active voice
1a
Describes the relationship betweenthe action (and state) that the verbexpresses and the participantsidentified by its arguments (subject,object, etc.). When the subject is theagent or actor of the verb, the verb isin the active voice.
1b
allegory
2a
An extended narrative,which carries a secondmeaning along with its
surface story; the peopleand events are symbolic.
2b
alliteration
3a
The repetition of similarconsonant sounds at the
beginning of words.
3b
allusion
4a
Referring metaphorically topersons, places, and things fromhistory or previous literature.Enrich their contexts byreminding the reader of relevantassociations.
4b
analogy
5a
An explanation of onething by comparing it point
by point with somethingelse.
5b
anecdotal evidence
6a
Usually relate to howcertain types of evidence
cannot be used to logicallyconclude something.
6b
antagonist
7a
The forces arrayed againstthe main character (persons,things, conventions ofsociety, or traits of theprotagonist's own character).
7b
anti-climax
8a
An abrupt declension (either deliberate orunintended) on the part of a speaker orwriter from the dignity of idea which heappeared to be aiming at. (ex. "The holypassion of Friendship is of so sweet andsteady and loyal and enduring a naturethat it will last through a whole lifetime, ifnot asked to lend money.")
8b
antithesis
9a
Using contrasts for effect(ex. Deserts are dry; oceans
are wet)
9b
apostrophe
10a
The direct addressing of aperson, an inanimateentity, or an abstract
quality as though it werepresent and listening.
10b
archaic language
11a
Old-fashioned, out-of-datelanguage and expressions.
11b
argumentative essay
12a
An essay, which attemptsto convince the reader ofthe truth of a premise bymeans of logic and otherforms of persuasion.
12b
aside
13a
A stage convention used toindicate words spoken by acharacter but heard only bythe audience and not byother characters on stage.
13b
assonance
14a
The repetition of vowelsounds without the repetitionof the same consonants. (ex.The rain in Spain staysmainly in the plain.)
14b
atmosphere
15a
The mood the reader getsfrom the setting, the
characterization and thetone of the narrator.
15b
audience
16a
The people for whom awritten work or
presentation is intended.
16b
autobiography
17a
A non-fictional account of aperson's life written by the
subject.
17b
ballad
18a
Traditionally, narrativepoems that began as songs
and were handed downorally.
18b
ballad stanza
19a
Four-line stanzas(quatrains) with alternatingfour-beat and three-beatlines, and rhymes in thesecond and fourth lines.
19b
bias
20a
A subjective point of viewin which the writer's
opinion affects the integrityof the work.
20b
biography
21a
A non-fictional account ofsomeone's life.
21b
blank verse
22a
Usually iambic pentameterbut no rhyme. (ex.
Shakespeare's plays)
22b
cacophony
23a
A combination of harsh,unpleasant sounds, whichcreate an aggregate effect.
23b
caricature
24a
A description of a personusing exaggeration of some
characteristics andoversimplification of others
for comic reasons.24b
case study
25a
A detailed analysis of anindividual, group, or event.
25b
catastrophe
26a
One name for theconcluding action of a
tragedy; a disaster of hugeproportions.
26b
cause and effect
27a
Two events are related whenone event brings about orcauses the other. The event thathappens first is the cause; theone that follows is the effect.
27b
character
28a
A person who isresponsible for the
thoughts and actionswithin a story, poem, or
other literature.28b
character foil
29a
A character that contrasts withanother character (usually theprotagonist) and so highlightsvarious facets of the maincharacter's personality.
29b
characterization
30a
A method of presenting thespecial qualities or features
of a character.
30b
chorus
31a
A group of people who serve mainlyas commentators on the charactersand events. Add to the audience'sunderstanding of the play byexpressing traditionally moral,religious, and social attitudes.
31b
chronological order
32a
The order in which eventshappen in time.
32b
cliché
33a
An over-used, time-wornexpression or idea.
33b
climactic order
34a
To save the most importantto last.
