| Term |
Part of Speech |
Definition |
| assonance |
noun |
the repetition of vowel sounds. Example: "she flees by sea" |
| comic device |
noun |
a literary device which creates humor |
| contemporary |
adjective |
current or modern time |
| expatriate |
noun |
person making residence in a foreign country, rather than their own |
| extravagant |
adjective |
excessive or lavish |
| linear |
adjective |
relating to or resembling a straight line |
| menace |
noun |
a threat or source of danger |
| metaphor |
noun |
a comparison of two unlike things without the use of like or as. Example: "My love is a red rose." |
| naturalism |
noun |
a 19th century literary movement that was an extension of realism and that claimed to portray life exactly as it was |
| neuter |
adjective |
neither male nor female |
| onomatopoeia |
noun |
a word that imitates the sound it represents |
| parenthetical citation |
noun |
documentation of the author and source for a quote or fact contained within parentheses at the end of a sentence. Used in MLA style of documentation. |
| persistence |
noun |
continuing with or repeating an effort |
| personification |
noun |
a figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to an animal, object, or idea |
| plight |
noun |
a situation which is difficult to escape |
| primitivist |
noun |
in literature, a writer whose style promotes a simplistic or rudimentary approach through characters or sentence structure |
| realism |
noun |
a style of writing, developed in the 19th century, that attempts to depict life accurately without idealizing or romanticizing it |
| regimented |
adjective |
kept within strict lines or boundaries |
| regionalism |
noun |
literature that emphasizes a specific geographic area that reproduces the speech, behavior, and attitudes of the people who live in that region |
| shell-shocked |
adjective |
stunned, overwhelmed, or exhausted from long term exposure to violence (particularly war) |
| signaling phrase |
noun |
inclusion of the author or source's name within a sentence. Generally, at the start of the sentence. Examples: "According to Maggie Smith, . . ." or "In To Kill a Mockingbird, . . ." |
| slang |
noun |
casual or playful speech, usually popular for short periods of time |
| stereotype |
noun |
an oversimplified generalization of a person, group, or idea |
| stream of consciousness |
noun |
a form of writing developed in literature during the early twentieth century in which an author shares the thoughts of a character as though listening inside the character's head |
| subjectivity |
noun |
a judgment based on personal opinions or feelings, rather than facts |
| superfluous |
adjective |
beyond what is required; extra |
| surprise and incongruity |
noun |
a time-honored comic device is to set up the audience to expect one thing and then surprising them with the unexpected |
| tone |
noun |
the tone of a literary piece is either the author's attitude toward a subject or the mood of the work itself. The various devices used to create mood include diction, sentence structure, repetition, imagery, and symbolism. |
| vigorous |
adjective |
done with energy or force |
