a word free from limitations or qualifications (“best”, “all”, “unique”, “perfect”)

a familiar proverb or wise saying

an argument attacking an individual’s character rather than his or her position on an issue

a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions

the repitition of initial sounds in successive or neighboring words

a reference to something literary, mythological, or historical that the author assumes the reader will recognize

a comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

the repitition of words or phrases at the beginning of consecutive lines or sentences

a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

a statement in which two opposing ideas are balanced

a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance

a figure of speech in which one directly addresses an absent or imaginary person, or some abstraction

a detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response

a statement of the meaning or main point of a literary work

a construction in which elements are presented in a series without conjuctions

a sentence in which words, phrases, or clauses are set off against each other to emphasize a contrast

insincere or overly sentimental quality of writing/speech intended to evoke pity

a statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed (“Susan walked in, and out rushed Mary”)

an expression that has been overused to the extent that its freshness has worn off

informal words or expressions not usually acceptable in formal writing

a sentence with one independent clause and at least one dependent clause

a sentence with two or more coordinate independent clauses, often joined by one or more conjuctions

a fanciful, particularly clever extended metaphor

details that relate to or describe actual, specific things or events

the implied or associative meaning of a word

a sentence in which the main independent clause is elaborated by the successive addition of modifing clauses or phrases

a sentenece that makes a statement or declaration

reasoning in which a conclusion is reached by stating a general principle and then applying that principle to a specific case (The sun rises every morning; therefore, the sun will rise on Tuesday morning.)

the literal meaning of a word

a variety of speech characterized by its own particular grammar or pronunciation, often associated with a particular geographical region

conversation between two or more people

the word choices made by a writer

having the primary purpose of teaching or instructing

a situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives

harsh, inharmonious, or discordant sounds

a formal poem presenting a meditation on death or another solemn theme

the omission of a word or phrase which is grammatically necessary but can be deduced from the context (“Some people prefer cats; others, dogs”)

a long narrative poem written in elevated style which presents the adventures of characters of high position and episodes that are important to the history of a race or nation

a brief, pithy, and often paradoxical saying

a saying or statement on the title page of work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of a work

a moment of sudden revelation or insight

an inscription on a tombstone or burial place

a term used to point out a characteristic of a person. Homeric epithets are often compound adjectives (“swift-footed Achilles”) that become an almost formulaic part of a name. Epithets can be abusive or offensive but are not so by definition. For example, athletes may be proud of their given epithets (“The Rocket”)

a formal speech praising a person who has died

an indirect, less offensive way of saying something that is considered unpleasant

a sentence expressing strong feeling, usually punctuated with an exclamation mark

an interjection to lend emphasis; sometimes, a profanity

a brief story that leads to a moral, often using animals as characters

a story that concerns an unreal world or contains unreal characters; a fantasy may be merely whimsical, or it may present a serious point

language employing one or more figures of speech (simile, metaphor, imagery, etc.

)

the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

a character who embodies a single quality and who does not develop in the course of a story

the presentation of material in such a way that the reader is prepared for what is to come later in the work

a story within a story. An example is Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, in which the primary tales are told within the “frame story” of the pilgrimage to Canterbury

a major category or type of literature

a sermon, or a moralistic lecture

excessive pride or arrogance that results in the downfall of the protagonist of a tragedy

intentional exaggeration to create an effect

a question that raises a hypothesis, conjecture, or supposition

an expression in a given language that cannot be understood from the literal meaning of the words in the expression; or, a regional speech or dialect

the use of figures of speech to create vivid images that appeal to one of the senses

a suggestion an author or speaker makes (implies) without stating it directly. Note: the author/sender implies; the reader/audience infers

deriving general principles from particular facts or instances (Every cat I have ever seen has four legs; cats are four-legged animals”)

a conclusion one draws (infers) based on premises or evidence

an intensely vehement, highly emotional verbal attack

the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning; or, incongruity between what is expected and what actually occurs

the specialized language or vocabulary of a particular group or profession

placing two elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

a narrative handed down from the past, containing historical elements and usually supernatural elements

light verse consisting of five lines of regular rhythm in which the first, second, and fifth lines (each consisting of three feet) rhyme, and the second and third lines (each consisting of two feet) rhyme

a narrator who presents the story as it is seen and understood by a single character and restricts information to what is seen, heard, thought, or felt by that one character

deviating from normal rules or methods in order to achieve a certain effect (intentional sentence fragments, for example)

a type of understatement in which an idea is expressed by negating its opposite (describing a particularly horrific scene by saying, “It was not a pretty picture.”)

the mistaken substitution of one word for another word that sounds similar (“The doctor wrote a subscription”)

a concise statement, often offering advice; an adage

a direct comparison of two different things

substituting the name of one object for another object closely associated with it (“The pen [writing] is mightier than the sword [war/fighting]”)

the emotional atmosphere of a work

a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works

a character’s incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a character to act

a traditional story presenting supernatural characters and episodes that help explain natural events

a story or narrated account

the one who tells the story; may be first- or third-person, limited or omniscient

an inference that does not follow logically from the premises (literally, “does not follow”)

a narrator who is able to know, see, and tell all, including the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters

a word formed from the imitation of natural sounds

an expression in which two words that contradict each other are joined

a simple story that illustrates a moral or religious lesson

an apparently contradictory statement that actually contains some truth

the use of corresponding grammatical or synitactical forms

a restatement of a text in a different form or in different words, often for the purpose of clarity

