‭Beginning with A‬

‭1.‬ ‭Abbreviation‬‭- A graphic reduction, as in 'etc.' for‬‭'et cetera'.‬

‭2.‬ ‭Acronym‬‭- A group of abbreviations, pronounced as‬‭if they were‬
‭words of their own, as in 'UNESCO'‬
‭3.‬ ‭Acrostic‬‭- The first of each line in a poem is dedicated‬‭to a subject‬
‭or the name of a person, usually the poet.‬
‭4.‬ ‭Allegory‬‭- A story that contains a hidden meaning‬‭(typically‬
‭moral, political or spiritual) through the use of symbols.‬
‭5.‬ ‭Alliteration‬‭- The same sound repeats in a group of‬‭words,‬
‭usually at the beginnings of closely-connected words.‬
‭6.‬ ‭Allusion‬‭- A reference to something outside of the‬‭text, which‬
‭readers can only understand when they are aware of the context.‬
‭7.‬ ‭Ambiguity‬‭- A single word or expression can have multiple‬
‭meanings, references, attitudes or feelings - free to be interpreted‬
‭when noticed for the first time.‬
‭8.‬ ‭Amplification‬‭- A rhetorical device that seeks to‬‭make an idea‬
‭more richly ornamented, broader in scope, or more forceful.‬
‭9.‬ ‭Anachronism‬‭- A type of juxtaposition wherein a setting‬‭contains‬
‭something that does not belong in that time period.‬
‭10.‬ ‭Anadiplosis‬‭- A type of repetition wherein a group‬‭of words is‬
‭repeated in either the same sentence or the next.‬
‭11.‬‭Anagram‬‭- a word or phrase that rearranges into another‬‭word or‬
‭phrase, such as 'Tom Marvolo Riddle' rearranging into 'I am Lord‬
‭Voldemort'.‬
 ‭12.‬ ‭Analogy‬‭- A comparison that likens one situation to something‬
‭else, typically done by writers to explain something of importance‬
‭in a simple manner.‬
‭13.‬ ‭Anaphora‬‭- A type of repetition wherein the same words‬‭are‬
‭repeated at the beginning or different clauses or sentences.‬
‭14.‬ ‭Antilogy‬‭- A rhetorical device used to express a contradictory‬‭or‬
‭paradoxical statement within a single sentence.‬
‭15.‬‭Anthropomorphism‬‭- Giving human traits, emotions or‬
‭intentions to non-human entities, such as in the stories with an‬
‭animal as the protagonist.‬
‭16.‬ ‭Antithesis‬‭- The contrasting of two ideas, which makes‬‭the‬
‭principle idea more striking, such as "It was the best of times, it‬
‭was the worst of times".‬
‭17.‬‭Aphorism‬‭- An observation or saying that contains‬‭general truth,‬
‭or some kind of moral principle, such as "All is fair in love and‬
‭war".‬
‭18.‬ ‭Assonance‬‭- A type of repetition with a resemblance‬‭of vowel‬
‭sounds between nearby words or syllables, to create emphasis or‬
‭rhythm.‬
‭19.‬ ‭Asyndeton‬‭- An ommision of coordinating conjunctions‬‭(words‬
‭like 'and', 'but', and 'or', which connect clauses and sentences), as‬
‭in "I came, I saw, I conquered".‬

‭Beginning with B‬
 ‭1.‬ ‭Ballad‬‭- A formal lyric poem with a fixed meter and rhyme,‬
‭wherein the last line of each stanza ends with the same line.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Bildungsroman‬‭- A genre of novel that shows a young‬
‭protagonist embarking on a journey from childhood to adulthood.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Blank Verse‬‭- The name given to poetry that lacks‬‭rhyme but still‬
‭contains meter, usually iambic pentameter.‬

