the science or art of versification, including the study of metrical structure, rhyme, stanza forms, etc |
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pun |
play on words that are identical or similar in sound but have sharply diverse meanings |
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repetition |
a device in which words, sounds, and ideas are used more than once to enhance rhythm and create emphasis |
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rhetoric |
the skill of using spoken or written communication effectively; art of guiding the reader or listener to agreement with the writer or speaker |
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rhetorical modes/forms of discourse |
narrative, descriptive, expository, and argumentative |
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rhetorical question |
a question that expects no answer |
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rhyme scheme |
a regular pattern of rhyming words in a poem |
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sarcasm |
a taunting, sneering, cutting, or caustic remark; gibe or jeer |
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satire |
a literary work that ridicules various aspects of human behavior |
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semantics |
teh nature, structure, development and changes of the meanings of speech forms or contextual meaning |
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sentence structure |
how a speaker or author constructs a sentence affects what the audience understands. the inverted order of an interrogative sentence cues the reader or listener to a question that creates a tension between speaker and listener. similarly short sentences are often emphatic or flippant, whereas longer setences suggest the writer's thoughtful response |
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shift |
a change of feelings by the speaker from the beginning to the end, paying particular attention to the conclusion of the literature (progression) |
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simile |
the comparison of two different things or ideas through the use of the words "like" or "as" |
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simple sentence |
contains one subject and one verb |
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soliloquy |
lines in a drama in which a character reveals his thoughts to the audience, but not to the other characters, by speaking as if to himself |
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sonnet |
a 14-line lyric poem focused on a single theme |
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split order of a sentence |
sentence that divides the predicate into two parts with the subject coming in the middle |
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stream of consciousness |
a narrative technique that presents thoughts as if they were coming directly from a character's mind |
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style |
a group of different aspects of writing that have to do with the writer's way of saying something (as opposed to the ideas or content of the text) |
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syllogism |
an argument or form of reasoning in which two statements or premises are made and a logical conclusion drawn from them |
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symbol/symbolism |
a thing or action that is made to mean more than itself |
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synecdoche |
a form of a metaphor; when a part of something is used to signify the whole, the whole represents the part, the container represents the thing being contained, or the material from which an object is made stands for the object itself |
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synesthetic imagery |
detail that moves from the stimulation of one sense to a response by another sense, as a certain odor induces the visualization of a certain color |
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syntax |
sentence structure and word order |
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theme |
what the author is saying bout the subjects in his work |
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tone |
the writer's or speaker's attitude toward the subject and the audience |
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tragedy |
a serious play typically dealing with the problems of a central character, leading to an unhappy or disastrous ending brought on, as in ancient drama, by fate and a tragic flaw in this character, or in modern drama, usually by moral weakness, psychological maladjustment, or social pressures |
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trite |
is applied to something, especially an expression or idea which through repeated use or application has lost its original freshness |
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understatement (meiosis) |
the opposite of hyperbole; a kind of irony that deliberately represents something as being much less than it really is |
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vernacular |
using the native language of a country or place; commonly spoken by the people of a country or place |
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vignette |
a short, delicate literary sketch |
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lyric |
a melodic poem that expresses the observations and feelings of a single speaker |
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romance |
a story that presents remote or imaginative incidents rather than ordinary, commonplace experiences |
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Admiring |
to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval |
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Afraid |
fearful |
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Alarmed |
suddenly frightened |
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Allusive |
having reference to something implied or inferred |
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Ambivalent |
uncertainty or fluctuation between two conflicting or opposite things |
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Amused |
pleasurably entertained |
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Angry |
provoked, irritated, mad |
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Anxious |
greatly worried |
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Apologetic |
sorry; regretful |
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Argumentative |
disputatious |
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Arrogant |
insolently proud |
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Audacious |
recklessly brave |
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Authoritative |
dictatorial |
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Bantering |
to speak to in a playful or teasing way |
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Benevolent |
kind; charitable |
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Benign |
gracious; kind |
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Biased |
showing prejudice |
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Biting |
cutting; sarcastic |
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Bitter |
piercing; stinging; distressful |
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Boring |
dull; tiresome; tedious |
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Burlesque |
mock dignity |
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Candid |
frank or sincere |
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Cathartic |
emotionally purging |
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Cheerful |
in good spirits |
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Childish |
weak; silly; simple |
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Clinical |
objective; realistic |
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Cold |
dispassionate |
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Colloquial |
slang |
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Comforting |
feeling of pleasurable ease and contentment |
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Comic |
funny |
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Compassionate |
sympathizing; pity, tender |
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Complacent |
pleased |
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Complimentary |
praising |
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Concerned |
interested; affected; troubled |
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Condescending |
looking down upon; belittling |
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Confident |
sure; bold |
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Confused |
to perplex |
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Contemptuous |
arrogant; supercilious |
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Contentious |
quarrelsome |
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Critical |
judging with severity |
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Cruel |
harsh |
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Cynical |
distrusting the motives of others |
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Delirious |
wild with excitement and enthusiasm |
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Depressed |
sad and gloomy |
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Desperate |
hopeless |
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Detached |
aloof |
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Determined |
resolute |
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Didactic |
teaching |
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Diffident |
lacking confidence in oneself; timid |
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Disdainful |
scornful |
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Disbelieving |
to refuse or reject belief in |
