Term
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Definition
story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other
people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities. |
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Term
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Definition
repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are
close together. |
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Term
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Definition
reference to someone or something that is known from history, literature,
religion, politics, sports, science, or another branch of culture. An indirect reference to
something (usually from literature, etc.). |
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Term
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Definition
deliberately suggesting two or more different, and sometimes conflicting,
meanings in a work. An event or situation that may be interpreted in more than one way-
- this is done on purpose by the author, when it is not done on purpose, it is vagueness,
and detracts from the work. |
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Definition
| Comparison made between two things to show how they are alike |
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Term
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Definition
Repetition of a word, phrase, or clause at the beginning of two or more
sentences in a row. This is a deliberate form of repetition and helps make the writer’s
point more coherent. |
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Term
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Definition
Inversion of the usual, normal, or logical order of the parts of a
sentence. Purpose is rhythm or emphasis or euphony. It is a fancy word for inversion. |
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Term
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Definition
Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something,
often shows character of an individual |
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Term
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Definition
Opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a
story. |
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Term
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Definition
Repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical
order. |
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Term
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Definition
Balancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted, often by
means of grammatical structure. |
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Term
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Definition
Central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with
heroes. may lack courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples. |
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Term
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Definition
attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate
object (Personification) |
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Term
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Definition
brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life,
or of a principle or accepted general truth. Also called maxim, epigram. |
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Term
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Definition
calling out to an imaginary, dead, or absent person, or to a place or
thing, or a personified abstract idea. If the character is asking a god or goddess for
inspiration it is called an invocation. |
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Term
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Definition
Placing in immediately succeeding order of two or more coordinate
elements, the latter of which is an explanation, qualification, or modification of the first
(often set off by a colon). |
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Term
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Definition
the repetition of similar vowel sounds followed by different consonant
sounds especially in words that are together. |
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Term
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Definition
Commas used without conjunction to separate a series of words, thus
emphasizing the parts equally: instead of X, Y, and Z... the writer uses X,Y,Z.... see
polysyndeton. |
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Term
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Definition
Constructing a sentence so that both halves are about the same length and
importance. Sentences can be unbalanced to serve a special effect as well. |
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Term
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Definition
the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a
character. |
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Term
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Definition
In poetry, a type of rhetorical balance in which the second part is
syntactically balanced against the first, but with the parts reversed. |
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Term
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Definition
is a word or phrase, often a figure of speech, that has become lifeless because
of overuse. Avoid clichés like the plague. (That cliché is intended.) |
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Term
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Definition
a word or phrase in everyday use in conversation and informal
writing but is inappropriate for formal situations. |
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Term
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Definition
in general, a story that ends with a happy resolution of the conflicts faced by
the main character or characters. |
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Term
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Definition
an elaborate metaphor that compares two things that are startlingly different.
Often an extended metaphor. |
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Term
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Definition
a twentieth century term used to describe poetry that uses
intimate material from the poet’s life. |
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Term
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Definition
| the struggle between opposing forces or characters in a story. |
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Term
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Definition
the associations and emotional overtones that have become attached
to a word or phrase, in addition to its strict dictionary definition. |
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Term
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Definition
| two consecutive rhyming lines of poetry. |
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Term
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Definition
a way of speaking that is characteristic of a certain social group or of the
inhabitants of a certain geographical area. |
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Term
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Definition
| a speaker or writer’s choice of words. |
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Term
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Definition
form of fiction or nonfiction that teaches a specific lesson or moral or
provides a model of correct behavior or thinking. |
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Term
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Definition
| a poem of mourning, usually about someone who has died. |
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Term
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Definition
device of repetition in which the same expression (single word or
phrase) is repeated both at the beginning and at the end of the line, clause, or sentence. |
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Term
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Definition
a long narrative poem, written in heightened language , which recounts the deeds
of a heroic character who embodies the values of a particular society. |
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Term
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Definition
a quotation or aphorism at the beginning of a literary work suggestive of
the theme. |
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Term
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Definition
Device of repetition in which the same expression (single word or
phrase) is repeated at the end of two or more lines, clauses, or sentences (it is the opposite
of anaphora). |
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Term
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Definition
an adjective or adjective phrase applied to a person or thing that is frequently
used to emphasize a characteristic quality. |
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Term
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Definition
a short piece of nonfiction prose in which the writer discusses some aspect of a
subject. |
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Term
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Definition
act of interpreting or discovering the meaning of a text, usually
involves close reading and special attention to figurative language. |
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Term
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Definition
a very short story told in prose or poetry that teaches a practical lesson about
how to succeed in life. |
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Term
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Definition
a type of comedy in which ridiculous and often stereotyped characters are
involved in silly, far-fetched situations. |
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Term
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Definition
Words which are inaccurate if interpreted literally, but
are used to describe. Similes and metaphors are common forms. |
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Term
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Definition
a scene that interrupts the normal chronological sequence of events in a
story to depict something that happened at an earlier time. |
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Term
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Definition
A character who acts as contrast to another character. Often a funny side kick to
the dashing hero, or a villain contrasting the hero. |
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Term
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Definition
the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a
plot. |
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Term
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Definition
| poetry that does not conform to a regular meter or rhyme scheme. |
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Term
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Definition
a figure of speech that uses an incredible exaggeration or overstatement,
for effect. |
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Term
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Definition
sentence marked by the use of connecting words between clauses or
sentences, explicitly showing the logical or other relationships between them. |
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Term
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Definition
the use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete sensation of a person ,
a thing, a place, or an experience. |