‭Beginning with C‬

‭1.‬ ‭Cacophony‬‭- A combination of words that sounds harsh‬‭or‬

‭unpleasant together, usually due to a lot of consonants such as B,‬
‭D, K, P, T, or G.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Cadence‬‭- When a group of words in a sentence or in‬‭a line of‬
‭poetry is arranged in a manner that sounds beautiful or‬
‭harmonious.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Caesura‬‭- A pause that occurs within a line of poetry,‬‭noted by a‬
‭punctuation - a comma, period, ellipsis or dash - such as in "To be,‬
‭or not to be".‬
‭4.‬ ‭Caricature‬‭- The presentation of an object, an idea‬‭or a person in‬
‭an excessively unfavourable light, with exaggerated features.‬
‭5.‬ ‭Chiasmus‬‭- The grammar of one phrase is inverted in‬‭the next‬
‭phrase, and so the same words are repeated in the reverse order.‬
‭For example, "Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure".‬
 ‭6.‬ ‭Circumlocution‬‭- Saying too many words where just a few would‬
‭do, due to a person's embarrassment, in order to be vague or‬
‭evasive.‬
‭7.‬ ‭Colloquialism‬‭- The use of informal words or phrases‬‭in writing‬
‭or speech, usually due to these words being used casually within a‬
‭regional dialect.‬
‭8.‬ ‭Common meter‬‭- A meter pattern for poetry wherein‬‭each stanza‬
‭has four lines that contain eight and six syllables alternatively.‬
‭9.‬ ‭Connotation‬‭- Words that carry meanings, interpretations‬‭and‬
‭associations apart from or beyond their literal meaning.‬
‭10.‬ ‭Consonance‬‭- A type of repetition where the same consonant‬
‭sound is repeated in a group of nearby words or syllables, to create‬
‭emphasis or rhythm.‬

‭Beginning with D‬

‭1.‬ ‭Denotation‬‭- The opposite of connotation, where words‬‭contain‬

‭nothing more than their literal meaning: the explicit meaning of a‬
‭word, phrase or idea.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Diction‬‭- The writer's choice of words and expressions,‬‭including‬
‭their choice of vocabulary and the manner in which they‬
‭communicate.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Digression‬‭- When an author diverts their attention‬‭to matters‬
‭that are extraneous to the principal subject being discussed, i.e., a‬
‭slight diversion.‬
 ‭4.‬ ‭Dissonance‬‭- The lack of harmony or agreement between words‬
‭and phrases, characters, or things, in order to create a sense of‬
‭conflict or confusion for readers.‬
‭5.‬ ‭Dramatic Irony‬‭- A plot device used in drama to highlight‬‭the‬
‭difference between a character's understanding of a given situation‬
‭to that of the audience.‬

‭Beginning with E‬

‭1.‬ ‭Elegy‬‭- A type of poem that contains serious reflection,‬‭usually‬

‭mourning the loss of someone who died.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Enjambment‬‭- A sentence in a poem runs on from one‬‭line to the‬
‭next without any punctuation or marked stop: carrying its idea‬
‭without a pause.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Enumeration‬‭- A rhetorical device when a writer chooses‬‭to list‬
‭out items, events, ideas, or other parts of a story or setting.‬
‭4.‬ ‭Epanalepsis‬‭- The repetition of a word or phrase at‬‭the end of the‬
‭same sentence, such as in "Beloved is mine; she is Beloved".‬
‭5.‬ ‭Epigram‬‭- A short poem or statement that conveys a‬‭single‬
‭thought or a statement, and usually ends on a satirical note (often‬
‭with a punchline).‬
‭6.‬ ‭Epigraph‬‭- A quotation that you might find at the‬‭beginning of a‬
‭chapter in one of your literary texts, usually related to the story in‬
‭some way.‬
 ‭7.‬ ‭Epistrophe‬‭- A type of repetition wherein one or more words are‬
‭repeated at the end of each successive phrase, for eg. "Of the‬
‭people, by the people, for the people".‬
‭8.‬ ‭Ethos‬‭- A mode of persuasion that appeals to the audience‬‭by‬
‭emphasising the speaker's credibility and authority.‬
‭9.‬ ‭Euphemism‬‭- The use of words or expressions to disguise‬‭painful‬
‭or uncomfortable ideas, so the literal meaning of words are devoid‬
‭of deep meaning.‬
‭10.‬ ‭Extended Metaphor‬‭- A metaphors that unfolds across‬
‭multiple lines or multiple paragraphs of a text, so the writer can‬
‭explain the idea in intricate detail.‬

