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Allusion
reference to another work of literature, time period, or person to deepen meaning of work
Anadiplosis
where the end of the sentence becomes the beginning of the next sentence
Antecedent
the word that the referent stands for
Antithesis
the direct opposite, a sharp contrast
Antitimetabole
Repetition of words in reverse order (Ex. "foul is fair and fair is foul")
Apostrophe
when a speaker addresses someone or something not there or not living
Aside
when a character reveals information on stage for the audience and other characters on stage cannot hear
Asyndenton
conjunctions are omitted, producing a fast-paced and rapid prose
Cacophony
A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds
Chiasmus
A statement consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed (Ex. "she has all my love; my heart belongs to her")
Chronology
arrangement of events in time
Conflict
man v man, man v nature, etc.
Connotation
the emotional meaning of a word
Denotation
the dictionary definition of a word
Diction
word choice
Dramatic Irony
Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play.
Dynamic Character
A character who changes
Epanalepsis
repetition at the end of a clause of the word that occurred at the beginning of the clause (Ex. Buster is only worried about the well-being of Buster.)
Epiphany
A moment of sudden revelation or insight
Euphony
pleasant, harmonious sounds
Flashback
a scene in a novel from an earlier time
Foil Character
A character who mirrors or contrasts with another character for effect
Foreshadow
hint at something to come
Hyperbole
over exaggeration
Imagery
visually descriptive or figurative language
In medias res
beginning in the middle of the action (in the middle of things)
Litote
uses an understatement by employing a double negative (Ex. "It's not useless")
Metaphor
comparison not using "like" or "as"
Narrative Distance
narrator's proximity in relation to the other characters
Paradox
a statement that seems contradictory but is actually true
Personification
giving inanimate objects human characteristics
Perspective
the expression of literature as the personality, state of mind, or desires of the author
Polysyndeton
the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural
Referent
the word that refers to the antecedent and is often a pronoun
Satire/Parody
Satire - making fun of something to bring about social change
Parody - imitation to make fun of something
Shifts
a change in prose or poetry
Simile
A comparison using "like" or "as"
Situational Irony
irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.
Social/Historical/Cultural Context
time period of the literature
Soliloquy
monologue of a character talking to themself
Static Character
A character that does not change
Stream-of-consciousness
thoughts and reactions to events perceived as a continuous flow
Symbol
something that stands for both itself and something else
Synecdoche
the part standing for the whole
Syntax
grammatical structure and punctuation
Understatement
stating or showing something less strongly than the facts merit
Verbal Irony
irony in which a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning.
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