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Disgusted |
extreme dislike or revulsion |
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Distressed |
to cause strain, anxiety or suffering |
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Dramatic |
starting; sensational |
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Dreamy |
soothing; vague |
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Ecstatic |
joyful or delighted |
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Effusive |
overflowing; gushy |
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Elegiac |
expressing sorrow or lamentation |
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Excited |
stirred to action |
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Facetious |
lacking seriousness; amusing |
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Factual |
real |
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Fanciful |
imaginary; whimsical |
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Fearful |
scared |
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Flippant |
disrespectful; shallow |
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Forgiving |
to excuse; pardon |
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Formal |
methodical; ceremonious |
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Frivolous |
not serious |
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Giddy |
lighthearted; impulsive |
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Grim |
morbid air |
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Grotesque |
bizarre |
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Happy |
delighted; glad |
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Haughty |
proud; arrogant |
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Hesitant |
unsure |
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hollow |
insincere; meaningless |
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horrific |
terrifying |
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humorous |
funny |
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impartial |
unbiased |
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impassioned |
filled with passion and emotion |
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impious |
not religious |
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incisive |
cutting; biting |
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indignant |
infuriated |
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Informal |
colloquial |
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Inflammatory |
angry |
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Informative |
giving information; instructive |
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Insipid |
uninteresting |
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insolent |
boldly disrespectful |
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Inspiring |
to influence; impel |
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Ironic |
contrary to what is expected |
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Irreverent |
disrespectful |
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Joking |
mocking |
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Joyful |
delightful |
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Joyous |
happy |
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Laudatory |
expressing praise |
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Learned |
scholarly |
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Lighthearted |
carefree; cheerful |
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Lugubrious |
mournful to a ludicrous degree |
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Malicious |
evil |
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Matter-of-fact |
direct; unemotional |
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Melancholy |
gloomy |
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Mock-heroic |
imitating that which is heroic |
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Mock-serious |
pretending to be serious |
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Moralistic |
principled; preaching morality |
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Mournful |
sad |
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Neutral |
unbiased |
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Nostalgic |
homesick |
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objective |
scientific and impartial |
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obsequious |
servile deference |
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Offended |
to cause resentment in |
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Optimistic |
positive |
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Outraged |
angry |
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Outspoken |
frank; bold |
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patronizing |
offensively condescending |
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peaceful |
serene; tranquil |
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peevish |
annoying |
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pedantic |
overly concerned with minute details |
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petty |
of little importance |
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pessimistic |
negative |
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pitiful |
pathetic |
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playful |
fun and humorous |
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pleading |
desperate; begging |
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poignant |
strongly moving |
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preachy |
tediously or pretentiously didactic |
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pretentious |
exaggerating importance |
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proud |
arrogant |
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provocative |
belligerent |
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puzzled |
confused |
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reactionary |
opposing progress |
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regretful |
sorrowful |
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remorseful |
feeling pain or sorrow for some sin or offense |
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respectful |
reverent |
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restrained |
holding back |
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revengeful |
a desire to hurt |
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sad |
unhappy |
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sarcastic |
sneering/cutting remarks |
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sardonic |
scornful; mocking |
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satiric |
making fun of something |
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scornful |
extreme contempt |
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seductive |
alluring; tempting |
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self-pitying |
feeling bad for oneself |
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sentimental |
emotional |
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serious |
deeply thoughtful |
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sharp |
harsh |
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shocking |
surprising |
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silly |
childish; goofy |
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sincere |
genuine; frank |
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solemn |
grave; serious |
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somber |
gloomy; dismal |
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sorrowful |
grieving; sad |
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straightforward |
to the point |
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superior |
above others |
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surprised |
sudden astonishment |
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sweet |
kind |
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sympathetic |
compassionate |
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taunting |
making fun of |
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theatrical |
extravagant |
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threatening |
ominous; sinister |
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tired |
exhausted |
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tolerant |
able to endure |
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tragic |
extremely mournful |
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turgid |
excessively ornate and complex |
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unctuous |
excessively pious or moralistic |
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uncertain |
not sure |
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upset |
angry |
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urbane |
sophisticated; refined |
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urgent |
imperative |
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vexed |
irritated; annoyed |
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vibrant |
energetic; lively |
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vindictive |
vengeful |
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wary |
guarded; alert |
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whining |
complaining |
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wistful |
yearning |
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worshipful |
respecting as god-like |
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whimsical |
given to whim; unpredictable |
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zealous |
overly enthusiastic |
