- Anecdote: A short and usually personal story used to support a point.
- e.g., *"You should all be grateful! When I was a young lad, there was this girl that I liked, so what did I do about it? I went straight-up told to her face that I loved her! Of course, she smacked me away as if I were a stray dog, but if I was able to stand up to someone like her, you young'uns should be able to send a simple text message!"*
- Assonance: A number of words with the same vowel sound, not at the beginning, that appear close together.
- e.g., *The cat in the hat knows a lot about that!*
- Cacophony: The use of words and phrases that are harsh to the ear by using consonants that require pressure to to say (e.g., p, b, d, g, k, ch-, sh-).
- e.g., *How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?*
- Consonance: A number of words with the same consonant sound, not at the beginning, that appear close together.
- Dialect: A regional variety of language with spelling, grammar, and pronunciation that differentiates a population from others around them.
- e.g., *"There's five of them dirty ducks flappin' out and about, sir!"*
- Euphony: The use of words and phrases that are pleasing to the ear by using long vowel sounds, harmonious constants (l, m, n, r, f, v), and soft consonants or semi-vowels (w, s, y, th, wh).
- e.g., *"The velvet…it's so lovely, and so very soft…"*
- Onomatopoeia: A word which imitates a sound effect.
- e.g., *The cat meowed as he looked on with adoring eyes that tore through my squealing heart.*
- Pun: A play on words that involve words with similar sounds but different meanings.
- e.g., *"Lettuce finish our salads."*
- Repetition: Using a phrase for emphasis multiple times within close proximity.
- e.g., *"I was too late. I was far too late. My dog…she tried her best."*
- Rhyme: A repetition of words whose end syllables sound similar.
- e.g., *Roses are red / Violets are blue / Your family is dead / And you will be too*
- Rhyme scheme: The rhyming pattern or structure at the end of each line of poetry.
- e.g., the above poem uses ABAB as its rhyme scheme.
- Rhythm: The usage of stressed and unstressed syllables to demonstrate patterns, especially in verses.
- Anapest: Three syllables, in which the first two are unstressed while the last is stressed.
- Blank verse: An non-rhyming verse with a regular rhythmic structure, most commonly iambic pentameter (10 syllables/line, unstressed-to-stressed pattern)
- e.g., *But, woe is me, you are so sick of late, / So far from cheer and from your former state* (William Shakespeare)
- Enjambment: A single thought in a line of poetry using two lines.
- e.g., *If I were a potato / The world would be a tomato.*
- Caesura: A pause, represented by two vertical lines ("||"), most commonly found in the middle of a line. Masculine caesurae follow stressed syllables while feminine caesurae follow ununstressed ones. They are also distinguished by their location in the line: Caesurae near the beginning, middle, or end of a line are referred to as initial, medial, and terminal caesurae, respectively.
- Abstract language: The use of words that connect intangible ideas or emotions as opposed to physical actions or things.
- e.g., *She was beautiful.*
- Allegory: The use of characters and events to describe an abstract idea to teach a moral lesson.
- e.g., *Animal Farm* by George Orwell, which uses farm animals and their actions to describe the Russian Revolution.
- Ambiguity: A statement or phrase whose meaning is unclear. This can usually be resolved via context.
- e.g., *Nintendo sold 22 million of them.*
- Colloquialism: The use of informal phrases or slang in writing.
- e.g., *"Pog!"*
- Concrete language: The use of words that reference physical actions or things as opposed to intangible ideas or emotions.
- e.g., *She had black hair that reached down to her neck.*
- Connotation: An implied meaning from a phrase that differs from its explicit and direct meaning.
- e.g., *I carried him for the entire assignment.*
- Contrast/Juxtaposition: A comparison between multiple ideas or things by placing them side by side.
- e.g., *It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…* (Charles Dickens)
- Denotation: The literal meaning of a word.
- e.g., *"My old computer no longer functions."*
- Diction: The word choice used by a speaker or writer to create an effect.
- e.g., *"I shall take Her Majesty back to the carriage."*
- Epigram: A brief, interesting, memorable, and sometimes surprising or satirical statement.
- e.g., *"No one can make you efel inferior without your consent."* (Eleanor Roosevelt)
- Irony: An unexpected event or statement revealing what was believed to be true was false.
- e.g., *Thunder boomed as rain poured down all around the classroom. "Nice weather we're having today."* (Verbal)
- e.g., *The fire station burned down.* (Situational)
- e.g., *The cat fell over, its head completely severed. Meanwhile, Johnny whistled in his car, thinking of all the treats and belly rubs he would give his precious kitty.* (Dramatic)
- Jargon: Specialised terms that use actual words, which are usually unfamiliar to the layman.
- e.g., *p53 is responsible for holding the cell cycle at the G1/S checkpoint and will induce apoptosis if damage to the cell's deoxyribonucleic acid is too great.*
- Paradox: A statement that appears to be self-contradictory at first glance, typically used to allow the reader to think over an idea differently.
- e.g., *All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.* (George Orwell)
- Pathetic fallacy: A form of personification in which inanimate objects in nature are given emotions.
- e.g., *The wind roared as the earth shook in fury at our insolence.*
- Symbol: The use of objects to represent an abstract idea.
- e.g., *I smiled at the group of people assembled before me. They smiled back. "With the power of friendship and determination, we can overcome anything!"*
- Tone: The attitude of a writer or character toward a subject or audience, typically through word choice.
- e.g., *"I don't want to! That candy is MINE, and no one is going to take it from ME! Mine, mine, MINE!"*
- Theme: The "main idea" or underlying meaning of a literary work, which can be given directly or indirectly.
- e.g., *"Never forget that* you are royalty, *and that hundreds of thousands of souls have suffered and perished so you could become what you are. By their sacrifices, you have been given the comforts you take for granted. Always remember them, so that their sacrifices shall never be without meaning.* (ScytheRider)
