Action
I. What is Action? Also called “action-adventure,” action is a genre of film, TV, literature, etc., in which the primary feature is the constant slam-bang of fights, chases, explosions, and clever[…]
I. What is Action? Also called “action-adventure,” action is a genre of film, TV, literature, etc., in which the primary feature is the constant slam-bang of fights, chases, explosions, and clever[…]
I. What is Ad Hominem? Ad hominem is Latin for “against the man,” and refers to the logical fallacy (error) of arguing that someone is incorrect because they are unattractive,[…]
I. What is an Adage? Have you ever been told that a penny saved is a penny earned? Perhaps you’ve heard that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,[…]
I. What is Adventure? Adventure (pronounced ad-ven-cher) was originally a Middle English word derived from the Old French aventure meaning “destiny,” “fate,” or “chance event.” Today, we define adventure as[…]
I. What is an Allegory? An allegory (AL-eh-goh-ree) is a story within a story. It has a “surface story” and another story hidden underneath. For example, the surface story might[…]
I. What is Alliteration? In alliteration, words that begin with the same sound are placed close together. Although alliteration often involves repetition of letters, most importantly, it is a repetition of[…]
I. What is Allusion? Allusion (pronounced ah-LOO-zhun) is basically a reference to something else. It’s when a writer mentions some other work, or refers to an earlier part of the current work.[…]
I. What is an Alter Ego? An alter ego (pronounced awl-ter ee-goh) is a secondary self. The fascination behind an alter ego is in its secrecy—it’s almost always a second identity[…]
I. What is Ambiguity? Ambiguity (pronounced ‘am-bih-GYOO-ih-tee’) is an idea or situation that can be understood in more than one way. This extends from ambiguous sentences (which could mean one[…]
I. What is Amplification? Amplification (pronounced am-pluh-fi-key-shuh-n) involves extending a sentence or phrase in order to further explain, emphasize, or exaggerate certain points of a definition, description, or argument. Amplification[…]
I.What is Anachronism? Anachronism (pronounced ah-NACK-ruh-nism) is a Greek word meaning “backward time.” It’s what happens when an author, deliberately or accidentally, puts historical events, fashions, technology, etc., in the[…]
I. What is an Anagram? In J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter series, it is revealed that “Tom Marvolo Riddle” is, in fact, the dreaded Lord Voldemort. The revelation comes in the form[…]
I. What is an Analogy? An analogy is a literary technique in which two unrelated objects are compared for their shared qualities. Unlike a simile or a metaphor, an analogy is[…]
I. What is Anaphora? Anaphora (pronounced uh–naf-er-uh) is when a certain word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of clauses or sentences that follow each other. This repetition emphasizes[…]
I. What is an Anecdote? An anecdote (pronounced an-ik-doht) is a very short story that is significant to the topic at hand; usually adding personal knowledge or experience to the topic. Basically, anecdotes are[…]
I. What is an Antogonist? In a story, the antagonist (pronounced an-TAG-oh-nist) is the opposite of the protagonist, or main character. Typically, this is a villain of some kind, but not[…]
I. What is Anthimeria? Anthimeria (also known as antimeria) is the usage of a word in a new grammatical form, most often the usage of a noun as a verb. […]
I. What is Anthropomorphism? Anthropomorphism (pronounced ann-throw-poe-MORF-ism) is giving human traits or attributes to animals, inanimate objects or other non-human things. It comes from the Greek words anthropo (human) and morph[…]
I. What is an Antithesis? “Antithesis” literally means “opposite” – it is usually the opposite of a statement, concept, or idea. In literary analysis, an antithesis is a pair of statements[…]
I. What is Antonomasia? Antonomasia (pronounced an-tuh-nuh–mey-zhuh) is a literary term in which a descriptive phrase replaces a person’s name. Antonomasia can range from lighthearted nicknames to epic names. The phrase[…]
I. What is APA Citation? A citation is a quotation or an explicit reference to a source of information. When writing a paper of any kind, it is vital that[…]
I. What is an Aphorism? Aphorism (pronounced AFF-or-ism) is a short statement of a general truth, insight, or good advice. It’s roughly similar to a “saying.” Aphorisms often use metaphors or creative imagery to[…]
I. What is Aphorismus? Aphorismus is a term in which the speaker questions whether a word is being used correctly to show disagreement. Aphorismus is often written as a rhetorical question[…]
