<p>Literary Terms & Devices 1. acronym: word formed from successive initials or groups of letters, as NATO 2. allegory: story in which characters and actions are symbols for ideas 3. alliteration: repetition of the same consonant sound at the beginning of two or more words 4. allusion: reference to a well-known person, place, thing, or literary work 5. ambiguity: doubtfulness or uncertainty of meaning or intention 6. analogy: comparison between like features of two things that are otherwise dissimilar 7. anecdote: short true story 8. antagonist: adversary of the hero or protagonist of a drama or other literary work 9. antithesis: contrast; direct opposite 10. antonym: word meaning the opposite as another 11. aphorism: brief statement of wisdom or opinion 12. assonance: similarity of vowel sound in words or syllables 13. Briticism: word particular to British English (Bobby = officer, garden = backyard, etc.) 14. cacophony: harsh, discordant sound 15. catharsis: the release of the emotions, as through ar 16. cliché: trite expression 17. climax: high point or turning point in plot 18. colloquial: appropriate to casual rather than formal speech or writing 19. connotation: associated meanings of a word in addition to its explicit or dictionary definition 20. context: what comes before or follows a word or statement and influences its meaning 21. denotation: explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression 22. dialect: pronunciation or words peculiar to an area 23. dialogue: conversation between two or more people 24. discourse: formal discussion of a subject 25. epithet: descriptive terms / phrases that describe a person or thing (gravestone) 26. euphemism: mild expression substituted for one thought to be offensive 27. figurative language: expression not meant to be taken word for word 28. genre: class or category of artistic work 29. hero: the main typically male character in a story, play, etc. 30. heroine: main female character in a story, play, etc. 31. hubris: excessive pride 32. hyperbole: obvious exaggeration; saying more than is true 33. hypothesis: proposition set forth as an explanation of something</p><p>1 Literary Terms & Devices 34. idiom: expression peculiar to a language 35. imagery: mental images 36. innuendo: indirect, usually disparaging, remark 37. internal rhyme : two or more words that rhyme in a line (you can’t beat the heat!) 38. irony: the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning 39. jargon: vocabulary meaningful only to a particular profession or group 40. juxtaposition: placing expressions or ideas close together, for comparison or contrast 41. literal: words use their true meaning 42. metaphor: words compared directly NOT using like or as 43. meter: the rhythmic element in music and poetry 44. monologue: talk by a single speaker 45. motif: recurring subject or theme 46. muse: the inspiration motivating a poet, artist, etc. 47. narrative: story or account of events 48. onomatopoeia: the formation of a word by the imitation of a sound 49. oxymoron: two words that contradict one another 50. pathos: the quality or power of arousing pity 51. personification: attributing a human character or quality to an animal, idea, or thing 52. plot: the main story of a novel, play, etc. 53. protagonist: the main character; hero 54. pseudonym: fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name 55. pun: humorous use of two different meanings of the same word (joke) 56. refrain: recurring passage in a song or poem 57. repetition: repeating of a word or phrase two or more times 58. rhetoric: the skillful use of language 59. sarcasm: scornful, ironic language 60. setting: the locale and period of a story, play, etc. 61. simile: expression comparing two things using 'like' or 'as' 62. soliloquy: speech in a play in which a character speaks as if alone 63. stanza: division of a poem 64. symbol: thing that represents something else 65. synecdoche: A part is used for the whole or vice versa (as 'law' for 'police') 66. synonym: word meaning the same as another</p><p>2 Literary Terms & Devices 67. synopsis: brief summary 68. thesis: proposition to be proved; lengthy essay 69. understatement: saying less than is true 70. vernacular: language used locally or in everyday speech</p><p>3</p>