34b
climax
35a
Turning point, point of maximuminterest, and highest tension in theplot of a story, play, or film. Usuallyoccurs towards the end of story afterthe reader has understood theconflict and become emotionallyinvolved with the characters.
35b
colloquial language
36a
Informal language;language that is
"conversational".
36b
colloquialism
37a
A word or phrase used inan easy informal style of
writing or speaking.
37b
comedic relief
38a
The inclusion of ahumorous character orscene in an otherwise
serious work of literature.38b
comedy
39a
A ludicrous and amusingevent or series of events in
a work of literature.
39b
compare and contrast
40a
To note the similarities anddifferences between two
things.
40b
comparison
41a
The process of identifyingsimilarities.
41b
conflict
42a
The tension or problem of astory; a struggle betweenopposing forces. (man vs.man, man vs. nature, man
vs. himself)42b
connotation
43a
The cluster of implications thatwords or phrases may carrywith them, as distinguishedfrom their denotative, or exact,meanings.
43b
consonance
44a
A special type of alliterationin which the repeatedpattern of consonants aremarked by changes in theintervening vowels.
44b
contrast
45a
Showing differencesbetween or among things.
45b
couplet
46a
A pair of rhymed lines thatform a stanza.
46b
denotation
47a
The specific, exact meaningof a word, independent of
its emotional coloration orassociations.
47b
denouement
48a
The outcome of a series ofevents, the resolution thatoccurs after the climax of a
work of literature.48b
descriptive essay
49a
An essay that describes aperson, place, or object.
49b
dialect
50a
Language from a particularplace, era, or social class.
50b
dialogue
51a
Lines spoken betweencharacters of a work of
literature.
51b
diary
52a
An informal record of aperson's private life.
52b
diction
53a
The choice of words andword order in a work of
literature.
53b
didactic
54a
Writing used to teach orconvince the reader of a
particular point.
54b
dilemma
55a
A problem that createsconflict within or between
characters.
55b
direct presentation
56a
When the writer tells readers whatkind of personality the characterpossesses rather than allowing thecharacter to show his or herpersonality and allow readers todraw their own conclusions.
56b
dissonance
57a
The deliberate use ofsyllables or words thatsounds harsh together.
57b
drama
58a
Writing presented in theform of a pantomime, play,
or dialogue in front of anaudience.
58b
dramatic form
59a
Various literary forms thatare related and include
dramatic material.
59b
dramatic irony
60a
A situation in a narrative ordrama where the audience
knows more than thecharacter.
60b
dramatic monologue
61a
When a single characteraddresses a silent audience
at a critical moment andreveals something about
himself or herself.61b
dynamic character
62a
A character that developsand changes in a work of
literature.
62b
editorial
63a
An opinion piece about anytopic.
63b
elegy
64a
A mournful poem; a lamentfor the dead.
64b
emotional appeal
65a
Persuading an audiencethrough the use of emotion.
65b
epic
66a
A poem that is a long narrative,has a hero or anti-hero, useselevated language, and in whichthe outcome of a group of peopleis based on the success or failureof the protagonist.
66b
epigram
67a
A short verse at thebeginning of a poem or
novel.
67b
epilogue
68a
A short addition ofconcluding section at the
end of a literary work, oftendealing with the future of
its characters.68b
epiphany
69a
A revelation of such powerand insight that it alters
the world-view of theperson who experiences it.
69b
epitaph
70a
An inscription on a tombstoneor monument in memory of theperson buried there; a summarystatement of commemorationfor a dead person.
70b
euphemism
71a
A "nicer" word or phraseused to replace an offensive
word or phrase.
71b
euphony
72a
Agreeable sounds producedby a succession ofmellifluous words.
72b
expert testimony
73a
An opinion given by aperson highly educated in a
topic.
73b
exposition
74a
The "exposing" of the storybehind the story; an act of
writing a speech for thepurpose of conveying
information.74b
expository essay
75a
A simple essay usuallyfactual and written without
emotion.
