Literary Terms

Repetition at the end of successive phrases or clauses

a short narrative or an interesting or amusing incident

an expression that is inserted into the flow of thought, set off by dashes or parenthesis

the appeal of a text to the credibility of a source

that element in literature that stimulates pity or sorrow; used in persuasion

a narrative in which there are multiple levels of meaning

the art of using words to persuade in writing or speaking

the attitude the narrator has toward his subject and theme; depicted through the author's style

rhetorical arguments in which the speaker claims uses logos, pathos, and ethos

a literary work that holds human failings up to ridicule; meant to expose faults in society

writing in praise of a dead person, inscribed upon a headstone

Writing or speech that has an instructive purpose or lesson; often is dry or pompous

A type or class of literature

the juxtaposition of sharply contrasting ideas

the message or central idea of a literary work

the use of extra conjunctions between items in a series

a poem or prose that laments or meditates upon the death of a person

parallel structure in which the parallel elements are similar also in length

a long sentence in which the main clause is not completed until the end

an extended comparison between two things to make a point

The sense expressed by the tone or mood of a piece of writing; the author's feelings expressed

the way in which information is presented; a form of communication

the ordinary form of writing; not poetry

the mood or pervasive feeling insinuated by a literary work

When the normal word order is rearranged

a word or phrase whose meaning can be interpreted more than one way

when a word is applied to two or more nouns without being repeated

a statement meant to make a point or illustrate a commonly held belief

When conjunctions are omitted (deleted) in a series (list)

The repetition that occurs at the beginning and end of a clause

a reoccurring thematic element

The location of one thing next to another to create an effect

When a section of a text undergoes a change

employing reason or logic to convince an audience

mimicking someone else's work or style in a humorous or satirical way

the countering of an opposing argument

writing technique that records the thoughts and feelings of a person

the interpretation or analysis of a text

an argumentative ploy in which the speaker sidesteps the question

a speech or written passage about a dead person

A quote a the beginning of a section of literature that suggests the theme

a compilation of works that are established as the highest quality

the use of similar forms in writing (when listing items)

like a sermon, focused on a moral or spiritual topic

a mode of discourse that tells a story and is based upon a sequence of events

repetition at the beginning of phrases or clauses

Refers to the diction (or spoken language) of common people in a particular region

a question that does not require an answer but is asked to make a point or create an effect

an assessment or analysis of a text, determining its limitations and conformity to its genre

a feeling or ambiance resulting from the tone and attitude, helps establish the atmosphere