Flashback
I. What is Flashback? Flashback is a device that moves an audience from the present moment in a chronological narrative to a scene in the past. Often, flashbacks are abrupt[…]
I. What is Flashback? Flashback is a device that moves an audience from the present moment in a chronological narrative to a scene in the past. Often, flashbacks are abrupt[…]
I. What is Folklore? Folklore refers to the tales people tell – folk stories, fairy tales, “tall tales,” and even urban legends. Folklore is typically passed down by word of[…]
I. What is Foreshadowing? Foreshadowing gives the audience hints or signs about the future. It suggests what is to come through imagery, language, and/or symbolism. It does not directly give away[…]
I. What is a Foreword? A foreword is a brief introductory piece in a book that is usually written by someone other than then author (but can be written by[…]
I. What is a Genre? A genre is a category of literature identified by form, content, and style. Genres allow literary critics and students to classify compositions within the larger canon[…]
I. What is a Haiku? A haiku is a specific type of Japanese poem which has 17 syllables divided into three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Haikus or[…]
I. What is Hamartia? Hamartia is the tragic flaw or error that reverses a protagonist’s fortune from good to bad. Hamartia, pronounced hah-mahr-tee–uh, is derived from the Greek phrase hamartanein[…]
I. What is a Harangue? A harangue is a lengthy and intense speech, lecture, or spoken attack. The term as we know it comes from the 14th century Middle French[…]
I. What is Homage? In literature, a homage is a work created in honor of something or someone, generally to show one’s respect. Writing or presenting a homage to something[…]
I. What is a Homograph? A homograph is one of two or more words which are spelled identically but which have completely separate meaning, origin, and possibly pronunciation. This is[…]
I. What is a H0mophone? Homophone (pronounced HAH-muh-fone) is Greek for “same sound.” It’s when two or more words have the same sound, but different meanings. They may be spelled[…]
I. What is Horror? In literature, horror (pronounced hawr-er) is a genre of fiction whose purpose is to create feelings of fear, dread, repulsion, and terror in the audience—in other words,[…]
I. Definition Hubris (pronounced HEW-bris) means “excessive pride” or “overconfidence. It’s when somebody gets so confident that they start to believe they’re invincible. As a result, they make foolish decisions[…]
I. What is Hyperbaton? Hyperbaton is a figure of speech in which the typical, natural order of words is changed as certain words are moved out of order. The word[…]
I. What is Hyperbole? Hyperbole (pronounced ‘high-purr-bo-lee’) is a figure of speech in which an author or speaker purposely and obviously exaggerates to an extreme. It is used for emphasis[…]
I. What is an Idiom? An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning different from the words used. For example, “kick the bucket” is an idiom for “death.”[…]
I. What is Imagery? Imagery is language used by poets, novelists and other writers to create images in the mind of the reader. Imagery includes figurative and metaphorical language to improve the[…]
I. What is Inference? An inference is the process of drawing a conclusion from supporting evidence. It’s when you go beyond the evidence and reach some further conclusion. We draw[…]
I. What is Innuendo? An innuendo (pronounced in-yu-EN-do) is when you say something which is polite and innocent on the surface, but indirectly hints at an insult or rude comment, a dirty[…]
I. What is Intertextuality? Intertextuality (pronounced in-terr-text-yoo-a-lih-tee) is not a literary or rhetorical device, but rather a fact about literary texts – the fact that they are all intimately interconnected.[…]
I. What is Invective? Invective is the literary device in which one attacks or insults a person or thing through the use of abusive language and tone. Invective is often accompanied[…]
I. What is Irony? Irony (pronounced ‘eye-run-ee’) is when there are two contradicting meanings of the same situation, event, image, sentence, phrase, or story. In many cases, this refers to the difference between[…]
I. What is Jargon? Jargon is the specific type of language used by a particular group or profession. Jargon (pronounced jär-gən) can be used to describe correctly used technical language[…]
