The repetition of sounds, especially initial consonant sounds in two or more neighboring words (as in “she sells sea shells”).
What is alliteration
100
The major category into which a literary work fits
What is genre
100
The multiple meanings, either intentional or unintentional, of a word, phrase, sentence, or passage
What is ambiguity
100
The sensory details or figurative language used to describe, arouse emotion, or represent abstractions.
What is imagery
100
The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to
be and what is actually true.
What is irony
200
The prevailing atmosphere or emotional aura of a work.
What is mood
200
A figure of speech in which natural sounds are imitated in the sounds of words.
What is onomatopoeia
200
A statement that appears to be self-contradictory or opposed to common sense but upon closer inspection contains
some degree of truth or validity.
What is paradox
200
A work that closely imitates the style or content of another with the specific aim of comic effect and/or ridicule.
What is parody
200
In literature, the perspective from which a story is told.
What is point of view
300
From the Greek for “orator,” this term describes the principles governing the art of writing effectively, eloquently, and persuasively.
What is rhetoric
300
A work that targets human vices and follies or social institutions and conventions for reform or ridicule.
What is satire.
300
In modern usage, intellectually amusing language that surprises and delights.
What is wit.
300
A figure of speech using deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.
What is hyperbole
300
The contrast between what is stated explicitly and what is really meant, or the difference between what appears to be and what is actually true.
What is iron/ironic
400
A form of understatement that involves making an affirmative point by denying its
opposite.
What is litotes (pronounced almost like “little tee”)
400
A type of sentence in which the main idea (independent clause) comes first, followed by dependent grammatical units such as phrases and clauses.
What is loose sentence/non-periodic sentence
400
Refers to the writer’s word choices, especially with regard to their correctness, clearness, or effectiveness.
What is diction.
400
The way an author chooses to join words into phrases, clauses, and sentences.
What is syntax
400
The branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, their historical and psychological development, their connotations, and their relation to one another.
What is semantics
500
Term AND Example:
From the Greek for “reckoning together,” this term is a deductive system of formal logic that presents two premises (the first one called “major” and the second called “minor”) that inevitably lead to a sound conclusion. For example:
Plants produce vegetables.
Chocolate comes from a plant.
Therefore, chocolate is a vegetable.
What is syllogism
500
Term AND Example:
Comes from Greek roots meaning “beside one another.” It refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs to give structural similarity.
What is parallelism/parallel structure
500
Term AND Example:
When one kind of sensory stimulus evokes the subjective experience of another.
What is synesthesia
500
Term AND Example (From NF :) )
The use of slang or informalities in speech or writing.
What is colloquialism
500
Term AND Example:
A figure of speech that directly addresses an absent or imaginary person or a personified abstraction, such as liberty
or love. It is an address to someone or something that cannot answer. The effect may add familiarity or emotional
intensity.