‭Beginning with F‬

‭1.‬ ‭Flashback‬‭- A narrative reversion to previous events,‬‭so the‬

‭author can provide background information or important details‬
‭about the story.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Flash-Forward‬‭- An insertion in the story-telling‬‭process of a‬
‭scene which happens after the currently-narrated event.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Foreshadowing‬‭- A literary device used by authors‬‭to hint or‬
‭leave clues about events that will be happening much later in the‬
‭story.‬
‭4.‬ ‭Free Verse‬‭- A type of poetry that use any strict‬‭meter or rhyme‬
‭scheme, and seems to be the norm today, like blank verse and‬
‭formal verse once was.‬
‭Beginning with G‬

‭1.‬ ‭Generalisation‬‭- A rhetorical statement made by the‬‭author to‬

‭include a large number of evidence under an idea may have been‬
‭verified by only one or a few.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Gesture‬‭- A signifying movement that is capable of‬
‭communicating something to the audience without the need for‬
‭words.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Gibberish‬‭- An unitelligible or meaningless speech‬‭or writing,‬
‭usually given when a character is either mumbling or actually‬
‭speaking in a foreign language.‬

‭Beginning with H‬

‭1.‬ ‭Hamartia‬‭- A literary term that refers to any tragic‬‭flaw or error in‬
‭a character's personality that eventually leads to their downfall.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Hubris‬‭- A literary term that refers to excessive‬‭pride or‬
‭overconfidence in a character, which drives them to overstep limits‬
‭and lead them to their downfall.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Hyperbole‬‭- A rhetorical device wherein the author‬‭or speaker‬
‭exaggerates their argument to place emphasis on an important‬
‭point.‬
‭4.‬ ‭Hypotyposis‬‭- A term used when the description of‬‭a setting is so‬
‭detailed, realistic, animated and striking‬
‭Beginning with I‬

‭1.‬ ‭Iamb‬‭- A metrical pattern in poetry in which one unstressed‬

‭syllable is followed by a stressed syllable.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Idiom‬‭- A phrase that, when taken as a whole, contains‬‭a meaning‬
‭that cannot be understood without taking the context or hidden‬
‭meaning into account.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Imagery‬‭- Descriptive language used by writers to‬‭create a picture‬
‭with words or to evoke a sensory experience for the reader.‬
‭4.‬ ‭Internal Rhyme‬‭- A poetic device where a rhyme occurs‬‭in the‬
‭middle of the lines in poetry, instead of at the end of lines, and‬
‭continues for multiple lines.‬
‭5.‬ ‭Irony‬‭- A situation which contains the opposite effect‬‭to the one‬
‭that was desired by the characters or the readers, creating a‬
‭humorous or tragic effect.‬

‭Beginning with J‬

‭1.‬ ‭Jargon‬‭- When the writer uses language only understandable‬‭to‬

‭subject-matter experts or students, reducing the effect of accurate‬
‭communication.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Juxtaposition‬‭- A situation wherein an author places‬‭two things‬
‭side-by-side, in order to highlight their differences.‬

‭Beginning with L‬
 ‭1.‬ ‭Lamentation‬‭- An expression of poetry to convey the‬‭depths of‬
‭the writer's perspective on grief, sorrow or pain.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Line Break‬‭- The break wherein the poet decides to‬‭stop a line‬
‭and moves on to the next line, with or without the completion of‬
‭the idea.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Litotes‬‭- When the writer or character is adopts a‬‭tone of sarcasm‬
‭- instead of stating something directly, states that the opposite‬
‭statement is not true.‬
‭4.‬ ‭Logos‬‭- A mode of persuasion that appeals to the audience's‬‭sense‬
‭of logical reasoning through the citing of data, facts, statistics and‬
‭other such detail.‬

