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.).

attributing human characteristics to an animal or inanimate

object (Personification)

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.

story or poem in which characters, settings, and events stand for other

people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities.

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.

Balancing words, phrases, or ideas that are strongly contrasted, often by

means of grammatical structure.

Brief story, told to illustrate a point or serve as an example of something,

often shows character of an individual

repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds in words that are

close together.

Central character who lacks all the qualities traditionally associated with

heroes. may lack courage, grace, intelligence, or moral scruples.

Repetition of words in successive clauses in reverse grammatical

order.

Moliere: “One should eat to live, not live to eat.” In poetry, this is called chiasmus.

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.

Opponent who struggles against or blocks the hero, or protagonist, in a

story.

brief, cleverly worded statement that makes a wise observation about life,

or of a principle or accepted general truth. Also called maxim, epigram.

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.

Josiah Holland ---“Loacöon! Thou great embodiment/ Of human life and human history!”

An original model or type after which other similar things are patterned; a prototype: “‘Frankenstein’ . . . ‘Dracula’ . . . ‘Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ . . . the archetypes that have influenced all subsequent horror stories” (New York Times).