Paradox

A statement in which there is an apparent contradiction which is actually true.

parallelism

A repetition of sentences using the same structure.

parody

A work designed to ridicule the style and substance of another literary work.

passive voice

The subject of the sentence is neither a do-er or a be-er, but is acted upon by some other agent or by something unnamed.

pastoral

A literary work that has to do with shepherds and rustic settings.

pathos

Occurs when the audience experiences the emotions of pity, tenderness, or sorrows

personal essay

A first person narrative

persuasive essay

An essay designed to convince a reader of a writer's point of view

personification

Giving human characteristics to an animal, object, or idea.

persuasive technique

Strategies employed (such as emotional appeal or bias) to convince a reader of a writer's point of view.

plot

The story line or organization of incidents in a story. Consists of episodes and conflict, usually has a rising and falling action.

point of view

Who tells the story and how the story gets told

pro and con argument

Expressing arguments that are both for and against a position.

prologue

An introductory speech or written passage at the start of a work of literature.

propaganda

Biased writing with extreme examples meant to sway an audience to a certain POV.

protagonist

The main character

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purpose

What the writer is trying to achieve through the writing

pun

A joke or type of wordplay in which similar senses or sounds of two words or phrases, or different senses of the same word, are deliberately confused.

quatrain

A four lined stanza that can be rhymed or unrhymed

question and answer

The process of raising a question while reading in an effort to understand characters and events

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repetition

When a specific word or phrase is used several times to emphasize a particular idea

research

Close, careful study using various sources of a topic

resolution

The part of a work of literature that occurs after the climax and ties up any loose ends.

rhetorical question

A literary technique that involves asking a question that has an obvious answer that does not need to be answered

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rhyme scheme

The pattern of rhyme; traditionally marked by assigning letters of the alphabet to each rhyming sound at the end of each line.

rhythm

A pattern of stressed and unstressed sounds in poetry

rising action

The events that lead up to the climax in a work of literature.

round character

A many-sided character that does not always act predictably.