Allegory

a story that represents abstract ideas or moral qualities

literal and symbolic meaning

Allusion

a reference to a person, place, poem, book, event, or movie outside of the story that the author expects the reader will recognize

Apostrophe

directly addressing an imaginary person, place, thing, or abstraction, either living or dead

Canto

a small division composed of numberous stanzas of an epic or other long poem

Digression

an interruption of the main action, accomplished by telling stories unrelated to the main plot; serves to provide background information, explain character motivation, establish interest, build suspense, and inform the reader of the action to come

Dynamic Characters

people in the work who evolve, or change; not in appearance

Epic Simile

Exposition

the background information which the reader has to know and/or understand

Foreshadowing

the use of hints or clues in a story to suggest what action is to come; used to create interst & build suspense

Grotesque

a type of literature that emphasizes an exaggeration or distortion of reality

Inference

the act of drawing a conclusion that is not actually stated

Irony

a subtle, sometimes humorous perception of inconsistency in which the significance of a statement or event is changed by its content

Dramatic Irony

the audience knows more about a character's situation than the character does

Structural Irony

a naïve hero whose view of the world differs from the author's and reader's

Verbal Irony

a discrepancy between what is said and what is really meant; sarcasm

Metaphor

a comparison of two things that are basically dissimilar but are brought together in order to create a sharp image

Perspective

the viewpoint from which the author wants the reader to follow or understand the work; similar to point-of-view

Poetic Justice

an outcome, either reward or punishment, which is often ironic or perfectly suited to the character or situation

Poetic License

a liberty taken by an author to achieve a desired effect; may be in sound, syntax, or diction, or it may be factual

Pun

an expression that achieves emphasis or humor by utilizing

• two distinct meaning for the same word
• two similar sounding words 

Sensory Images

the use of details from the five senses to help describe the subject

Simile

a comparison between two different things using like or as

Symbol

an object, person, or place that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something larger that itself, usually an idea or concept

Synecdoche

using a part of something to stand for the entire thing

Terza Rima

a three-lined stanza used in a poem

Theme

the central or dominant idea behind the story