75b
extended metaphor
76a
A metaphor that isextended through a stanza
or entire poem, often bymultiple comparisons ofunlike objects or ideas.
76b
external conflict
77a
A struggle between twoopposing characters or
forces.
77b
fable
78a
A short tale with animalcharacters that teaches a
moral lesson.
78b
falling action
79a
The action that occurs afterthe climax of a work of
literature.
79b
fantasy
80a
Literature that containscharacters and a plotinvolving magic andinvented characters.
80b
farce
81a
A light humorous play.
81b
figurative language
82a
Language that containsmany poetic devices; a wayof saying something otherthan the literal meaning of
words.82b
first person point of view
83a
A POV in which an "I" or"we" serves as a narrator of
a piece of literature.
83b
flashback
84a
The presentation of a scenethat takes place before the
present in a work ofliterature.
84b
flat character
85a
A minor character who haslittle depth of personality.
85b
foil
86a
A character that contrastswith and reveals various
aspects of the maincharacter's personality.
86b
foreshadowing
87a
A hint of things to come.
87b
form
88a
The structure of a piece ofwriting.
88b
formal essay
89a
An essay that usesacademic language, logicalorganization, and serious
purpose.89b
formal language
90a
The use of "high" languageor dialect in preference to"low" language or dialect;
academic language90b
frame story
91a
Employs a narrative techniquewhereby an introductory main storyis composed, at least in part, for thepurpose of setting the stage for afictive narrative or organizing a set ofshorter stories, each of which is astory within a story.
91b
free verse
92a
A poem that has nolimitations in its use of
meter or rhyme.
92b
genre
93a
A category of literary work-horror, comedy, tragedy,chick lit., pastoral, etc.
93b
graphic text
94a
A combination of picturesand words to tell a story.
94b
hero
95a
The central character of astory, usually possessespositive qualities (as opposedto a protagonist who can bepositive or negative).
95b
historical reference
96a
A reference to somethinghistorical.
96b
hyperbole
97a
Obvious and intentionalexaggeration.
97b
iambic pentameter
98a
A common meter in poetryconsisting of an unrhymed linewith five feet or accents, eachfoot containing an unaccentedsyllable and an accentedsyllable.
98b
idiom
99a
An expression whose meaning isnot predictable from the usualmeanings of its constituentelements or from thegrammatical rules of a language.
99b
image
100a
Concrete details andfigures of speech that help
the reader to form vividsense impressions of what
is being described.100b
imagery
101a
Representation throughlanguage of sense experience.Most often suggests a mentalpicture, but may also represent asound, smell, taste, or tacticalexperience.
101b
indeterminate ending
102a
Literature with anuncertain ending or wheresome problem or conflictmay remain undecided.
102b
indirect presentation
103a
The writer presents thecharacter in action, allowingthe reader to draw his or herown conclusions about thepersonality of that character.
103b
informal essay
104a
An essay that does not followthe restrictions of a formalpaper. Personal pronounsand casual, spoken languageare acceptable.
104b
informal language
105a
The casual language we useevery day.
105b
interior monologue
106a
A type of stream ofconsciousness that depicts
the inner thoughts of acharacter.
106b
internal conflict
107a
The problem or strugglethat takes place in the maincharacter's minds (person
vs. self).107b
internal rhyme
108a
Rhyme which comes withinlines.
108b
irony
109a
A literary device whichreveals concealed or
contradictory meanings.
109b
jargon
110a
Language especially thevocabulary peculiar to a
particular trade,profession, or group.
110b
juxtaposition
111a
An act or instance ofplacing close together or
side by side, especially forcomparison or contrast.
111b
legend
112a
A story handed down fromthe past about a specific
person, usually someone ofheroic accomplishments.
112b
limited omniscient point ofview
113a
Author tells the story in thirdperson, but from the viewpointof a single character. Thethoughts and feelings of othercharacters are not shown.