‭Beginning with M‬

‭1.‬ ‭Maxim‬‭- A brief sentence that contains a piece of‬‭wisdom or a‬

‭general rule of behaviour - usually something completely original,‬
‭and not a proverb.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Meiosis‬‭- Understating the significance of a person,‬‭situation or‬
‭idea, to create a dramatic effect and to make the informed audience‬
‭ponder about meaning.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Metaphor‬‭- An assertion that compares two different‬‭scenarios as‬
‭being a representation of each other, to create meaning beyond‬
‭what is seen.‬
 ‭4.‬ ‭Metonymy‬‭- Substituting the name of one thing with another‬
‭word, due to repetition or circumstance, for eg. Voldemort as 'He‬
‭Who Must Not be Named'.‬
‭5.‬ ‭Monologue‬‭- A speech made by a character to deliver‬‭their‬
‭thoughts, ideas and beliefs, to develop the reader's understanding‬
‭of the character.‬
‭6.‬ ‭Mood‬‭- A general atmosphere or emotion created for‬‭the reader‬
‭through the use of setting, imagery, word choice and tone.‬
‭7.‬ ‭Motif‬‭- A recurring element or idea throughout a work‬‭of‬
‭literature, such as the green light in 'The Great Gatsby'.‬

‭Beginning with N‬

‭1.‬ ‭Narrative‬‭- A story that contains the occurence of‬‭events,‬

‭conveyed with a specific choice of words and the presence of an‬
‭intended message or effect.‬

‭Beginning with O‬

‭1.‬ ‭Ode‬‭- A formal lyric poem that the poet usually addressed‬‭as a‬
‭form of praise to a person, idea or object that fascinates them.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Onomatopoeia‬‭- A device in which a word is formed‬‭based on the‬
‭actual sound associated with what is named, such as 'squeak', or‬
‭'tingle'.‬
 ‭3.‬ ‭Oxymoron‬‭- When two contradictory words are intentionally‬
‭paired, in order to convey meaning, for eg., 'sweet sorrow', or 'loud‬
‭silence'.‬

‭Beginning with P‬

‭1.‬ ‭Palindrome‬‭- A word, sentence or verse that reads‬‭the same‬

‭backwards or forwards, for eg. the language 'Malayalam', or the‬
‭sentence, 'Madam, I'm Adam'.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Paradox‬‭- A logically self-contradicting statement,‬‭or a statement‬
‭that runs contrary a current statement that is already established‬
‭or expected.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Parallelism‬‭- When two or more elements of a sentence‬‭(or series‬
‭of sentences) have the same grammatical structure.‬
‭4.‬ ‭Parastasis‬‭- An accumulation of sentences that are‬‭repeating the‬
‭same thing.‬
‭5.‬ ‭Parataxis‬‭- Placing sentences side-by-side (usually‬‭without‬
‭conjunctions) to give them equal importance, such as in "I came, I‬
‭saw, I conquered".‬
‭6.‬ ‭Parody‬‭- A conscious and deliberate imitation of the‬‭style of a‬
‭work, an artist, or a genre, intended to create a mocking or simply‬
‭comic effect.‬
‭7.‬ ‭Pathetic Fallacy‬‭-When a writers gives human emotions‬‭to‬
‭things, such as objects, weather or animals, in order to reflect the‬
‭inner emotions of a character.‬
 ‭8.‬ ‭Pathos‬‭- A mode of persuasion that appeals to the audience's‬
‭emotions, sense of duty, or purpose, in order to influence the‬
‭listener's point of view.‬
‭9.‬ ‭Personification‬‭- When a writer endows life and human‬‭qualities‬
‭to non-human things, such as 'flowers dancing', figuratively.‬
‭10.‬ ‭Plot‬‭- The chronological sequence of events in which‬‭a story‬
‭takes place, also containing the cause-and-effect relationships,‬
‭which may be unclear in narration.‬
‭11.‬‭Point of View‬‭- The perspective that the narrator‬‭holds while‬
‭relaying the events of the story or argument.‬
‭12.‬ ‭Polysyndeton‬‭- The repetition of conjunctions such‬‭as 'and',‬
‭'or', or 'but', several times in close succession, for eg. in Chapter 3‬
‭of‬‭The Great Gatsby‬‭.‬
‭13.‬ ‭Pun‬‭- A form of word play where the writer picks words‬‭that‬
‭have similar sounds but different meanings, usually with the‬
‭purpose of creating a humorous effect.‬