a humorous imitation of a serious work

a comment that interrupts the immediate subject, often to qualify or explain

the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity

characterized by an excessive display of learning or scholarship

endowing non-human objects or creatures with human qualities or characteristics

a strong verbal denunciation. The term comes from the orations of Demosthenes against Philip of Macedonia in the fourth century

the action of a narrative or drama

the vantage point from which a story is told

the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural

a play on words, often achieved through the use of words with similar sounds bu different meanings

the falling action of a narrative; the events following the climax

the art of presenting ideas in a clar, effective, and persuasive manner

a question asked merely for rhetorical effect and not requiring an answer

literary techniques used to heighten the effectiveness of expression

a question requiring thought to answer or understand; a puzzle or conundrum

a term describing a character or literary work that reflects the characteristics of Romanticism, the literary movement beginning in the late 18th century that stressed emotion, imagination, and individualism

a character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work

harsh, cutting language or tone intended to ridicule

the use of humor to emphasize human weaknesses or imperfections in social institutions

a person or group that bears the blame for another

a real or fictional episode; a division of an act in a play

the time, place, and environment in which action takes place

a comparison of two things using “like,” “as,” or other specifically comparative words

a sentence consisting of one independent clause and no dependent clause

nonstandard grammatical usage; a violation of grammatical rules

the arrangement or framework of a sentence, paragraph, or entire work

the choices a writer makes; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work

an artistic movement emphasizing the imagination and characterized by incongruous juxtapositions and lack of conscious control

a construction in which one word is used in two different senses (“After he threw the ball, he threw a fit.”)

a three-part deductive argument in which a conclusion is based on a major premise and a minor premise (“All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore, Socrates is mortal”)

an object that is used to represent something else

using one part of an object to represent the entire object (for example, referring to a car simply as “wheels”)

describing one kind of sensation in terms of another (“a loud color,” “a sweet sound”)

the manner in which words are arranged into sentences

needless repitition which adds no meaning or understanding (“widow woman,” “free gift”)

a central idea of a work

the primary position taken by a writer or speaker

the attitude of a writer, usually implied, toward the subject or audience

the subject treated in a paragraph or work

a work in which the protagonist, a person of high degree, is engaged in a significant struggle and which ends in ruin or destruction

a work in three parts, each of which is a complete work in itself

overused and hackneyed

the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs

the deliberate representation of something as lesser in magnitude than it actually is; a deliberate under-emphasis

the customary way language or its elements are used

the veryday speech of a particular country or region, often involving nonstandard usage

two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable

(slant rhyme) the sounds are similar but not exactly the same

the repition of similar vowel sounds in a sequence of nearby words

a narrative folk song – oral stories passed on through generations alternating tetrameter and trimeter, usually iambic and rhyming

unrhymed iambic pentameter; bears a close resemblance to the rhythms of ordinary speech, giving poetry a natural feel

the clash of discordant or harsh sounds within a sentence or phrase -for tongue twisters or poetic effect

the repitition of consonant sounds anywhere within words

form of poem in the lines follow one another without formal grouping; the only breaks being dictated by the units of meaning

a style of poetry defined as a complete thought written in two lines with rhyming ends (for example, heroic couplet is a pair of rhyming lines in iambic pentameter)

a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables

the form of classical epic poetry – Homer, Virgil dactyl lines made from hexameters (6 feet)

poetry that is instructional or informative – main purpose is in conveying a message, not artistic technique

two feet

a technique in which the author lets the audience or reader in on a character’s situation while the character himself remains in the dark.

In tragic plays – called tragic irony

a rhyme consisting of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable

basic rhythmic unit into which a line of verse can be divided – when reciting verse, there usually is a slight pause between feet

verse that does not conform to any fixed meter or rhyme scheme

a compact form of Japanese poetry written in three lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively

seven feet

six feet

an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable

each line of verse has five feet, each of which consists of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable – most popular metrical schemes in English poetry

a rhyme between two or more words within a single line of verse

a rhyme consisting of a single stressed syllable

the rythmic pattern created in a line of verse – four basic types: accentual, syllabic, accentual-syllabic, and quatitive

one foot

eight feet

five feet

poetic form with an octave ABBAABBA/ABBACDDC and then a sestet CDECDE/CDCCDC

a four line stanza, has many variants such as the heroic quatrain (ABAB rhyme scheme)

group of words repeated at key intervals in a poem

the pattern of sound created by the varying length and emphasis given to different syllables. Rise and fall of spoken language – candace

creating a sense of musicality between lines of verse

the process of analyzing the number and type of feet in a line

a term used to describe the effort by an author to induce emotional responses in the reader that exceed the situation, especially pertains to such emotions as pathos and sympathy

a six line stanza

a poetic form with three quatrains and a final couplet – ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

a technique in which one understanding of a situation stands in sharp contrast to another, usually more prevalent, understanding of the same situation

a distinctive poetic style that uses system or pattern of metrical structure and verse composition usually consisting of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter

two successive syllables with light stresses

a division in poetry often named for the number of lines it contains, comparable to a paragraph in prose

the emphasize or accent given to a syllable in pronunciation

something that represents something else

a system of interlaced tercets linked by a common rhyme: ABA BCB CDC (hard to remain in English)

four feet in a line

three feet in a line

a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable

the use of a statement that, by its context, implies the opposite; sarcasm

a nineteen-line poem made up of five tercets and a final quatrain in which all nineteen lines carry one of only two rhymes. There are two refrains. alternating between the ends of each tercet and then forming the two last lines of the quatrain