I. What is Apologia? An apologia (AH-puh-LOH-gee-uh) is a defense of one’s conduct or opinions. It’s related to our concept of “apology,” but in many cases it’s the precise opposite[…]
I. What is an Apologue? An apologue is a short story or fable which provides a simple moral lesson. Apologues are often told through the use of animal characters with symbolical elements. The word[…]
I. What is Aporia? In literature, aporia (pronounced a-PORE-ree-uh) is an expression of insincere doubt. It’s when the writer or speaker pretends, briefly, not to know a key piece of[…]
I. What is Aposiopesis? Aposiopesis (pronounced ap-uh-sahy-uh–pee-sis) is when a sentence is purposefully left incomplete or cut off. It’s caused by an inability or unwillingness to continue speaking. This allows the[…]
I. What is an Appositive? Appositives are nouns or noun phrases that follow or come before a noun, and give more information about it. For example, The puppy, a golden retriever,[…]
I. What is Archaism? To be afeared used to mean not to be scary, but to be afraid. And how many people today understand that the word wherefore in “wherefore[…]
I. What is an Archetype? An archetype (ARK-uh-type) is an idea, symbol, pattern, or character-type, in a story. It’s any story element that appears again and again in stories from cultures[…]
I. What is an Argument? An argument is a work of persuasion. You use it to convince others to agree with your claim or viewpoint when they have doubts or disagree.[…]
I. What is Assonance? Assonance (pronounced as–uh-nuh ns) is the repetition of the same or similar vowel sounds within words, phrases, or sentences. The word is derived from the Latin[…]
I. What is an Asyndeton? Asyndeton (pronounced uh–sin-di-ton) is skipping one or more conjunctions (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet) which are usually used in a series of phrases. Asyndeton[…]
I. What is Atmosphere? Atmosphere is the overall mood of a story or poem. It’s usually something readers can’t quite put their finger on – not a motif or a theme,[…]
I. What is Autobiography? An autobiography is a self-written life story. It is different from a biography, which is the life story of a person written by someone else. Some people[…]
I. What is a Ballad? A ballad is a poem that tells a story, usually (but not always) in four-line stanzas called quatrains. The ballad form is enormously diverse, and[…]
I. What is Bathos? Her hair was finely curled, her cheeks were lined with rouge, and her dress was a flowing green and blue which made her look rather like[…]
I. What is Bildungsroman? Also known as a “coming-of-age story,” a bildungsroman is a tale in which the main character transforms from child to adult, or at least takes some major[…]
I. What is Burlesque? Burlesque (pronounced ber-lesk) is a style in literature and drama that mocks or imitates a subject by representing it in an ironic or ludicrous way; resulting in[…]
I. What is a Buzzword? When speaking of public speakers or politicians, we often accuse them of using “buzzwords” rather than digging deeper into an issue. A buzzword is a word[…]
I. What is Cacophony? Cacophony is the use of a combination of words with loud, harsh sounds—in reality as well as literature. In literary studies, this combination of words with rough or unharmonious[…]
I. What is a Caesura? Caesura (pronouced see-ZOO-ra) refers to a break or pause in the middle of a line of verse. It can be marked as || in the[…]
I. What is Catharsis? Catharsis, meaning “cleansing” in Greek, refers to a literary theory first developed by the philosopher Aristotle, who believed that cleansing our emotions was the purpose of a[…]
I. What is Character? A character is a person, animal, being, creature, or thing in a story. Writers use characters to perform the actions and speak dialogue, moving the story[…]
I. What is Characterization? Characterization is a writer’s tool, or “literary device” that occurs any time the author uses details to teach us about a person. This is used over[…]
I. What is Chiasmus? Chiasmus comes from a Greek word meaning “crossed,” and it refers to a grammatical structure that inverts a previous phrase. That is, you say one thing, and[…]
I. What is a Chronicle? A chronicle (pronounced kron-i-kuh l) is a historical account of events (real or imagined) that are told in chronological order, meaning from first to last as they[…]
I. What is Chronology? Chronology is the arrangement of events by time. In literature, most authors write their story as a sequence of events—when you use this method, arranging events[…]
I. What is Circumlocution? Circumlocution (sir-kum-low-KEW-shun) means “talking around” or “talking in circles.” It’s when you want to discuss something, but don’t want to make any direct reference to it, so[…]
