deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting meanings in a work. An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way - that is done on purpose by the author,when it is not done on purpose, it is vagueness, and detracts from the work.
What is ambiguity?
100
a figure of speech that does not state explicitly the two terms of comparison, but nevertheless they exist.
What is an implied metaphor?
100
a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character's mind.
What is stream of consciousness?
100
repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more sentences in a row.
What is anaphora?
200
a long narrative poem, written in heightened language, which recounts the deeds of a heroic character who embodies the values of a particular society.
What is an epic?
200
a word or phrase, often a figure of speech, that has become lifeless because of overuse.
What is cliche?
200
reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature, religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture.
What is an allusion?
200
a type of writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an attempt to bring about change.
What is satire?
200
Constructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and importance.
What is balance?
300
a poem that does not tell a story but expresses the personal feelings or thoughts of a speaker.
What is a lyric poem?
300
a word or phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal writing but is inappropriate for formal situations.
What is colloquialism?
300
a figure of speech in which a person,place, or thing, is referred to by something closely associated with it. Example: We requested from the crown support for our petition.
What is metonymy?
300
a very short story told in prose or poetry that teaches a practical lesson about how to succeed in life.
What is a fable?
300
a sentence which the main clause comes first, followed by further dependent grammatical units.
What is a loose sentence?
400
a poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died.
What is an elegy?
400
a question asked for an effect, and not actually requiring an answer.
What is a rhetorical question?
400
a person, place, thing or event that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something more than itself.
What is a symbol?
400
a story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities?
What is an allegory?
400
commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thus emphasizing the parts equally.
What is asyndeton?
500
Running over of a sentence from one line or stanza to another
What is enjambment?
500
a form of understatement in which the positive form is emphasized through the negation of a negative form.
What is litotes?
500
a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole. Example: "Nice wheels!"
What is synecdoche?
500
a type of comedy in which ridiculous and often stereotyped characters are involved in silly, far-fetched situations.
What is a farce?
500
the repetition of words or phrases that have similar grammatical structures.