parody

• an imitation/spoof
• example ; Saturday night live and sonny with a chance

Alliteration

• repetition of the same sounds
• Lazy lion licks a lollipop - ABC by Dr.seuss

analogy

• comparing two things that are alike in some way
• "My heart's a stereo It beats for you, so listen close" 
• "Stereo Hearts" Gym Class Heroes (feat. Adam Levine)

Allegory

• a story, poem, or picture that has a hidden meaning

aphorism

• a short phrase that expresses a true or wise idea.

irony

• Titanic - we know the boat was going to sink but the 
• characters dont

personifcation

• which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human traits
• example; disney movie "Cars"

simile

• comparing 2 alike things using like or as 
• "Cute as a button"

oxymoron

• a combination of words that have opposite or very different meanings
• Ex: Jumbo shrimp, plus size skinny jeans, civil war 

repetition

• same word/sound repeated over and over again  
• sally sells sea shells by the sea shore

Allusion

• indirect reference to something
• But all so soon as the all-cheering sun
• Should in the farthest East begin to draw
• The shady curtains from Aurora's bed.
• Romeo and Juliet referring to Roman mythology 

ambiguity

• unclear meaning
• in the "Sopranos" many viewers have unanswered questions 

Atmosphere

• mood or emotion that is conveyed by the setting
• in To Kill A Mockingbird the atmosphere before
• the trial was sorta tense yet quiet and still 

colloquial

• used when people are speaking in an informal way
• 'Now I ain't sayin' she a gold digger " - gold digger kanye west

connotation

• another meaning of a word
• Shakespeare in his Sonnet 18 says: “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day”
• the phrase “a Summer’s Day” implies the fairness of his beloved

denotation

• the literal or primary meaning of a word
• The words home, house, residence and dwelling all have the same denotation

diction

• the way words are used in speech
• “Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
• Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu.”
• formal to use “adieu” than to say “goodbye”
• Keats in his “Ode to the Grecian Urn”

figurative language

• A figure of speech 
• example; simile, idiom, pun , oxymoron 

figure of speech

• a letter or phrase that is used in some other way than its literal meaning
• example; alliteration "Sally sells seashells."

Genre

• books and music have genre's 
• examples ; mystery,fiction,rap,pop

Hyperbole

• obvious and intentional exaggeration
• example; Your suitcase weighs a ton!

imagery

• author's use of vivid and descriptive language to
• create a mental image
• “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!'
• romeo and juliet 
• he means she shines brighter than the tourches 

inference

• reaching a conclusion about something from known facts or evidence
• example ; The Big Bang Theory

invective

• insulting, abusive, or highly critical language
• “Invective Against Swans” by Wallace Stevens

metaphor

• comparason not using like or as
• Example; This assignment was a breeze
• (no it wasn't)

mood

• ood is a literary element that evokes certain feelings
• example; Charles Dickens creates a calm and peaceful mood in his novel 
•  “Pickwick Papers”

onomoatopoeia

• a word that imitates the sound it represents.
• boom, pow, ahhchooo, bang

parallelism

• the use of components in a sentence that are grammatically the same
• "Like father, like son."

point of view

• A position from which something is observed or considered
• example; 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person

refrain

• Refrain is the repition of a line, phrase, sound, group of lines, or word
• "Sigh no more" in shakespears "Much Ado about Nothing"

sarcasm

• a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark
• "I’m trying to imagine you with a personality."

satire

• the use of humor, irony or exaggeration
• to expose and criticize people's stupidity
• example : in Shrek Shrek, travels with his pal Donkey, 
• when in most fairy tales princes travel with horses 

style

• a distinctive manner of expression(as in 
• different styles include ; descriptive, persuasive, narrative. 

symbol

• a visible sign of something invisible

syntax

• Syntax is a set of rules in a language
• In Romeo and Juliet, he writes, “What light from yonder window breaks?”
• instead of using the common way

theme

• Theme is defined as a main idea
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare focuses on love and rivalry 

tone

• is an attitude of a writer toward a subject or an audience.
• example ; “All morons hate it when you call them a moron.' 
• from “Catching the Rye” his tone is scarcastic 

understatement

• employed by writers or speakers to intentionally make a situation
•  seem less important than it really is.
• Deserts are sometimes hot, dry and sandy” while describing 
• deserts of the world

wit

• using words and ideas in a quick and inventive way to create humor.
• "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young man
• in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." 

Paradox

• something (such as a situation) that is made up of two opposite things 
• and that seems impossible but is actually true
•  "I must be cruel to be kind." Shakespears "Hamlet" 

By: Maggie Hildebrandt
Clara Barnhart