I. What is Cliché? A cliché (pronounced ‘klee-SHAY’) is a saying, image, or idea which has been used so much that it sounds terribly uncreative. The word “cliché” was originally[…]
I. What is a Cliffhanger? A cliffhanger is when a story or plotline ends suddenly or a large plot twist occurs and is left unresolved. It is a device that[…]
I. What is Climax? Climax is the highest point of tension or drama in a narratives’ plot. Often, climax is also when the main problem of the story is faced[…]
I. What is Coherence? Coherence describes the way anything, such as an argument (or part of an argument) “hangs together.” If something has coherence, its parts are well-connected and all[…]
I. What is Comedy? Comedy is a broad genre of film, television, and literature in which the goal is to make an audience laugh. It exists in every culture on[…]
I. What is Comic Relief? Even in an intense, dramatic movie, you can find moments of humor. Maybe a character is facing an impossible epic quest, but makes witty comments[…]
I. What is Connotation? A connotation is a feeling or idea that a word has, in addition to its literal or main meaning (the denotation). Often, a series of words[…]
I. What is Consonance? Consonance (pronounced ‘CON-so-nance’) is the combination of consistently copied consonants! It’s when the same consonant sound appears repeatedly in a line or sentence, creating a rhythmic[…]
I. What is Contrast? Contrast means difference, especially when that difference is very noticeable. It usually shows up in pairs: steak and salad, salt and pepper, table and chairs, hero and[…]
I. What is a Conundrum? A conundrum (pronounced ko-NUN-drum) is a difficult problem, one that is impossible or almost impossible to solve. It’s an extremely broad term that covers any[…]
I. What is Cynicism? Cynicism (pronounced SIN-niss-ism) is a dark attitude toward the world, especially toward human beings. Cynical people (also called “cynics”) believe that human beings are basically motivated[…]
I. What is Denotation? Denotation (pronounced dee-noh-tey-shuh n) is a word’ or thing’s literal or main definition. The term comes from the late Latin Latin denotationem meaning “indication,” and is contrasted[…]
I. What is Denouement? The denouement (Dey-noo-mahn) is the very end of a story, the part where all the different plotlines are finally tied up and all remaining questions answered. It[…]
I. What is Deus Ex Machina? Deus ex machina (pronounced DAY-us ex MACK-in-uh) is Latin for “a god from the machine.” It’s when some new character, force, or event suddenly[…]
I. Definition You probably know about the protagonist – the main character in any story, the one everything revolves around. The deuteragonist is the secondary character, right behind the protagonist[…]
I. What is Diacope? Diacope is when a writer repeats a word or phrase with one or more words in between. A common and persistent example of diacope is Hamlet’s: To be,[…]
I. What is Dialect? A dialect (pronounced DIE-uh-lect) is any particular form of a language spoken by some group of people, such as southern English, Black English, Appalachian English, or[…]
I. What is Dialogue? Dialogue (pronounced die-a-log) means “conversation.” In the broadest sense, this includes any case of two or more characters speaking to each other directly. But it also has[…]
I. What is Diction? Diction (pronounced DIK-shun) refers to word choice and phrasing in any written or spoken text. Many authors can be said to have their own “diction,” because they tend[…]
I. What is a Dilemma? A dilemma is a conflict, problem, or situation with two possible solutions. When a dilemma occurs, a person has to make the difficult choice between[…]
I. What is a Doppelganger? Doppelganger (DOPP-el-gang-er) comes from a German word meaning “double-walker.” It’s a twin or double of some character, usually in the form of an evil twin.[…]
I. What is a Double Entendre? A double entendre is much like what it sounds like—a double meaning or interpretation for a word, phrase, or figure of speech. Usually, the[…]
I. What is Drama? Drama has two very different meanings. In modern pop culture, it means a genre of film or television that deals with serious, often negative, emotions. It’s[…]
I. What is Dramatic irony? Irony is when you get the opposite of what you expect, especially if the result is humorous or striking in some way. Dramatic irony, however,[…]
I. What is Dystopia? A dystopia (diss-TOE-pee-yuh) is a horrible place where everything has gone wrong. Whereas utopia means a perfect paradise, dystopia means exactly the opposite. The term generally[…]