113b
literal language
114a
What is said is basedexactly in reality withoutthe comparisons used in
figurative language.114b
lyric
115a
Any short poem intendedmainly to express a state of
mind or feeling.
115b
melodrama
116a
A dramatic form characterizedby excessive sentiment,exaggerated emotion,sensational and thrilling action,and an artificially happy ending.
116b
metaphor
117a
A comparison between twothings which are essentiallydissimilar. Usually impliedrather than directly stated.
117b
meter
118a
Any regular pattern ofrhythm based on stressedand unstressed syllables.
118b
monologue
119a
An extended speech by oneperson.
119b
mood
120a
The overall emotionalatmosphere of a scene or
situation.
120b
mystery
121a
A suspense story whichcontains a crime and asolution by a detective.
121b
myth
122a
Applies particularly to a storyconnected with the religion of aprimitive civilization. Usually aboutgods or superhuman beings andare invented to explain certainbeliefs or some aspect of nature.
122b
narration
123a
The telling of a story.
123b
narrative
124a
The story or account itself.
124b
narrator
125a
The person telling thestory.
125b
objective (language, tone,etc.)
126a
Not about the thoughts ofthe speaker or writer;
giving the facts as they arewithout bias.
126b
objective point of view
127a
The narrator knows onlywhat can be heard and seen
from outside thecharacters' thoughts and
emotions.127b
octave
128a
An eight line stanza.
128b
ode
129a
A lyric poem of somelength, serious in subject
and dignified in style.
129b
omniscient point of view
130a
God-like scope; able toenter the mind of any
character at any time toreveal his thoughts,feelings, and beliefs.
130b
onomatopoeia
131a
The use of words whichsound like what they mean.
131b
oxymoron
132a
Two contradictory wordsplaced side by side foremphasis (ex. jumbo
shrimp).132b
paradox
133a
A statement in which thereis an apparent
contradiction which isactually true.
133b
parallelism
134a
A repetition of sentencesusing the same structure.
134b
parody
135a
A work designed to ridiculethe style and substance of
another literary work.
135b
passive voice
136a
The subject of the sentenceis neither a do-er or a be-er,but is acted upon by someother agent or by somethingunnamed.
136b
pastoral
137a
A literary work that has todo with shepherds and
rustic settings.
137b
pathos
138a
Occurs when the audienceexperiences the emotions
of pity, tenderness, orsorrow.
138b
personal essay
139a
A first person narrative.
139b
personification
140a
Giving humancharacteristics to an
animal, object, or idea.
140b
persuasive essay
141a
An essay designed toconvince a reader of awriter's point of view.
141b
persuasive technique
142a
Strategies employed (suchas emotional appeal or
bias) to convince a readerof a writer's point of view.
142b
plot
143a
The story line ororganization of incidents ina story. Consists of episodesand conflict, usually has arising and falling action.
143b
point of view
144a
Who tells the story andhow the story gets told.
144b
pro and con argument
145a
Expressing arguments thatare both for and against a
position.
145b
prologue
146a
An introductory speech orwritten passage at the start
of a work of literature.
146b
propaganda
147a
Biased writing withextreme examples meant to
sway an audience to acertain POV.
147b
protagonist
148a
The main character.
148b
proverb
149a
A phrase, describing anexample of a basic truth
that is transferred tocommon situations.
149b
pun
150a
A joke or type of wordplay inwhich similar senses or soundsof two words or phrases, ordifferent senses of the sameword, are deliberately confused.
150b
purpose
151a
What the writer is trying toachieve through the
writing.
151b
quatrain
152a
A four lined stanza that canbe rhymed or unrhymed.
152b
question and answer
153a
The process of raising aquestion while reading in
an effort to understandcharacters and events.
153b
refrain
154a
A line or lines that arerepeated in music or verse.
154b
repetition
155a
When a specific word orphrase is used several times
to emphasize a particularidea.
155b
research
156a
Close, careful study usingvarious sources of a topic.
