Poetry
The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of consecutive words (think tongue twister!)
Alliteration
These tell the actors (and the readers) how a scene should be performed; they are usually in parentheses, brackets or italicized
Stage directions
When and where a story takes place
Setting
A question asked to make a point rather than to get an answer - "What happens to a dream deferred?"
Rhetorical question
A conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence; an educated guess
Inference
A joke or play on words exploiting the different possible meanings of a word - "Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man." (~ Mercutio right before he dies in Romeo & Juliet)
Pun
A direct comparison; calling one thing another
Metaphor
The author's attitude toward his subject; could be critical, sympathetic, angry, etc.
Tone
The moral of the story; the life lesson that the reader learns
Theme
The credentials and other qualities that indicate whether or not a source is reliable
Credibility
The feelings and emotions relating to a word; can be negative, neutral or positive
Connotation
A sudden understanding of something not previously understood ("Ah ha" moment)
Epiphany
Divisions in poetry; a 'poem paragraph'
Stanza
A feeling of curiosity or tension; it makes you want to keep turning the pages
Suspense
A struggle outside the body; human vs. human, human vs. nature, human vs. society, etc.
External conflict
An appeal to the speaker's status or authority that makes the audience more likely to trust them
Ethos
The author's main idea and reasoning when writing. It's a promise to the reader
Thesis
A character who stays the same throughout a story
Static character
The pattern of end rhymes in a poem
Rhyme Scheme
The atmosphere of a story (movie/book/play)
Mood
When the author gives hints and clues about events that have not yet occurred
Foreshadowing
Explains how your evidence proves your claim.
Warrant
Undue favor or support to a particular person, group, race, or one argument over another
Bias
In a play, when a character speaks directly to the audience and the other actors on stage pretend not to hear
Aside
Language that appeals to the reader's senses
Imagery
A type of irony when the audience or reader knows something that a character does not
Dramatic Irony
A type of irony when a situation turns out unexpected
Situational irony
Using language to please or persuade someone's beliefs or behaviors.
Rhetoric
The way an author organizes information to help readers understand and learn
Text Structure
A character TYPE that represents universal patterns or traits of human nature (the time and place don't matter) - hero/heroine, rebel, scapegoat, villain, caretaker, innocent, etc.
Archetype
The way an author arranges words and phrases to create a well-formed sentence
Syntax
In a play, an extended speech by a character, while other characters are also on stage
Monologue
A character OR force working against the main character
Antagonist
The use of words or phrases that have a similar structure or form
Parallelism
Two words of opposite meaning right next to each other
Oxymoron
A statement that seems to contradict itself, but that also contains some truth - "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." (Opening line of novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens)
Paradox
A reference to someone or something famous - the Mona Lisa, the Bible, MLK, George Washington, etc.
Allusion
In a play, a speech by a character who is alone (or thinks he is) on stage
Soliloquy
A type of narration where the reader knows only the thoughts and feelings of ONE character
Third person limited POV
A balanced statement of contrasting ideas- "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." JFK
Antithesis
A recurring element—such as an image, symbol, idea, or phrase—that repeats throughout a work to reinforce a larger theme
Motif
The substitution of a mild or indirect expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt - "To let someone go" instead of "To fire someone"
Euphemism