I. What is an Elegy? An elegy (pronounced ELL-eh-jee) is a poem of mourning. Written in a somber style, it reflects seriously on death and on the person who has[…]
I. What is an Ellipsis? Ellipsis is a grammatical term and, as such, is used in two main ways. When it is a written symbol that appears as a sequence[…]
I. What is an Encomium? Encomium (en-KOH-mee-um) comes from a Latin word meaning “to celebrate.” It’s a speech, poem, or other text written in praise of a specific person or[…]
I. What is Enjambment? Enjambment is continuing a line after the line breaks. Whereas many poems end lines with the natural pause at the end of a phrase or with punctuation as[…]
I. What is an Enthymeme? An enthymeme (pronounced EN-thuh-meem) is a kind of syllogism, or logical deduction, in which one of the premises is unstated. A syllogism is a logical deduction[…]
I. What is an Epigram? An epigram is a short but insightful statement, often in verse form, which communicates a thought in a witty, paradoxical, or funny way. II. Examples of Epigram Example 1[…]
I. What is an Epilogue? An epilogue (pronounced ‘Eh-pih-log’) is an optional final chapter of a story, such as in a play or book, and which may serve a variety of[…]
I. What is Epiphany? Epiphany is an “Aha!” moment. As a literary device, epiphany (pronounced ih-pif–uh-nee) is the moment when a character is suddenly struck with a life-changing realization which changes the[…]
I. What is Epistrophe? Epistrophe (pronounced ih-pis-truh-fee) is when a certain phrase or word is repeated at the end of sentences or clauses that follow each other. This repetition creates a rhythm[…]
I. What is an Epitaph? An epitaph is a short statement about a deceased person, often carved on his/her tombstone. Epitaphs can be poetic, sometimes written by poets or authors[…]
I. What is Epithet? A girl’s name is Marilynn, but her parents call her Lynn. Her sister calls her Mary. And her friends call her Merry-go-round when she’s being silly.[…]
I. What is an Eponym? An eponym refers to a person or thing after which something else is named. For example: Napoleon is the eponym of the Napoleonic Code. A person or thing’s name[…]
I. What is Equivocation? Commonly known as “doublespeak,” equivocation (pronounced ee-QUIV-oh-KAY-shun) is the use of vague language to hide one’s meaning or to avoid committing to a point of view. It’s often used[…]
I. What is an Essay? An essay is a form of writing in paragraph form that uses informal language, although it can be written formally. Essays may be written in[…]
I. What is Etymology? Etymology is not a rhetorical or literary device. “Etymology is the investigation of word histories.” Every word in every language has a unique origin and history; words[…]
I. What is Euphemism? Euphemisms are polite, mild phrases which substitute unpleasant ways of saying something sad or uncomfortable. Euphemism (pronounced yoo-fuh-miz-uhm) is derived from the Greek phrase euphēmismos, meaning[…]
I. What is an Excursus? An excursus is a moment where a text moves away from its main topic – it’s roughly similar to “digression.” However, excursus in a formal essay usually occurs[…]
I. What is Exemplum? “Exemplum” is just Latin for “example.” And that’s all it is. It’s an example, story, or anecdote used to demonstrate a point. On its strict definition,[…]
I. What is Exposition? The exposition of a story is the first paragraph or paragraphs in which the characters, setting (time and place), and basic information is introduced. A lot[…]
I. What is an Extended Metaphor? An extended metaphor is a metaphor that is developed in great detail. The amount of detail can vary from that of a sentence or[…]
I. What is a Fable? In literature, a fable (pronounced fey-buh l) is a short fictional story that has a moral or teaches a lesson. Fables use humanized animals, objects, or[…]
I. What is a Fairy Tale? A fairy tale is a story, often intended for children, that features fanciful and wondrous characters such as elves, goblins, wizards, and even, but[…]
I. What is Fantasy? Fantasy, from the Greek ϕαντασία meaning ‘making visible,’ is a genre of fiction that concentrates on imaginary elements (the fantastic). This can mean magic, the supernatural, alternate[…]
I. What is Farce? A farce is a comedy in which everything is absolutely absurd. This usually involves some kind of deception or miscommunication. When a comedy is based on a[…]
I. What are Figures of Speech? A figure of speech is a word or phrase using figurative language—language that has other meaning than its normal definition. In other words, figures of speeches[…]
I. What is a Flash-forward? In literature, film and television, a flash-forward is a short scene in which the action jumps ahead to the future of the narrative. It takes[…]