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reference to something outside of the work, usually mythical, biblical, or historical
ex.)"I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father, Jor-el, to save the Planet Earth." - Obama(in response to his citizenship) |
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a similarity between seemingly dissimilar things
ex.)The structure of an atom is like a solar system. The atom's nucleus is the sun and its electrons are the planets revolving around the sun. The atom is analogous to the solar system.
or...
Lebron James is today's Michael Jordan |
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| the person or thing that opposes the protagonist. Sometimes called the villain |
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| antistrophe (an-tis-truh-fee) |
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repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of successive clauses. It is opposite to anaphora, which is the repetition of words at the beginning of sentences or clauses.
ex.)“A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break the bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day. This day we fight…” -The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien |
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| apostrophe is a figure of speech sometimes represented by exclamation “O”. The writer or speaker, using an apostorphe (detaches himself from the reality and) addresses to an absent/imaginary character or abstract idea as if it were present and capable of understanding feelings.
ex.)“Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.”
In this nursery rhyme, a child addresses a star (an imaginary idea). Hence, this is a classic example of apostrophe
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"Milton! thou should'st be living at this hour; England hath need of thee..." - William Wordsworth (Milton was a dead poet at this time) |
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| a character in a play who speaks to the audience and not the other characters |
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| poem which tells a story of a person of the past and is often set to music |
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| the way an author reveals his/her characters. This can be direct or indirect |
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an elaborate or exaggerated comparison between 2 (vastly) different objects. A comparison turns into a conceit when the writer tries to make us admit a similarity between two things of whose unlikeness we are strongly conscious and for this reason, conceits are often surprising.
ex.)The broken heart is a damaged china pot
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"All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances" - Shakespeare |
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the literal, dictionary definition of a word
ex.)cat: a mammal that is a member of the feline family |
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| a play in which all events are told as dialogue |
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a long narrative poem about the deeds of a hero
ex.)The Odyssey, The Illiad |
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| substituting a mild term for one considered harsh
ex.)"You are becoming a little thin on top" is a euphemism for "You're going bald" |
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| the action that takes place after the climax and helps resolve the conflict |
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| told from the perspective of one character in the story. Designated by 'I' |
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the use of clues that suggest events yet to come
ex.)In Wizard of Oz, Miss Gulch flies on her bike and looks witchy...and the same actress as the Wicked Witch |
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understatement by denying the contrary of what is being affirmed -- a figure of speech which employs an (intentional use of) understatement by using double negatives or, in other words, a positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite expressions.
ex.)A few unannounced quizzes are not inconceivable. William Shakespeare was not a bad playwright at all. A million dollars is not a little amount. |
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| a speech or performance given entirely by one person or character |
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two words used together that contradict each other
ex.)bittersweet or awfully good |
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giving human characteristics to a non-human things
ex.)the wind danced gaily among the trees |
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| the main character who drives the plot forward |
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a question that is posed without the expectation of a verbal answer
ex.)What do you do with a problem like Maria? - Sound of Music |
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| time and place of a literary work |
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| a narrative technique, or POV, that presents thoughts as if they were coming straight from the character's mind |
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| the pattern of formation of sentences or phrases |
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a story or play where the hero brings about his/her own demise
ex.)Romeo and Juliet is a popular tragedy |
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words that describe sights, sounds and movements
ex.)"A host of golden daffodils;/Beside the lake, beneath the trees,/Fluttering and dancing in the breeze" - Woodsworth |
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