156b
resolution
157a
The part of a work ofliterature that occurs afterthe climax and ties up any
loose ends.157b
rhetorical question
158a
A literary technique thatinvolves asking a questionthat has an obvious answer
that does not need to beanswered.
158b
rhyme
159a
The repetition of similar orduplicate sounds at regularintervals, usually the repetitionof the terminal sounds ofwords at the ends of lines.
159b
rhyme scheme
160a
The pattern of rhyme;traditionally marked byassigning letters of thealphabet to each rhymingsound at the end of each line.
160b
rhythm
161a
A pattern of stressed andunstressed sounds in
poetry.
161b
rising action
162a
The events that lead up tothe climax in a work of
literature.
162b
round character
163a
A many-sided characterthat does not always act
predictably.
163b
sarcasm
164a
Crudely mocking orcontemptuous language; a
form of verbal irony.
164b
satire
165a
A form of literature thatridicules some aspect ofhuman behavior, customs,or attitude in an attempt tobring about change.
165b
sestet
166a
A six line poem or stanza.
166b
setting
167a
The time, place, and moodof a work of literature.
167b
simile
168a
When something isdescribed by comparing itto something else, using
like, than or as (ex. "He ranlike a monkey.").
168b
situational irony
169a
Refers to a contrastbetween what a characteror the reader expects to
happen in a situation andwhat really happens.
169b
slang
170a
A type of informal verbalcommunication that is
generally unacceptable forformal writing.
170b
soliloquy
171a
A dramatic conversationthrough which a character,alone onstage, utters his or
her thoughts aloud.171b
sonnet
172a
A 14 line poem usuallywritten in iambic
pentameter; can beShakespearean or Italian
172b
speaker
173a
The "voice" used by anauthor to tell a story or
speak a poem.
173b
stanza
174a
A "paragraph" in poetry.
174b
static character
175a
A character who does notchange throughout a work;the reader's knowledge of
the character also does notgrow.
175b
statistical evidence
176a
The use of factual numbersto support an argument.
176b
stereotype
177a
A conventional, formulaic,and oversimplified concept,
opinion, or image.
177b
stock/stereotypedcharacter
178a
A one-dimensionalcharacter that possessed
stereotyped qualitiesrelating to gender, class, or
ethnicity.178b
story within a story
179a
A literary device in whichone story is told during the
action of another story.
179b
stream of consciousness
180a
A running or flowing way acharacter or narratorexpresses his or her
feelings and inner-mostthoughts.
180b
style
181a
The characteristics of anauthor's writing.
181b
stylistic technique
182a
The techniques used by anauthor in his or her writing.
182b
subjective (language, tone,etc.)
183a
Language that can beinterpreted in differentways depending on the
reader.183b
surprise ending
184a
An ending that is meant toshock the reader.
184b
suspense
185a
A state or condition of mentaluncertainty or excitement, as inawaiting a decision or outcome,usually accompanied by adegree of apprehension oranxiety.
185b
symbol
186a
An object that representssomething more than its
literal definition.
186b
symbolism
187a
The use of symbols toconvey meaning.
187b
synecdoche
188a
A figure of speech in whicha part is used to represent
the whole (ex. All hands ondeck.).
188b
theme
189a
A unifying or dominantidea in a story usually
implied rather than directlyused.
189b
thesis
190a
The main argument of anessay.
190b
thesis statement
191a
A statement that presentsthe main argument of an
essay.
191b
third person point of view
192a
The point of view thatrelates action through "he"
and "she".
192b
tone
193a
The author's implicitattitude towards the readeror the places, people, and
events in a work ofliterature.
193b
tragedy
194a
A work of literature thatfeatures a catastrophic fall
from grace of itsprotagonist.
194b
understatement
195a
The opposite of hyperbole;the purposeful saying ofless than what is meant.
195b
verbal irony
196a
The use of words wherewhat is said is different and
often opposite of what ismeant.
196b
voice
197a
The dominating tone of aliterary work, not always
identifiable with the actualviews of the author.
197b
wit
198a
Intellectually amusingstatements.
198b