bildungsroman
coming of age novel
frame narrative
a story within a story
conflict
man vs man, man vs nature, man vs self, man vs world, man vs supernatural, man vs technology
foreshadowing
hinting at of indicating future events
anthropomorphism
nonhuman things displaying human traits or behaviors
theme
moral or lesson in a story, linked to author's pupose
motif
a reoccurring idea, image, or symbol that develops a theme
irony
situational, verbal, dramatic
simile
comparing two things using like or as
symbolism
using consistent symbols to represent ideas or qualities
alliteration
a repetition of a letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent words
anaphora
the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
imagery
kinesthetic, organic, visual, auditory, gustatory, tactile, olfactory
parallel structure
the repetition of a grammatical form within a sentence
metaphor
a comparison of two unlike things by stating one as being the other
extended metaphor
when an author uses a metaphor throughout a long passage
personification
giving inanimate objects human qualities
folklore
the traditional beliefs, stories, customs, and legends transmitted orally through generations
foil
a character who acts as a contrast to another character
allusion
a direct or indirect reference to a person, place, thing, event, or idea in history or literature
diction
a writer's specific choice of words, phrases, figurative language, or sentence structures that creates meaning
euphemism
mild or indirect words replacing harsher or more direct words
dysphemism
a derogatory or unpleasant tern used instead of a pleasant or neutral term
hyperbole
exaggeration used to emphasize a point
paradox
a self-contradictory statement used to demonstrate truth
colloquialism
slang
connotation
association of emotion or tone connected to a word or phrase
epigraph
a quotation at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of the theme
juxtaposition
unassociated words or ideas that are placed together creating an effect of surprise
vernacular
the language spoken by the people who live in a particular locality