‭Beginning with R‬

‭1.‬ ‭Red Herring‬‭- A piece of information in a story that‬‭is meant to‬

‭distract readers from an important truth, usually found in mystery‬
‭or suspense stories.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Recapitulation‬‭- A repetition of different points‬‭made in an‬
‭argument, phrased in a condensed form, usually found at the‬
‭conclusion.‬
 ‭3.‬ ‭Repetition‬‭- A rhetorical device wherein a word or phrase is‬
‭repeated in order to create emphasis and stress in the writing.‬
‭4.‬ ‭Redundancy‬‭- A repetition of an idea two or more times‬‭in close‬
‭succession without adding more stress or effect to the argument.‬
‭5.‬ ‭Rhetorical Question‬‭- A rhetorical device wherein‬‭a question is‬
‭asked without the need for an answer, in order to emphasize a‬
‭message or sense of frustration.‬
‭6.‬ ‭Rhyme‬‭- A repetition of similar sounds within a poem,‬‭especially‬
‭at the end of the lines, since a rhyme pattern is a requirement in‬
‭formal verse.‬
‭7.‬ ‭Rhythm‬‭- A 'movement' created in prose or poetry through‬‭a‬
‭succession of strong and weak elements, in order to give the‬
‭audience a sense of pacing.‬
‭8.‬ ‭Rounded Characters‬‭- The term used to describe life-like‬‭or‬
‭complex characters with believable motives, desires and overall‬
‭traits, for eg. Achebe's Okonkwo‬

‭Beginning with S‬

‭1.‬ ‭Sarcasm‬‭- When the narrator or a character use inflection‬‭to mock‬

‭someone or something (sometimes a bit aggressively), usually for‬
‭humorous effect.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Satire‬‭- The use of humour to criticise an idea, usually‬‭in order to‬
‭show how certain stances or ideologies appear silly from a different‬
‭perspective.‬
‭3.‬ ‭Setting‬‭- The place or surroundings in which an event or story‬
‭takes place, and is usually significant in shaping the story's‬
‭characters and events.‬
‭4.‬ ‭Sibilance‬‭- Sibilance is the sound of hissing snakes‬‭or whistling‬
‭winds, usually created by placing the letter 's' in close succession,‬
‭and is a type of alliteration.‬
‭5.‬ ‭Simile‬‭- A comparison of thing with another, in order‬‭to show a‬
‭similarity or a likening, according to the perspective of the speaker.‬
‭6.‬ ‭Soliloquy‬‭- A device wherein a character speaks to‬‭themselves out‬
‭loud, in order to rationalise the sitation, giving the readers an‬
‭insight into their perspective.‬
‭7.‬ ‭Sonnet‬‭- A type of poem that contains fourteen lines‬‭that follows a‬
‭strict rhyme scheme and metrical pattern.‬
‭8.‬ ‭Static Characters‬‭- Characters who don't really change‬‭or‬
‭develop as a result of the story's major plot developments.‬
‭9.‬ ‭Stream of Consciousness‬‭- A device wherein a character's‬
‭thought process is directly coneveyed without any form of filter, in‬
‭to reveal their state of mind.‬
‭10.‬ ‭Symbolism‬‭- When the writer uses a real-world object,‬‭person,‬
‭or place, to represent something more abstract, such as an idea or a‬
‭quality.‬
‭11.‬‭Synecdoche‬‭- When the writer mentions a small part‬‭of a whole‬
‭idea, to represent the whole idea, such as in "All hands on deck", or‬
‭"Lend me your ears".‬
‭Beginning with T‬

‭1.‬ ‭Theme‬‭- A theme is an exploration of a universal idea,‬‭through the‬

‭use of characters and events, in order to convey a message or a‬
‭broader truth.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Tone‬‭- The attitude adopted by the writer while penning‬‭down‬
‭their perspective about a topic, often noticeable through their‬
‭authorial choices.‬

‭Beginning with U or V‬

‭1.‬ ‭Understatement‬‭- When something is expressed less‬‭strongly‬

‭than it should have, for the sake of downplay or to create a‬
‭humorous effect.‬
‭2.‬ ‭Verbal Irony‬‭- Unlike the irony within a situation,‬‭verbak irony is‬
‭evident when the words spoken by an individual is the opposite of‬
‭what they actually mean.‬