I. What is Juxtaposition? Juxtaposition (pronounced juhk-stuh-puh–zish–uh-n) is the placement of two or more things side by side, often in order to bring out their differences. Imagine a man walking a[…]
I. What is Kairos? Kairos (pronounced “KAI-ros”) in Ancient Greek meant “time” – but it wasn’t just any time. It was exactly the right time to say or do a[…]
I. What is a Legend? A legend (/ˈlejənd/) is a story about human events or actions that has not been proved nor documented in real history. Legends are retold as[…]
I. What is a Limerick? A limerick (pronounced LIM-rick) is a five-line poem with a strict rhyme scheme (AABBA, lines 1,2, and 5 rhyme together, while lines 3 and 4[…]
I. What is Lingo? Lingo is language or vocabulary that is specific to a certain subject, group of people, or region; including slang and jargon. Sometimes people use the word lingo[…]
I. What is a Literary Device? In literature, any technique used to help the author achieve his or her purpose is called a literary device. Typically, these devices are used[…]
I. What is Litotes? Litotes is an understatement in which a positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite. This sounds like a strange definition, but a few examples will make the[…]
I. What is a Malapropism? Sometimes, we just say the wrong things. Other times, we purposely say the wrong things. In each case, the French phrase mal à propo, meaning[…]
I. What is Maxim? A maxim is a brief statement that contains a little piece of wisdom or a general rule of behavior. Maxims are sometimes written by a single author,[…]
I. What is a Melodrama? In literature and theater, a melodrama (/ˈmel·əˌdrɑ·mə/) is a work with exaggerated, sensational events and characters. It is highly emotional, focusing on exciting but over-the-top[…]
I. What is a Memoir? “Memoir” comes from the French word for memory. It’s a genre of literature where the author writes about his or her memories, usually going back[…]
I. What is Metanoia? Metanoia (pronounced MET-uh-NOY-uh) is a self-correction. It’s when a writer or speaker deliberately goes back and modifies a statement that they just made, usually either to strengthen[…]
I. What is a Metaphor? Metaphor (pronounced meh-ta-for) is a common figure of speech that makes a comparison by directly relating one thing to another unrelated thing. Unlike similes, metaphors do[…]
I. What is a Metonymy? The pen is mightier than the sword. Although literally a pen has no power over a sword, we understand this phrase means that the written word[…]
I. What is a Mnemonic? A mnemonic, also known as a memory aid, is a tool that helps you remember an idea or phrase with a pattern of letters, numbers, or relatable[…]
I. What is a Monologue? A monologue is a speech given by a single character in a story. In drama, it is the vocalization of a character’s thoughts; in literature,[…]
I. What is a Montage? Montage is a filmmaking technique that uses a series of short images, collected together to tell a story or part of a story. This is[…]
I. What is a Motif? A motif is a symbolic image or idea that appears frequently in a story. Motifs can be symbols, sounds, actions, ideas, or words. Motifs strengthen a[…]
I. What is a Motto? A motto is a brief statement that summarizes the purpose or beliefs of a family, organization, or individual. A motto is not just a quote[…]
I. What is Mystery? Mystery (pronounced mis-tuh-ree, ) is a genre of literature whose stories focus on a puzzling crime, situation, or circumstance that needs to be solved. The term comes[…]
I. What is Myth? A myth is a classic or legendary story that usually focuses on a particular hero or event, and explains mysteries of nature, existence, or the universe[…]
I. What is a Narrative? A narrative is a story. The term can be used as a noun or an adjective. As a noun, narrative refers to the story being[…]
I. What is a Narrator? A narrator is the person telling the story, and it determines the point of view that the audience will experience. Every work of fiction has[…]
I. What is Nemesis? A nemesis (pronounced NEH-meh-siss) is an enemy, often a villain. A character’s nemesis isn’t just any ordinary enemy, though – the nemesis is the ultimate enemy, the[…]
I. What is a Neologism? What do the words amazement, cold-blooded, blushing, and gnarled all have in common? They were once invented by Shakespeare and they were once neologisms. Neologism[…]
I. What is Nostalgia? Remember when things were simpler? When you were a kid and you could just play all day while other people took care of your responsibilities for[…]
