allegory alliteration allusion anapest antagonist apostrophe aside aubade ballad blank verse cacophony caesura catharsis character climax comic relief conflict connotation convention couplet dactyl denotation denouement diction elegy d
deus ex machina
In literature, the use of an artificial device or gimmick to solve a problem.
octave
8 line stanza
villanelle
A 19 line form using only two rhymes and repeating two of the lines according to a set pattern
convention
A characteristic of a literary genre (often unrealistic) that is understood and accepted by audiences
metaphor
A comparison without using like or as
Irony
A contrast between expectation and reality
quatrain
A four line stanza
cacophony
A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds
comic relief
A humorous scene or speech intended to lighten the mood
epic
A long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
monologue
A long speech made by one performer or by one person in a group.
flashback
A method of narration in which present action is temporarily interrupted so that the reader can witness past events
foreshadowing
A narrative device that hints at coming events; often builds suspense or anxiety in the reader.
exposition
A narrative device, often used at the beginning of a work that provides necessary background information about the characters and their circumstances.
caesura
A natural pause or break in a line of poetry, usually near the middle of the line.
character
A person in a story
aubade
A poem about dawn; a morning love song; or a poem about the parting of lovers at dawn
ballad
A poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas
motif
A recurring theme, subject or idea
allusion
A reference to another work of literature, person, or event
meter
A regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line of poetry
enjambment
A run-on line of poetry in which logical and grammatical sense carries over from one line into the next.
conflict
A struggle between opposing forces
magic realism
A style of writing in which realistic details, events, settings, characters, and dialogue are interwoven with magical, bizarre, fantastic, or supernatural elements.
impressionism
An artistic movement that sought to capture a momentary feel, or impression, of the piece they were drawing
imagery
Description that appeals to the senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste)
catharsis
Emotional release
narrator
Person telling the story
lyric poetry
Personal, reflective poetry that reveals the speaker's thoughts and feelings about the subject
couplet
Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme
figurative language
Writing or speech that is not intended to carry literal meaning and is usually meant to be imaginative and vivid.
synecdoche
a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa
aside
a line spoken by an actor to the audience but not intended for others on the stage
idyll
a lyric poem or passage that describes a kind of ideal life or place
denotation
a metrical foot or beat in a line containing three syllables
narrative poem
a poem that tells a story
sestina
a poem with six stanzas of six lines and a final triplet, all stanzas having the same six words at the line-ends in six different sequences that follow a fixed pattern, and with all six words appearing in the closing three-line envoi.
elegy
a sad or mournful poem
allegory
a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
repetition of letter or word
alliteration
denouement
an outcome or solution; the unraveling of a plot
agonist
another term for protagonist
euphony
beautiful sound
hyperbole
exaggeration
apostrophe
exclamatory passage in a speech or poem addressed to a person
free verse
poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter
sestet
six line stanza
spondee
stressed, stressed
trochee
stressed, unstressed
scansion
the action of scanning a line of verse to determine its rhythm
connotation
the implied or associative meaning of a word
form
the structure of a poem
climax
the turning point of the story
tercet
three line stanza
foot
unit of measurement of syllabic meter
blank verse
unrhymed iambic pentameter
Iamb
unstressed, stressed
anapest
unstressed, unstressed, stressed
dramatic monologue
when a single speaker in literature says something to a silent audience
epigram
witty comment
diction
word choice