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Term
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Definition
| the reversal of the normal word order in a sentence or phrase. |
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Term
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Definition
| a discrepancy between appearances and reality. |
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Term
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Definition
occurs when someone says one thing but really means
something else. |
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Term
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Definition
takes place when there is a discrepancy between
what is expected to happen, or what would be appropriate to happen, and what
really does happen. |
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Term
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Definition
is so called because it is often used on stage. A
character in the play or story thinks one thing is true, but the audience or reader
knows better. |
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Term
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Definition
poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas,
words, or phrases are placed next to one another, creating an effect of surprise and wit. |
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Term
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Definition
is a form of understatement in which the positive form is emphasized through
the negation of a negative form |
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Term
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Definition
a term applied to fiction or poetry which tends to place special
emphasis on a particular setting, including its customs, clothing, dialect and landscape. |
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Term
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Definition
one in which the main clause comes first, followed by further
dependent grammatical units. |
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Term
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Definition
a poem that does not tell a story but expresses the personal feelings or
thoughts of the speaker. A ballad tells a story. |
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Term
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Definition
a figure of speech that makes a comparison between two unlike things
without the use of such specific words of comparison as like, as, than, or resembles. |
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Term
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Definition
a figure of speech in which a person, place, or thing, is referred to by
something closely associated with it. |
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Term
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Definition
| An atmosphere created by a writer’s diction and the details selected. |
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Term
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Definition
a recurring image, word, phrase, action, idea, object, or situation used
throughout a work (or in several works by one author), unifying the work by tying the
current situation to previous ones, or new ideas to the theme. |
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Term
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Definition
| the reasons for a character’s behavior. |
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Term
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Definition
a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory terms in a
brief phrase. |
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Term
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Definition
a relatively short story that teaches a moral, or lesson about how to lead a
good life. |
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Term
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Definition
| a statement that appears self-contradictory, but that reveals a kind of truth. |
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Term
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Definition
(parallelism) the repetition of words or phrases that have
similar grammatical structures. |
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Term
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Definition
| simply juxtaposes clauses or sentences. |
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Term
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Definition
a work that makes fun of another work by imitating some aspect of the
writer’s style. |
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Term
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Definition
sentence that places the main idea or central complete thought at the end of
the sentence, after all introductory elements. |
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Term
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Definition
a figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human
feelings, thoughts, or attitudes. |
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Term
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Definition
| the series of related events in a story or play, sometimes called the storyline. |
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Term
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Definition
| the vantage point from which the writer tells the story. |
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Term
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Definition
sentence which uses a conjunction with NO commas to separate the
items in a series. Instead of X, Y, and Z... Polysyndeton results in X and Y and Z... |
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Term
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Definition
the central character in a story, the one who initiates or drives the
action. Usually the hero or anti-hero; in a tragic hero, like John Proctor of The
Crucible, there is always a hamartia, or tragic flaw in his character which will lead to
his downfall. |
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Term
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Definition
a “play on words” based on the multiple meanings of a single word or on words
that sound alike but mean different things. |
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Term
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Definition
a word, phrase, line, or group of lines that is repeated, for effect, several
times in a poem. |
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Term
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Definition
a rise and fall of the voice produced by the alternation of stressed and
unstressed syllables in language. |
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Term
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Definition
| Art of effective communication, especially persuasive discourse. |
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Term
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Definition
a question asked for an effect, and not actually requiring
an answer. |
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Term
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Definition
in general, a story in which an idealized hero or heroine undertakes a quest
and is successful. |
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Term
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Definition
a type of writing that ridicules the shortcomings of people or institutions in an
attempt to bring about a change. |
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Term
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Definition
a figure of speech that makes an explicitly comparison between two unlike
things, using words such as like, as , than, or resembles. |
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Term
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Definition
a long speech made by a character in a play while no other characters are
on stage. |
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Term
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Definition
a fixed idea or conception of a character or an idea which does not
allow for any individuality, often based on religious, social, or racial prejudices. |
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Term
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Definition
a style of writing that portrays the inner (often
chaotic) workings of a character’s mind. |
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Term
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Definition
the distinctive way in which a writer uses language: a writer’s distinctive use of
diction, tone, and syntax. |
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Term
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Definition
a feeling of uncertainty and curiosity about what will happen next in a
story. |
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Term
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Definition
a person, place, thing, or event that has meaning in itself and that also stands
for something more than itself. |
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Term
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Definition
| a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole. |
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Term
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Definition
Ability to create a variety of sentence structures,
appropriately complex and/or simple and varied in length. |
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Term
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Definition
Sentence structures that are extraordinarily complex
and involved. Often difficult for a reader to follow. |
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Term
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Definition
an outrageously exaggerated, humorous story that is obviously
unbelievable. |
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Term
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Definition
| A sentence shorter than five words in length. |
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Term
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Definition
| the insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work. |
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Term
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Definition
the attitude a writer takes toward the subject of a work, the characters in it, or
the audience, revealed through diction, figurative language, and organization. |
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Term
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Definition
in general, a story in which a heroic character either dies or comes to some
other unhappy end. |
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Term
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Definition
Sentence of three parts of equal importance and length, usually three
independent clauses. |
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Term
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Definition
| a statement that says less than what is meant. |
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Term
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Definition
Unified parts of the writing are related to one central idea or organizing
principle. Unity is dependent upon coherence. |
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Term
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Definition
| the language spoken by the people who live in a particular locality. |
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