I. What is an Ode? The word “ode” has two separate definitions, one stricter and one looser. In the strict definition, an ode is a classical poem that has a specific structure[…]
I. What is Onomatopoeia? Boom! Pow! Whoosh! Wham! All of these words are onomatopoeias, or words that sound like what they describe. Onomatopoeia (pronounced ˌ’AH-nuh-mah-tuh-PEE-uh’) refers to words whose pronunciations imitate[…]
I. What is Oxymoron? My room is an organized mess, or controlled chaos, if you will. Same difference. The above phrase is packed with oxymorons, including “organized mess,” “controlled chaos,”[…]
I. What is a Palindrome? A palindrome is a type of word play in which a word or phrase spelled forward is the same word or phrase spelled backward. The[…]
I. What is a Parable? A parable (pronounced PAIR-uh-bull) is a short story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. It comes from a Greek word meaning “comparison.” […]
I. What is a Paradox? A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself, or that must be both true and untrue at the same time. Paradoxes are quirks in logic that[…]
I. What is Parallelism? Parallelism, also known as parallel structure, is when phrases in a sentence have similar or the same grammatical structure. In its most basic usage, parallelism provides a phrase[…]
I. What is a Paraphrase? A paraphrase (pronounced par–uh-freyz) is a restatement or rewording of a paragraph or text, in order to borrow, clarify, or expand on information without plagiarizing. Paraphrasing[…]
I. What is Parody? A parody is a work that’s created by imitating an existing original work in order to make fun of or comment on an aspect of the[…]
I. What is Pastiche? Pastiche (pronounced pass-TEESH) is a creative work that imitates another author or genre. It’s a way of paying respect, or honor, to great works of the[…]
I. What is a Pathetic Fallacy? The pathetic fallacy is a figure of speech in which the natural world (or some part of it) is treated as though it had human emotions.[…]
I. What is a Pejorative? A pejorative is an insult – a word with a negative connotation that expresses contempt, dismissiveness, or even hatred. It should go without saying that[…]
I. What is Peripeteia? Peripeteia is a sudden change in a story which results in a negative reversal of circumstances. Peripeteia is also known as the turning point, the place in[…]
I. What is Persona? Have you ever tried to make a particular impression upon people? Such as when giving a presentation or meeting new people? Perhaps you tried to speak[…]
I. What is Personification? Sometimes the sun smiles, the wind whispers to the trees, and the shadows of the leaves dance in the wind. Although literally, the sun cannot smile, the leaves[…]
I. What is Plagiarism? Plagiarism is the act of using someone else’s ideas, words, or thoughts as your own without giving credit to the other person. When you give credit[…]
I. What is a Platitude? A platitude (pronounced plat-i-tood) repeats obvious, simple, and easily understood statements that have little meaning or emotional weight. Most writers and speakers aim to avoid platitudes, for[…]
I. What is a Pleonasm? A pleonasm is a literary term, literary tool, and literary device. Well, that was redundant! A pleonasm is when one uses too many words to[…]
I. What is Plot? In a narrative or creative writing, a plot is the sequence of events that make up a story, whether it’s told, written, filmed, or sung. The[…]
I. What is a Plot Twist? In literature, film, television, and even video games, a plot twist is an unsuspected occurrence or turn of events in the story that completely[…]
I. What is Poetry? Poetry is a type of literature based on the interplay of words and rhythm. It often employs rhyme and meter (a set of rules governing the[…]
I. What is Point of View? Point of view (POV) is what the character or narrator telling the story can see (his or her perspective). The author chooses “who” is[…]
I. What is a Polemic? A polemic is a strong attack or argument against something. Most of the time the topic is on a controversial subject; like important issues concerning civil[…]
I. What is Polyptoton? This article is enjoyable to read when read by those who enjoy literary terms. Polyptoton is the repetition of a root word in a variety of[…]
I. What is an Polysyndeton? Polysyndeton (pronounced pah-lee-sin-de-ton) is a literary device that uses multiple repetitions of the same conjunction (and, but, if, etc), most commonly the word “and.” Polysyndeton comes[…]
I. What is a Premise? In literature and writing, a premise is the main idea behind a story or other writing project. It is the most basic foundation of a[…]
I. What is a Prologue? Some works of literature start with a prologue (pronounced PRO-log), a short introductory section that gives background information or sets the stage for the story to[…]
I. What is Propaganda? Propaganda is any sort of art, media, or literature that promotes a political viewpoint, especially through deception or cheap appeals to emotion. Propaganda is intended to energize[…]
I. What is a Prose? Prose is just non-verse writing. Pretty much anything other than poetry counts as prose: this article, that textbook in your backpack, the U.S. Constitution, Harry[…]
I. What is a Protagonist? Protagonist (pronounced pro-TAG-oh-nist) is just another word for “main character.” The story circles around this character’s experiences, and the audience is invited to see the world from[…]
I. What is a Proverb? A proverb is a short saying or piece of folk wisdom that emerges from the general culture rather than being written by a single, individual[…]
I. What is a Pseudonym? A pseudonym (pronounced SOO-do-nim) is a fake name that a person or group uses for a special purpose. It might be a stage name or[…]
I. What is a Pun? A pun is a joke based on the interplay of homophones — words with the same pronunciation but different meanings. It can also play with[…]
I. What is a Quest? A quest (/kwest/) is a journey that someone takes in order to achieve a goal or complete an important task. Accordingly, the term comes from[…]
I. What is a Rebus? A rebus is a code or reference where pictures, letters, or symbols represent certain words or phrases. During the Middle Ages, many families used rebuses to[…]
I. What is a Red Herring? A red herring is a misleading clue. It’s a trick used by storytellers to keep the reader guessing about what’s really going on. You[…]
I. What is Repetition? Quite simply, repetition is the repeating of a word or phrase. It is a common rhetorical device used to add emphasis and stress in writing and[…]
I. What is the Resolution? The resolution, also known as the denouement, is the conclusion of the story’s plot. It’s where any unanswered questions are answered, or “loose ends are tied.”[…]
I. What is a Rhetoric? Rhetoric is the ancient art of persuasion. It’s a way of presenting and making your views convincing and attractive to your readers or audience. In[…]
I. What is a Rhetorical Device? A rhetorical device is any language that helps an author or speaker achieve a particular purpose (usually persuasion, since rhetoric is typically defined as the art[…]
I. What is a Rhetorical Question? A rhetorical question is a question that is not asked in order to receive an answer from the audience or reader. It’s just posed[…]
I. What is Rhyme? Rhymes are words whose endings match, as in “fly” and “spy.” This is one of the most common techniques in traditional poetry and music, and most[…]
I. What is a Riddle? A riddle is a word puzzle in which one player asks a confusing question, and the other player has to figure out its meaning. Riddles often[…]
I. What is Romance? In the strictest academic terms, a romance is a narrative genre in literature that involves a mysterious, adventurous, or spiritual story line where the focus is[…]
I. What is Sarcasm? Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony that mocks, ridicules, or expresses contempt. It’s really more a tone of voice than a rhetorical device. You’re saying the[…]
I. What is Sardonic? Sardonic is an adjective describing dry, understated, and sort of mocking speech or writing—such as a clever remark that stings because it’s so accurate. While sardonic[…]
I. What is Satire? The formal definition of satire is “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices.” It’s an extremely broad category.[…]
I. What is Science Fiction? Science fiction, often called “sci-fi,” is a genre of fiction literature whose content is imaginative, but based in science. It relies heavily on scientific facts,[…]
I. What is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy? A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that somehow causes itself to come true. The characters may try to prevent their fate, but in the end their[…]
I. What is Setting? Setting is the time and place (or when and where) of the story. It’s a literary element of literature used in novels, short stories, plays, films,[…]
I. What is a Simile? Simile (pronounced sim–uh-lee) is a literary term where you use “like” or “as” to compare two different things and show a common quality between them. A[…]